Tennessee’s governor announced a proposal Friday to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton.
The plan from Gov. Bill Lee comes shortly after the country music icon died of cancer Tuesday at age 80, aligning with an online petition signed by over 155,000 fans.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said in the statement. "At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness."
Lee said he’s already discussed the idea with representatives for Parton.
Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she starred in Hollywood films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.
With more than 100 million records sold, Parton became one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She earned 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Change.org petition calls the singer a “Dreamer In-Chief” and someone who “dispersed the magic.” It has gained tens of thousands of additional signatures since Parton’s death, with Tennessee State Senator Todd Warner pledging to introduce legislation supporting the airport’s renaming.
“Dolly deserves to be remembered and celebrated. What a wonderful way to share her light and magic across Tennessee and the world,” the petition says. “It is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman.”
The petition pointed to Parton’s philanthropy, her influence on the music industry and her Imagination Library program, which has given more than 100 million books to children since 1995, as reasons to honor her with the airport’s name.
The change could require the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to revisit its naming policy. The policy currently states that airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.
The governor’s office said his proposal and the naming policy will be discussed by the airport authority at its meeting on Sept. 17.
