Nashville Airport Board Backs Dolly Parton Renaming in 6-0 Vote After Her Death at 80
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 11
Nashville Airport Board Backs Dolly Parton Renaming in 6-0 Vote After Her Death at 80
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 11
Summary
A 6-0 vote by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board on Friday launched the process to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton.
The board has not chosen a final name and said it is working with relevant parties on how Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated, with implementation details due in coming months.
Bill Lee had urged the change weeks earlier, saying the airport should greet travelers with the legacy of Tennessee’s “favorite daughter,” and his office said Parton’s team was open to the idea.
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 and was buried privately in Nashville three days later, turning a long-running local campaign into a formal tribute.
That campaign began with a January 2025 Change.org petition, which has drawn more than 175,000 signatures since her death.