Push to rename airport for Dolly as streaming surges

A push by fans to rename Nashville's airport for Dolly Parton appears to be taking flight just days after the country music icon's death, with audio and video streams of her discography skyrocketing by more than 2000 per cent.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favour of the name change.

Long before 80-year-old Parton died on Tuesday, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honour.

It was renewed attention following her death, jumping to more than 155,000 signatures on Friday.

The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America's 50 busiest airports.

The governor said he's already discussed the idea with representatives for the late star.

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.

A number of American airports bear the names of beloved celebrities, from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. New Orleans' airport was renamed for jazz icon Louis Armstrong in 2001.

The vast majority of US airports named for a person honour men. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one exception. Another is Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas.

Putting Parton's name on the Nashville airport could require its governing authority to revisit its policy for such honours, which states airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.

Meanwhile, Luminate, an industry data and analytics company, found audio and video streams of Parton's discography skyrocketed 2109 per cent on the day of her death, compared to Monday — climbing from 1.2 million to 26.3 million in the United States.

Worldwide, her streams jumped 1280 per cent, from 2.5 million on Monday to 35 million on Tuesday.