Dolly Parton on Songwriting, Business Smarts, and "Horse Sense"

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October 29, 2025 • 36 mins

Dolly Parton joins James Patterson for the first episode of Hungry Dogs in an intimate, funny, and inspiring conversation about hustle, heart, and staying hungry. Dolly opens up about her early days in Nashville, the meaning of “horse sense,” and turning down Elvis Presley’s request to record “I Will Always Love You.” She and Patterson also reflect on their collaboration on Run, Rose, Run, the power of storytelling in country music, her hit film 9 to 5, her Broadway musical Dolly: An Original Musical, and what keeps her driven after decades of success. 00:00 Intro 1:27 Run, Rose, Run Reminiscing 02:27 Musical Influences and Family 04:38 Dolly's Instrumental Journey 06:11 Moving to Nashville 09:59 James and Dolly First Impressions 15:06 Dolly's Business Acumen 17:27 Dolly vs. Elvis' Manager 18:21 Nine to Five with Burt Reynolds 19:52 An Unexpected Birthday Serenade 21:42 Rock and Roll Collaborations 23:14 The Making of 'Dolly: the Musical' 28:50 Upcoming Projects 31:27 James' Birthday Gift from Dolly

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Dolly Parton on Songwriting, Business Smarts, and "Horse Sense"