Five days after Dolly Parton’s death at 80, Tennessee plans to rename its busiest airport in her honor.
Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that the state intends to rename Nashville International Airport, known as BNA, after the legendary singer and philanthropist. Lee made the announcement alongside Nashville International Airport, calling Parton “Tennessee’s favorite daughter.”
“From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her,” Lee said in his 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.”
Parton grew up in a one-room cabin in Sevier County, one of twelve children, before leaving the Smoky Mountains as a teenager with little more than raw talent and drive. She spent six decades building a career that cut across every demographic and political divide in America.
As originally reported, her family has responded warmly to the proposal. According to Lee, the Parton family is “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation,” a response that fits the public image she cultivated throughout her life.
The renaming still requires formal approval from the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, which has a meeting scheduled for September 17. The political momentum, however, appears to be firmly behind the effort. A petition supporting the name change had already collected roughly 79,000 signatures before the governor made his announcement.
The scope of her legacy makes the gesture hard to argue against. Parton recorded 50 albums across six decades and placed 93 songs on the Billboard Hot Country chart. She landed eight Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, won 11 Grammy Awards from 55 nominations, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Her film career added another dimension to an already remarkable story. She starred in “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias,” earning an Oscar nomination for the former. Outside of entertainment, she built the Imagination Library, one of the most successful children’s literacy programs in American history, delivering books to millions of children regardless of their background or zip code.
The airport serves as Tennessee’s primary gateway to the world. Renaming it after a woman who grew up in poverty in the Smoky Mountains and became one of the most beloved figures in American cultural history would carry a meaning that goes well beyond the usual politics of naming rights.
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority meeting on September 17 will be the next significant step in determining whether BNA officially becomes Dolly Parton International Airport.