A Look Back at Dolly Parton and James Patterson’s Novel They Co-Wrote—and Their Sweet, Unexpected Friendship
The country legend and bestselling author created magic together—and a friendship for the ages
Key Takeaways
- Dolly Parton and James Patterson worked together on the novel 'Run, Rose, Run.'
- Dolly also wrote a companion album to accompany the book about an aspiring singer.
- James Patterson has publicly remembered his friendship with Dolly.
James Patterson has penned dozens of novels, and despite his skills as an author on his own, he’s joined forces with several famous faces over the years to collaborate. The 79-year-old writer has worked alongside everyone from social media personality MrBeast to former president Bill Clinton to Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis—but it was the thriller he wrote with Dolly Parton that we especially love looking back on. As we honor the late singer on Dolly Parton Day, take a walk down memory lane and reflect on Run, Rose, Run. Plus, see how Patterson honored her after her passing.
Dolly Parton and James Patterson wrote ‘Run, Rose, Run’ together
Run, Rose, Run began with an idea from the mind of Patterson about a country singer—and who better to help him bring it to life than one of the most famous country singers in the world? “I suggested to Dolly’s manager that she and I consider writing a novel together,” Patterson explained in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Dolly was interested but she wanted to meet face-to-face before deciding. We needed to talk, to get to know one another, if we were going to be writing partners. That made perfect sense to me.” As was the case with everyone who met Dolly, the author was quickly charmed by her, and their collaboration led to the book being released in 2022.
The tale follows AnnieLee Keyes, an aspiring country singer who makes her way to Nashville in pursuit of her dreams, but is running from the secrets of her past. When she catches the attention of Ethan, a collaborator of retired country singer Ruthanna Ryder, AnnieLee is soon taken under the veteran musician’s wing—but her rise threatens to blow her cover.
Dolly released a companion album of tracks to pair with the story that included “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” and “Blue Bonnet Breeze.”
Dolly spoke about how their collaboration came to be and what it meant to her during a 2022 conversation with AARP, saying, “We talked and we talked and we talked—and we really found that we liked each other, and I really liked the idea that he had. Of course, I moved to Nashville when I was 18, so I understood the young character AnnieLee. And now that I’ve been in the business so long, I relate to Ruthanna. He had all these great ideas.”
James Patterson remembers Dolly Parton after her passing
After Dolly’s passing, James Patterson shared his past interview with her to his YouTube channel, with a touching message at the beginning. “This is a sad one, but kind of a wonderful one. The first time I met Dolly Parton, I fell in love with her. It was at her place down in Nashville—simple as that. She was funny, she was thoughtful, she was smart as a whip, she was quick, and she was exactly as genuine as you hoped Dolly Parton would be—that I hoped Dolly Parton would be. I am going to miss her. We spent an incredible amount of time together when we were doing Run, Rose, Run. I feel very lucky that we had this conversation.”
Patterson’s words echo the feelings of millions—gratitude for having known Dolly’s light, even if only through her music, her words, her generosity and her vibrant spirit.
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