Nashville Airport to be Renamed Dolly Parton International Airport, Governor Says

Published on 31/08/2026 – 9:28 GMT+2

Following the recent death of the 80‑year‑old country music legend Dolly Parton, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced plans to rename Nashville International Airport in her honour.

The proposal follows an online petition that gathered thousands of signatures from fans urging the renaming in honour of Parton, who was born in rural Tennessee and later moved to Nashville.

Lee said he had spoken with Parton’s team, who “expressed their appreciation for the extraordinary outpouring of support to honour Dolly.” “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” he added. “At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favourite daughter and greet travellers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith and kindness.”

A Change.org petition to rename the airport was first launched in January 2025 but gained renewed momentum after Parton’s death, amassing over 170,000 signatures.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell also endorsed the renaming in an Instagram statement. “Dolly was in the process of working with us on a remarkable hotel and museum – SongTeller – that she called her love letter to Nashville,” O’Connell wrote. “Now it’s our turn to share a love letter to Dolly by renaming Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport.”

All that remains is approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected. A Tennessee lawmaker has pledged to introduce legislation in the statehouse to formalise the renaming.

Following Parton’s death, fans, fellow artists and many public figures have paid heartfelt tributes. The former president, Donald Trump, also weighed in, drawing mixed reactions for his statement and an AI‑generated post.

Since the news of her death, Parton’s music has seen a dramatic surge in streaming. According to industry data and analytics company Luminate, audio and video streams of her discography jumped 2,458 % on the day of her death compared to the previous Monday, rising from 1.2 million to 30.5 million streams in the US.

Globally, her audio and video streams increased by 1,549 %, climbing from 2.5 million on Monday to 41.8 million on Tuesday. By Wednesday, on‑demand audio streams reached 79.7 million, making her the most‑streamed artist worldwide.

Parton’s family announced that the singer was laid to rest following a private funeral on 28 August at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville. She was buried next to her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.

Dolly’s niece, Lainey Parton, shared a heartfelt tribute. “I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words,” Lainey wrote. “From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough… She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself.” She added, “Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can’t think of one with her.”

Dolly had previously said she wanted a small, private service for immediate family and that the country‑gospel song “If We Never Meet Again” be played at the ceremony.

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