Nashville airport will be renamed in honour of Dolly Parton following a petition reaching over 160,000 signatures.
The country legend died aged 80 on Tuesday (August 25) following a “brief battle with cancer“. Her family said she was “surrounded by loved ones” when she passed away.
Now, her home state of Tennessee will pay tribute to Parton by naming Nashville International Airport after her.
The news was announced on Friday (August 28) by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. In a statement, he said: “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state.
“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,” he added.
It comes after the launch of a Change.org petition earlier this week, calling for the renaming. At time of writing, the petition has over 168,000 signatures.
Parton’s team have “expressed their appreciation for the extraordinary outpouring of support to honour Dolly,” Lee said, adding that they are “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell also voiced his support for renaming the airport in a statement shared on Instagram.
“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 in Nashville.”
The proposal will be discussed at a meeting scheduled for September 17. Additional details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to the governor’s statement.
Following her death, her family revealed that Parton had “worked up until the day she died” to create projects such as an avatar show and a Broadway musical, as well as several projects in her home state.
Parton gave an update on her health to fans last week, sharing that she was dealing with issues she had neglected while caring for her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, before his death last year. Parton was also forced to cancel a planned Vegas residency in May due to health reasons, having initially postponed the run of shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in October 2025.
Artists have since been paying tribute to Parton while on stage. Kacey Musgraves performed a cover of ‘Here You Come Again’ during a recent gig in Boston, while Maisie Peters also covered the same song during her set at Reading Festival this weekend, and Jack White performed ‘Jolene’ at a London show.
Elsewhere, Orville Peck covered ‘I Will Always Love You’, and The King’s Guard played ‘9 To 5’ outside Buckingham Palace.
Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Elton John and others shared messages honouring Parton, remembering her musical influence and extensive philanthropic work. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also ordered flags to be lowered at half-mast for a week across the country to honour Parton’s legacy.
In an NME obituary for Parton, we wrote: “As we all reel from Dolly Parton’s death, that glorious 2014 Glastonbury set may prove a balm. Introducing ‘Coat Of Many Colors’, her 1971 country hit about a patchwork coat sewn by her mother, this humble ‘farmer’s daughter’ paid tribute to her family’s love and resilience. Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.”
