The board of commissioners at Nashville International Airport voted on Friday to rename the facility in honor of country music icon Dolly Parton following her death last month. This decision was driven by a social media campaign backed by local officials like Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Governor Bill Lee, who emphasized Parton's cultural significance to Tennessee. The estimated economic impact of Parton’s work in Tennessee is around $1.8 billion annually, primarily through her Dollywood theme park. The airport will now begin the process of incorporating Parton's name into its official title, though specific details like the timeline and exact new name are yet to be determined.
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Story summary
The Nashville International Airport in Tennessee will be renamed to honor the late country music icon Dolly Parton, following a vote by its board of commissioners on Friday. The initiative gained traction after Parton’s death last month at age 80, with fans starting a social media campaign and receiving support from Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. Governor Lee stated that renaming the airport “is fitting” as it would welcome visitors with "the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith, and kindness." The change reflects Parton’s significant cultural impact on the state.
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Departin' from Parton: Nashville International Airport to be renamed in Dolly Parton's honour
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The airport's board of commissioners voted in favour of the move on Friday
It's official.
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The late Dolly Parton will be gaining a new namesake — and it's taking off.
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it → gain → namesake
Nashville International Airport in Tennessee is set to be renamed in honour of the celebrated singer, after its board of commissioners voted in favour of the move on Friday.
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board → set → Friday
The idea was first floated last year but gained momentum following Parton's death last month at the age of 80.
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idea → float → 80
A social media campaign by fans to rename the airport in honour of the queen of country picked up steam, particularly after Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee threw their support behind the proposal late last month.
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O'Connell → rename → proposal
"Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state," Lee said in a statement at the time.
"At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state's favourite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith, and kindness."
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Following Friday's decision, Lee said in a statement posted to his X account that it "was an important step to honour her remarkable legacy" as "Dolly has always helped the world fall in love with Tennessee."
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world → follow → Tennessee
He could have been referring to the estimated $1.8 billion and counting that the singer brings into the state each year through her Dollywood theme park.
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singer → refer → park
Or, perhaps, to the fact that she was born in Tennessee — coming into the world on Jan. 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, and growing up in a one-room cabin in nearby Locust Ridge.
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she → bear → Ridge
The legendary singer would go on to put Tennessee in the global spotlight, appearing at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville's weekly country music concert at just 13 years old.
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After high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.
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she → move → music
There's no word yet on how long the renaming process is expected to take, though the airport's current policy prohibits naming any property after a person who has not been dead for at least two years, the New York Times reported.
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The exact name of the airport in Parton's honour has also yet to be selected.
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However, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said in a statement that it was "working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton's name and legacy will be incorporated."
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