Country legend Dolly Parton is still achieving firsts in her storied career. Parton will make her first ever appearance at SXSW, the annual Austin, Texas-based festival featuring film, music and interactive media.
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During the festival, Parton will promote her new novel Run, Rose, Run, which she wrote with James Patterson. On March 18, actor Connie Britton (Nashville, Friday Night Lights) will moderate the conversation with Parton and Patterson at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater.
Following the conversation, Parton will give a live performance of songs from her forthcoming album Run, Rose, Run, a companion piece to the novel. Parton's performance will be streamed live for free on "Dollyverse" by Eluvio an audience-centric Web3 experience in partnership with FOX Entertainment's Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL).
Kovic, Callie Twisselman, Electra Mustaine and The Brothers Moore will open for Parton.
The "Dollyverse" will release an exclusive collection of official and certified Dolly NFT collectibles for purchase during and after SXSW. Those in attendence in person will be able to claim a free NFT, while those streaming the performance will also be able to recieve tokens.
"There's almost nothing more important to me than connecting with my fans. And I'm almost always up for trying something new and different," Parton said in a press statement. "I'd say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, with James Patterson by my side, definitely counts as new and different!"
Parton's appearance during SXSW fulfills a longtime goal for the festival.
"Dolly Parton's participation in SXSW 2022 fulfills one of our longtime goals and we're absolutely ecstatic to have her involved in this year's event in such a unique way," Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer for SXSW, said in a statement. "Beyond her legendary status in the music industry, Dolly embodies the SXSW spirit as she extends her unique brand of creativity across many verticals. Most importantly, Dolly serves as an inspirational and unifying role model for millions of fans -- spanning different ages, occupations, and viewpoints -- from all over the world."
Read More: Dolly Parton Shares 'Blue Bonnet Breeze' From Upcoming Album 'Run Rose Run'
Parton and her co-author James Patterson recently launched a Bookcast via Spotify, which will combine the audiobook with the soundtrack created by Parton. You can listen to the project on Spotify, with multiple episodes releasing weekly.
Parton's SXSW appearance is the latest in busy month for the music icon. She'll co-host the ACM Awards with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett on March 7. She'll also perform her song "Big Dreams and Faded Jeans" with Kelsea Ballerini during the awards ceremony.
Parton was also recently named as a nominee for the 2022 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
