Dolly Parton performs at a United Way of America convention in Detroit on May 15, 2009. Carlos Osorio/AP Photo
Although millions believe country music superstar Dolly Parton has already earned her wings this week, she could be honored with many more for years to come at the Nashville International Airport.
Parton, who was 80, died at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones after battling cancer, according to her publicist Marcel Pariseau.
Lee said he spoke with Parton’s team about the name change proposal this week. Her team expressed their appreciation for the outpouring of support in honor of Parton and said they were touched by the idea and open to talking about it, Lee said.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said in a statement. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.”
The airport is a fitting place to 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.
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This was not the first time the name change was proposed.
The number of signatures had climbed to approximately 162,000 by Friday night.
The country icon was born in the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee’s Sevier County and talked often about her humble beginnings. She grew up in a one-bedroom log cabin with her parents and 11 siblings listening to relatives sing and recite folklore.
Parton said she couldn’t believe people wanted to change the name of the Nashville International Airport to honor her.
“I’m very flattered,” she told Gayle King in an interview last year on CBS Mornings, according to a post shared by Change.org. “I think that’s just a joke. I don’t think anybody’s all that serious about that.”
“Dee-Parton from Gate 5!” She joked.
A Southwest jet takes off from the Nashville International Airport in Nashville on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. AP Photo/George Walker IV
Parton’s impact on American music history and her commitment to service and philanthropy were felt by millions.
Through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, she has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children across the world, promoting literacy, Lee said.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks during a get-out-the-vote event held in support of Republican congressional candidate Matt Van Epps in Franklin, Tenn., on Dec. 1, 2025. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
The airport “is the front door to Music City, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect the very best of who we are as a community,” said Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. “Dolly’s Remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life.”
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority’s naming policy and Lee’s proposal to rename the airport will be discussed at the authority’s Sept. 17 meeting.
