Nashville Airport to be Renamed After Dolly Parton?

Dolly Parton fans want the country music legend’s name to live on in a very big way — by putting it on Nashville’s airport.

A growing campaign to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of the beloved Tennessee icon exploded following Parton’s death Tuesday at age 80, with tens of thousands of grieving fans rushing to sign their names.

The Change.org petition calling for “Dolly Parton International Airport” surged past 100,000 signatures Wednesday — nearly doubling its support in just about a day.

“On August 25, the world lost an angel,” organizers wrote in an emotional update.

The petition had been around long before Parton’s death. It was launched in January 2025 and had collected roughly 53,000 signatures before news broke that the music legend had died following a brief battle with cancer.

Then everything changed.

Within hours of her family announcing her death, signatures began pouring in, with fans arguing there could be no more fitting tribute to one of Tennessee’s most famous daughters.

Parton was born in rural East Tennessee before making her way to Nashville, where she became one of the biggest stars in country music history.

Her songs, larger-than-life personality and decades of charity work made her far more than just a singer to millions of fans.

Now some want travelers arriving in Music City to be greeted by her name.

The movement even picked up some famous support.

Sheryl Crow threw her weight behind the idea while speaking about Parton during an Instagram livestream with Katie Couric.

“People are talking about trying to get the Nashville airport … changed to the Dolly Parton International Airport,” Crow said.

“I’m like, ‘Yes! I think we should.’”

And the campaign may soon make its way from the internet to the Tennessee legislature.

State Rep. Todd Warner said he would introduce legislation supporting the airport name change.

“I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport!” Warner wrote.

Warner has tried his hand at renaming the airport before.

In January 2025, he backed an unsuccessful proposal to rename it Trump International Airport. That effort failed in a 5-12 vote.

Afterward, Warner said he had received numerous messages from people who instead wanted the airport named for Parton — an idea he said he would support.

Following her death, fans believe the moment has finally arrived.

“Dolly Parton represents the heart of Tennessee and the heart of its music,” one supporter wrote on the petition.

Another called Parton “one of the sweetest and dearest singers” and said naming the airport for her would be a small way to repay everything she gave to her fans.

Whether Nashville International Airport officially becomes Dolly Parton International Airport remains to be seen.

But with signatures piling up and lawmakers and celebrities joining the chorus, the campaign to give Nashville’s airport a little more Dolly is suddenly taking off.