A joint signature exceeded 160,000 signatures in four days, and finally made it possible to change the name of an entire airport. This is the latest mark Dolly Parton has left on her hometown of Tennessee.
Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, August 25 at the age of 80. Her family said she passed away after a "brief battle with cancer" and was "surrounded by loved ones" when she passed away. After the news broke, a Change.org petition calling for the Nashville International Airport to be renamed in her honor was quickly launched. As of now, more than 168,000 people have signed it.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a statement on Friday, August 28, in response to the outcry. "Dolly Parton's extraordinary life has long been woven into the fabric of our state," he wrote, adding, "In the place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport be named after our state's favorite daughter, welcoming every traveler with Dolly's music, generosity, faith and kindness."
Lee said in a statement that Parton's team has "expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support for Dolly's memory" and said they were "deeply moved by the idea and willing to continue the discussion."
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell also posted a message of support on Instagram. He wrote: "Dolly was working with us to create the SongTeller, an extraordinary hotel and museum that she described as her love letter to Nashville. Now it's our turn to return a love letter to Dolly by renaming Nashville International Airport Dolly Parton International Airport."
According to the governor's statement, the name change proposal will be formally discussed at the meeting on September 17, and more details are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Family members revealed that Parton "worked until the day he died" and still had many plans such as a virtual image show and a Broadway musical, as well as several unfinished projects in his hometown of Tennessee. She disclosed her recent health status to fans last week, admitting that she was dealing with health issues that had been put on hold while caring for her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, who passed away last year. In May of this year, Parton also canceled his scheduled residency in Las Vegas due to health reasons. The series of performances had originally been postponed from October 2025.
The name change proposal is still awaiting further confirmation at the meeting on September 17, and the final result and follow-up schedule have not yet been announced.
