In a grand tribute to an enduring legend, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, alongside authorities from Nashville International Airport, revealed plans to rename the airport in honor of Dolly Parton. This announcement follows a swelling wave of public admiration for the late country music icon’s legacy.
Governor Lee mentioned that discussions with Parton’s representatives have commenced this week regarding the initiative. Her team has graciously acknowledged the support and seemed receptive to further dialogue, as shared in a joint statement from both the governor’s office and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.
The plan aims to align Parton’s name with the gateway to Music City, marrying the airport’s international reach with the influence of a woman whose music and philanthropic endeavors have profoundly touched her home state, making her a cherished figure in Tennessee.
“Dolly Parton’s remarkable journey is intrinsically linked to our state’s heritage,” remarked Lee while paying homage to the Tennessee native, who passed away on Tuesday at 80, following a short battle with cancer. “From her humble beginnings in the mountains of East Tennessee to her global acclaim, Dolly exemplified the Volunteer Spirit wherever she went.
“Naming Nashville International Airport after Tennessee’s most beloved daughter is a fitting tribute. It would introduce travelers to the state’s hospitality, which Dolly’s music, benevolence, faith, and kindness so beautifully represent,” Lee added.
The announcement comes amid a groundswell of support for renaming the airport after Parton. A Change.org petition titled “Rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport” had accumulated 155,501 verified signatures, according to the petition page.
The petition was originally launched in January 2025 by Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion, who argued that Parton’s influence extended far beyond the music that made her famous, pointing to her philanthropy and her Imagination Library literacy program.
Following Parton’s death this week, the organizers said tens of thousands of additional supporters signed the petition and renewed their effort to have Nashville’s airport carry her name.
The campaign has also drawn support from Tennessee officials. State Rep. Todd Warner said in a response published on the petition page that he would introduce legislation supporting the change.
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“Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks, TW,” Warner wrote, according to the response reproduced by Change.org.
Nashville Council member Russ Bradford also said he would sponsor a resolution asking the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority to consider the change, while stressing that the authority, rather than the council, has the ultimate say over the airport’s name.
“I’m proud to sponsor a resolution asking the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to consider renaming BNA to Dolly Parton International Airport,” Bradford said in a response published by Change.org.
The tribute carries particular resonance because Parton had previously resisted efforts to put her own legacy on a pedestal.
In 2021, Parton asked Tennessee lawmakers to withdraw a bill that would have allowed a statue of her to be erected on the grounds of the state Capitol.
“I am honored and humbled by their intention, but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration,” Parton said at the time in a post shared to social media.
She explained that she did not believe such an honor was appropriate while the country was confronting larger challenges, but left open the possibility that Tennessee might honor her in that way someday.
“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton said. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”
The proposal to rename the airport will be discussed at the Metro Nashville Airport Authority’s next meeting on Sept. 17, according to their release.