If you’ve ever flown into Nashville, chances are your in-flight playlist included a little Dolly Parton.
Now, fans are calling for the airport to make it official – with over 50,000 signatures and counting on a petition to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) after the Tennessee icon herself.
Yep. Dolly Parton International Airport. It’s got a nice ring to it, right?
The whole idea took off (pun absolutely intended) after a bill was proposed to name the airport after Donald Trump – a move that didn’t exactly fly with everyone. So, fans Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion stepped in with a Change.org petition that asked, quite sensibly: why not Dolly? She’s Tennessee’s pride and joy, after all.
And it’s not just about the music. Dolly lives just outside Nashville and has long been woven into the fabric of the city’s creative scene – from her early days performing at the Grand Ole Opry to launching musicals, symphonies, and philanthropic efforts all from Music City. She’s made Nashville her stage and her stomping ground. There’s even White Limozeen, a pink rooftop bar named after her 1989 album, where fans sip cocktails under chandeliers and bask in all things Dolly.
“She’s not just a music legend,” the petition reads. “She encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill… and she gives back, big time.” It’s not an exaggeration – Dolly’s Imagination Library has delivered more than 100 million books to kids worldwide, and she’s donated millions to causes like vaccine research and hurricane relief. Rhinestones and receipts.
Of course, renaming a major airport isn’t as easy as sticking a new sign above the arrivals gate. Petitioners are rallying public support in the hopes of convincing key decision-makers like state Rep. Todd Warner and airport CEO Douglas Kreulen to get on board.
It’s also a pretty emotional time for the queen of country – her longtime husband, Carl Dean, passed away earlier this year. His quiet presence was the kind of grounding love that legends write songs about (literally), and this campaign feels like a poetic, sky-high tribute to Dolly’s legacy and the life they built together.
Will it happen? Too early to say. But if there’s one person worthy of having their name stitched into the fabric of Tennessee – or, you know, printed on boarding passes – it’s Dolly Parton. And who wouldn’t want to land somewhere that feels like a warm hug and a power ballad at the same time?
Here’s hoping future flight announcements come with a little Southern twang: “Welcome to Dolly Parton International.”
