Eco · Climate policy · published 2026-08-29 · via The Guardian

Governor supports renaming Nashville airport after late singer Dolly Parton

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has endorsed a proposal to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton, who died on August 26. The airport authority will consider the measure on September 17. Lee said Parton's team was 'touched' by the idea.

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Parton died on August 26 at age 80, with her nephew Bryan Seaver announcing the news in a video statement. She requested a private funeral for immediate family only, with burial beside her husband Carl Dean at Nashville's Woodlawn memorial park. The singer had previously specified musical selections for her service, including Whitney Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and the gospel hymn "If We Never Meet Again," which was her father's favorite.

The renaming proposal follows a petition that gathered over 150,000 signatures and a banner flown over the state capitol urging the change. Nashville mayor Freddie O'Connell noted Parton was

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