Country music icon, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton dedicated her life to giving back to her home state of Tennessee, and now, three days after her death, her state is ready to give back to her, renewing an earlier proposal to rename the Nashville International Airport in her honor.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the Nashville International Airport announced in a joint statement on Friday their intentions to change the name of the airport.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said in a statement. “At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith and kindness.”
According to the statement, Parton’s team supports the change and is “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.” With her Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, Parton’s profound influence on Tennessee and the country is widely recognized.
The name change was first proposed last year when a petition was started in the wake of a proposal to rename the airport for President Trump. The number of signatures on the petition exploded after her death.
