Nashville airport to be renamed for Dolly Parton after petition reaches over 160,000 signatures

Nashville airport will be renamed in honour of Dolly Parton following a petition reaching over 160,000 signatures.

READ MORE: Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world 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.

View this post on Instagram 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.

View this post on Instagram 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.