Nashville International Airport is one step closer to carrying Dolly Parton’s name. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board voted 6-0 this week to move forward with the renaming, a process that started with a Change.org petition more than a year ago and picked up serious steam after Parton passed away in late August. Gov. Bill Lee announced the plan, saying her life is woven into the fabric of our state, and the board bumped the vote up from its original Sept. 17 hearing date.
There’s no final name yet, and no timeline for when the signs will change, but the unanimous vote sends a clear message about how Tennessee feels about its most famous daughter. Dolly gave this state decades of music, millions of books through her Imagination Library, and a whole lot of heart. The airport is where the world meets Tennessee, and soon it could meet Dolly first.
One board member couldn’t resist a parting line:“We could all be Departin’from Parton.”Honestly, hard to argue with that. What do you think the airport should be called? Drop your best name idea in the comments.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
