Following the passing of 80-year-old country music icon Dolly Parton from cancer earlier this week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has formally tabled a plan to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor, a move that comes after a massive grassroots outpouring of support from fans across the globe.
Born and raised in rural Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton launched her legendary entertainment career after moving to Nashville, the heart of American country music, making the city’s primary travel hub a fitting site to carry on her legacy. The push to rename the airport did not emerge overnight: the original online petition calling for the change was first launched in January 2025, but it saw a surge of new signatures after Parton’s death, accumulating nearly 160,000 signatures by Friday evening. The petition itself frames the renaming as a perfect way to spread Parton’s famous warmth, creativity, and generosity to visitors arriving from across the world, writing, “What a wonderful way to share her light and magic across Tennessee and the world.”
In an official statement released Friday, Governor Lee confirmed that he has already reached out to Parton’s personal team, who conveyed their gratitude for the overwhelming public support to honor the late star. “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said. “At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”
The proposal still needs to clear several regulatory hurdles before it becomes official. The governor’s office confirmed that the Metro Nashville Airport Authority board will hold a formal vote on the name change at its upcoming meeting on September 17, and a final greenlight will also require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Beyond the grassroots petition, the push has also gained institutional support: a sitting Tennessee lawmaker has already pledged to introduce formal legislation in the state legislature to advance the renaming in Parton’s honor.
This naming convention is not without precedent in the United States, where a number of major airports already bear the names of iconic cultural figures. New Orleans’ primary airport is named for jazz legend Louis Armstrong, while Louisville, Kentucky’s main airport honors boxing and cultural icon Muhammad Ali.
Over the course of her decades-long career, Parton cemented her status as one of the most influential artists in American history: she won 10 Grammy Awards, sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and produced countless enduring hits including *Coat of Many Colors*, *9 to 5*, *Jolene*, and *I Will Always Love You*. In a touching tribute to Parton just days after her death, guards at Buckingham Palace paid their respects by playing her hit song *9 to 5* during a public ceremony, underscoring the global reach of her legacy.