Nashville Airport to Be Renamed Dolly Parton International Airport
Country music legend Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, at age 80. Her family said she passed after a "brief battle with cancer," surrounded by loved ones. Three days later, on Friday, August 28, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced plans to rename Nashville International Airport as Dolly Parton International Airport in her honor — a move that follows a Change.org petition which had gathered more than 168,000 signatures by the time NME reported on it.
What was announced
Lee said in a statement that Parton's "extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of this state," adding that it would be fitting for Tennessee's gateway for travelers from around the world to carry the name of "the state's most beloved daughter." He said Parton's team had expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and was "touched" by the idea, with discussions to continue.
- Proposal to be discussed at a meeting on September 17
- Current name: Nashville International Airport
- Proposed new name: Dolly Parton International Airport in Nashville
- Further details: the governor's office says more will be announced in the coming weeks
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell voiced support in an Instagram statement, noting that Parton had been working with the city on a hotel and museum project called SongTeller, which she described as a love letter to Nashville. O'Connell wrote that it was now the city's turn to write Dolly a love letter back — by renaming the airport.
Tributes and unfinished plans
Parton had updated fans on her health just last week, saying she had neglected her own issues while caring for her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, who died last year. Her planned residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — whose postponement was announced in October 2025 — was cancelled this past May for health reasons. Her family said she had worked up until the day she died, with a hologram/avatar show, a Broadway musical, and several Tennessee-based projects still in progress.
Following the news, several artists paid tribute during live shows: Kacey Musgraves covered "Here You Come Again" in Boston, and Maisie Peters performed the same song at Reading Festival. Jack White played "Jolene" in London, Orville Peck covered "I Will Always Love You," and the UK's Royal Guard performed "9 To 5" outside Buckingham Palace. Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Eminem, and Elton John publicly paid tribute to her musical influence and decades of charity work. US President Donald Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide for a week.