Tennessee’s plan to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of the late country music legend Dolly Parton has been officially announced. The decision follows a social media movement by fans advocating for the airport to be named after Parton. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee engaged with Parton’s team to discuss this initiative.
Governor Lee remarked that Dolly Parton’s remarkable life is deeply intertwined with Tennessee’s identity. He emphasized that renaming Nashville International Airport after the beloved singer would reflect the state’s pride in her legacy of music, generosity, faith, and kindness.
The proposal to rename the airport will be reviewed at a meeting on Sept. 17, as it currently contradicts the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s naming policy, which stipulates a two-year posthumous requirement for naming properties after individuals. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is endorsing the renaming, with Commissioner Mark Ezell praising Parton as a key figure in promoting Tennessee tourism.
Dolly Parton, born on Jan. 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, spent her early years in a modest cabin in Locust Ridge. She began her music career at a young age, performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville by age 13. Parton’s iconic hits such as “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You” have solidified her status as one of the highest-selling female artists, with over 100 million records sold and 11 Grammy Awards to her name, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.