Tennessee plans to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of the late country music legend Dolly Parton, who passed away in the music capital at the age of 80. Following a social media campaign by fans advocating for the airport’s renaming to pay tribute to Parton, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee engaged with Parton’s team regarding this decision.
Governor Lee expressed that Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is deeply intertwined with Tennessee’s identity. He highlighted that naming Nashville International Airport after Parton, the state’s beloved figure, would reflect her enduring legacy of music, generosity, faith, and kindness to the world.
The proposal to rename the airport will be reviewed in a meeting on September 17, addressing the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s current naming policy, which requires a person to have been deceased for at least two years before any property can be named after them. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is supporting this initiative, emphasizing Parton’s significant role as a key ambassador for Tennessee’s tourism industry.
Born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, Dolly Parton spent her formative years in a humble one-room cabin in Locust Ridge. Her musical journey began at the young age of 13 when she started performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Parton’s iconic career, marked by hits like “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You,” solidified her status as one of the top-selling female artists in history, with over 100 million records sold and 11 Grammy Awards, including a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.