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Tennessee intends to rename Nashville International Airport after country music icon Dolly Parton, according to a statement on Friday, after the singer died in the country music capital at age 80 earlier this week.
The decision comes after a social media campaign by fans to change the airport’s name to honour Parton after her death. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee spoke with Parton’s team about the move this week, according to statements from the airport and Lee’s office.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said in the 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.”
Fans and fellow musicians shared tributes and memories of Dolly Parton after the country music legend’s death at 80.
The proposal to rename the airport and the current Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s naming policy will be addressed at a meeting on Sept. 17, according to the statement. The current policy prohibits naming any property after a person who has not been dead for at least two years, The New York Times reported.
Tennessee’s Department of Tourist Development is backing the move.
“Dolly Parton was, in many ways, Tennessee tourism’s first lady and greatest ambassador,” said its commissioner Mark Ezell.
“Even before they set foot here, millions of travelers know our music, our mountains and our welcoming spirit through her. … I can’t imagine a better name for the airport where so many Tennessee journeys begin.”
The singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Dolly Parton died Tuesday after experiencing a series of health problems. Her career spanned nearly six decades, during which the country music superstar left a lasting mark on American music with songs including Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You.
Parton was born on Jan. 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tenn. and grew up in a one-room cabin in nearby Locust Ridge.
She was appearing on the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music concert in Nashville at age 13, and after graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career.
With classic songs including Coat of Many Colors, Jolene and I Will Always Love You, Parton became one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with over 100 million records sold. She won 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.
