Overview
- Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, and her death triggered a rapid surge in signatures for a year‑old Change.org petition to rename Nashville International Airport.
- The petition climbed from about 54,000 on the day of her death to more than 100,000 in the days that followed, according to petition organizers and multiple news outlets.
- High‑profile endorsements and political responses have arrived quickly, with singer Sheryl Crow voicing support and state Representative Todd Warner pledging to introduce legislation to seek the name change.
- No official renaming has occurred because the Metro Nashville Airport Authority has final naming power and the Federal Aviation Administration may need to approve changes to airport identifiers and signage; an MNAA policy noted in reporting also limits naming for two years after a person’s death in some cases.
- The petition was launched on January 21, 2025, by Nashville residents Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion who cited Parton’s cultural and philanthropic ties to Tennessee, and officials have said any legislative effort would move when the state legislature next meets in 2027.