Tennessee officials have announced a proposal to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) after the late Dolly Parton. The news comes just days after the country music legend passed away, and it has sparked an outpouring of support from fans across the country. Governor Bill Lee and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority are both behind the idea, with a September 17 meeting already scheduled to discuss the next steps.
If the renaming goes through, Parton would make history as the first woman in the United States to have an airport named in her honor. She would join a very short list of musicians with that distinction, alongside Louis Armstrong in New Orleans and John Lennon in Liverpool. For many Tennesseans, the move feels like a natural tribute to a woman who put the state on the map and never forgot where she came from.
Airport authority president and CEO Doug Kreulen said it best when he noted that BNA is the front door to Music City, and that door should reflect the very best of who we are as a community. Dolly Parton’s legacy is woven into the fabric of Tennessee, and this honor would ensure every traveler who lands in Nashville knows exactly who helped build this city’s soul. Do you think the airport should be renamed after Dolly, or should that honor go to someone else?
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
