Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport announced Friday that they intend to name the airport in honor ofDolly Parton, moving toward a major tribute to the icon after an outpouring of public support for the beloved late country music legend's legacy.

Lee said he spoke with Parton's team about the proposal this week. Her team expressed appreciation for the support and is open to continuing the conversation, according to a joint announcement from the governor and the Metropolitan NashvilleAirport Authority.

The proposal would place Parton's name on the gateway toMusic City, connecting the transportation hub with a womanwhose music, philanthropy and deeply rooted connection to her home state made her perhaps its most celebrated figure.

TRUMP MOURNS DOLLY PARTON, ORDERS US FLAGS LOWERED NATIONWIDE AFTER COUNTRY MUSIC ICON DIES

\"Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,\" said Lee about theTennessee native, who died Tuesday at 80 after a brief cancer battle. \"From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.

\"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 announcement comes amid a groundswell of support for renaming the airport after Parton. AChange.orgpetition titled \"Rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport\" had accumulated 155,501 verified signatures, according to thepetition page.

DOLLY PARTON DEFIED COUNTRY MUSIC'S EXPECTATIONS FOR WOMEN AND BUILT A CAREER ON HER OWN TERMS: EXPERTS

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 herImagination 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.

\"Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks, TW,\" Warner wrote, according to the response reproduced byChange.org.

DOLLY PARTON'S LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS: FROM SMOKY MOUNTAINS POVERTY TO COUNTRY MUSIC IMMORTALITY

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 byChange.org.

The tribute carries particular resonance becauseParton had previously resisted effortsto put her own legacy on a pedestal.

In 2021, Parton askedTennessee lawmakersto withdraw a bill that would have allowed a statue of her to be erected on the grounds of the state Capitol.

STEVE DOOCY: THE DOLLY PARTON I SAW WHEN THE CAMERAS STOPPED ROLLING

\"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.

",{"_278":236,"_279":244,"_281":385},{"_27":244,"_40":386,"_284":387,"_42":388,"_248":249,"_288":-5,"_29":289,"_290":389,"_292":390,"_241":326,"_80":-5,"_82":121,"_235":391,"_278":236,"_316":404},"Nashville airport could be renamed in honor of Dolly Parton","Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has proposed renaming Nashville International Airport after the late legendary singer Dolly Parton. The governor's office stated Parton's team is touched by the idea and open to the conversation. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority is scheduled to discuss the renaming proposal on September 17th.","Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) announced a proposal Friday to rename Tennessee‘s largest airport after the late Dolly Parton, the legendary singer whose death earlier this week rocked millions of fans across the United States.","2026-08-29T01:14:51","https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/entertainment/4705038/nashville-airport-could-be-renamed-in-honor-of-dolly-parton/",{"_27":392,"_297":393,"_137":299,"_80":394,"_311":401,"_312":402,"_314":403},"ad74f37f75fcd91dff6fc98ea2baaaba0f6a91bf4002d9dd35aa3ff09c87a82a","fc54d2d908258ac4dc4c9035af371801a0671f05b15ec570eacc34f2911743b1939e6b65fd1a89f469f4edfe5ca70fa757ae452f9f8fa37625da22038ee1ca54",[395,396,397,399,400],[241,386],[44,249],[304,398,39,306],"30023:273e8bb9fd7425c0374f8baaf3104fc54a564adcca09161692dd60c903b72e26:e4a70d37-25a0-453f-807e-8f47e5d5cab5",[308,39],[140,401,39],"273e8bb9fd7425c0374f8baaf3104fc54a564adcca09161692dd60c903b72e26","Nashville airport could be renamed in honor of Dolly Parton\nGov. Bill Lee (R-TN) announced a proposal Friday to rename Tennessee‘s largest airport after the late Dolly Parton, the legendary singer whose death earlier this week rocked millions of fans across the United States.\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfe73wul6ap9cqm5lza27vgyl3222e9dejsfzctf9htqeypmwt3xqqjx2drpxucxgveh95er2cfs956r2vmx95urqdm995uxvdphv56kgdtrv93r2q4q9xp ",1787986112,"Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) announced a proposal Friday to rename Tennessee‘s largest airport after the late Dolly Parton, the legendary singer whose death earlier this week rocked millions of fans across the United States.\nThe Tennessee native died in Nashville on Tuesday at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, according to her family. A public campaign to rename the Nashville airport materialized shortly after. As of Friday evening, a petition to name the site the “Dolly Parton International Airport” has garnered over 160,000 signatures.\nOn Friday, Lee and Nashville International Airport proposed renaming the airport after the iconic artist, known for hits ranging from “9 to 5” to “I Will Always Love You.” The airport said the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority will discuss renaming the site on Sept. 17.\n“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.”\n“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,” he added.\nIn a press release, the governor’s office said Lee spoke with Dolly’s team about the proposal this week. Her team said they were touched by the idea and are open to continuing the conversation, according to Lee. In keeping with the way Parton lived her life, “her team believes she still has a special way of bringing people together for good, and they hope this tribute can be another example of that enduring legacy,” the release said.\nMetropolitan Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen said Parton’s life exemplified the values the airport seeks to nurture.\n“She understood that dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status. At BNA [Nashville International Airport], we share that commitment,” Kreulen wrote.\n“Whether you are boarding a private aircraft or taking your first flight, you deserve to be welcomed, respected and served with the same level of care,” he continued. “That spirit is what defines BNA and it is a fitting reflection of the values Dolly shared with Tennessee and the world.”",[],"selectedArticleImage","rootArticleImageUrl","consensusHtml","tweets",[],"userSchema","relatedArticles",[385,319,363,282,341],"actionData","errors"]

Tennessee Proposes Renaming Nashville Airport for Dolly Parton

Couverture de l'histoire