The collective upswell of grief following Tuesday’s (Aug. 25) passing of Queen of Country Dolly Parton has stretched around the world and back, with countless friends, family, fans and fellow artists sharing their sadness, as well as their fond memories of the beloved “Jolene” star who always had a smile, a kind word and a good deed.
Now, a Change.org petition advocating for the Nashville International Airport to be renamed Dolly Parton International Airport in honor of the singer who brought to much joy to so many has blown up in the wake of her death. “On August 25, the world lost an angel. Dolly Parton left this earth to join her husband Carl in the heavens. It’s difficult to imagine a world without our Dreamer-In-Chief,” reads the petition. “How are we going to be okay without her magic to keep us safe? How can we shine without her light? The truth is, Dolly has dispersed the magic. It’s in the butterflies, the wildflowers, and on the breath of the children reading the words aloud of their first book. She has left us everything we need. She’s taught us all the ways to be a good person. It’s on us to live up to her legacy. Care more. Be more. Dream More.”
The petition’s originator — Nashville comedian Lydia Popvich, who originally launched the initiative last year — updated the pitch on Wednesday (Aug. 26), noting that it retained a key supporter in Tennessee State Senator Todd Warner, who she said had pledged to introduce legislation to make the name change happen. In addition, Nashville City Council member Russ Bradford responded to the petition, writing, “I’m proud to sponsor a resolution asking the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to consider renaming BNA to Dolly Parton International Airport.”
Bradford added, “Dolly Parton isn’t just a country music icon; she’s a global ambassador for our city, our state, and everything we love about Tennessee. From her philanthropic work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, to putting Nashville on the map for millions of visitors around the world, few people have done more to define what this city means to the rest of the world. Renaming BNA in her honor would be a fitting tribute to someone whose generosity and hometown pride have never wavered.”
He noted, however, that his resolution is a statement of support from the Metro Council, but that the final decision has to come from the Airport Authority.
In his response, Warner wrote, “Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport!.” At press time, the effort had garnered nearly 127,000 signatures. Following Parton’s death, the airport honored her legacy by lighting up its parking garages in pink through the weekend.
Parton superfan Popovich said the original petition had about 50,000 signatures, but that number ballooned following Parton’s death at 80 from cancer earlier this week. She told WKRN that she hadn’t thought about it in a while, but when messages started blowing up this week she realized people had rediscovered it.
“People want to remember her. They want to remember even beyond the immediacy of her death,” said Popovich, who started the petition with local photographer Dan Dion. “I feel like this is Nashville’s way of telling Dolly that we love her forever.” The station reached out to the airport this week to ask about their position on the petition and members of the airport’s board said current BNA bylaws prohibit renaming it for someone unless they’ve been dead for at least two years and have made a significant impact on Tennessee aviation.
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