Nashville airport one step closer to being renamed for Dolly Parton after unanimous vote

Updated on: September 11, 2026 / 4:29 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Nashville International Airport could soon be renamed after the late Dolly Parton after its board voted unanimously Friday to do so.

The Metro Nashville Airport Authority board voted 6-0 to begin the process and said a final name has not been chosen. The name change would need to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We are working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton's name and legacy will be incorporated," the airport authority told CBS News in a statement.

The vote came just weeks after the legendary singer and Tennessee native died at the age of 80 following a private cancer battle.

Gov. Bill Lee proposed the name change, saying it would be fitting for the Nashville airport to "bear the name of our state's favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith and kindness."

An online petition to rename the airport after Parton, which was launched more than a year before her death, has more than 175,000 signatures, as of Friday.

When asked about the petition on "CBS Mornings" in January 2025, Parton said she thought the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/