GOP and Democratic officials in Nashville unite over renaming airport for Dolly Parton

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In Nashville, Tennessee, the Republican-dominated state government and Democrat-controlled city government are engaged in an ugly battle for control of the city’s airport.

But there’s one thing the two sides can agree on: Nashville International Airport should be renamed to honor Tennessee’s favorite daughter, Dolly Parton . The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports .

Lydia Popovich, a Parton superfan who started a petition for the name change in 2025, said on Friday that Parton had gracefully batted down the idea of naming the airport after her, as she did with many other proposed honors during her lifetime. That includes a bill brought by Tennessee lawmakers in 2021 to place a statue of her on the Capitol grounds.

Parton asked lawmakers to withdraw the bill but expressed a hope that it might happen “somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it.”

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Cup of ambition: How Dolly Parton’s business empire transformed her corner of Appalachia

After Parton’s death two weeks ago, the airport naming idea seemingly caught fire, with Popovich’s petition reaching more than 175,000 signatures — not that the officials competing to run the airport needed the push.

At a meeting Friday of the state-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, a motion directing the airport CEO to begin the renaming process was unanimously approved by board members praising Parton to the heavens. Airport officials said the change could take a year or more and involves working with Parton’s estate to determine how they might split profits from merchandise sales, among other things.

Nashville’s airport would be renamed for Dolly Parton under Tennessee governor’s proposal

There are two Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authorities: one run by the state and the other controlled by the city, a bifurcated regulatory system that was created in 2023 amid a partisan dispute between the GOP-run state and the Democratic-run city. Who actually controls the airport has been in dispute ever since, with competing boards taking the reins only to be deposed as courts rule and are overturned.

Despite the acrimony, Nashville’s Democratic Mayor Freddie O’Connell and the competing, city-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority are also in support of the name change, according to O’Connell spokesman Alex Apple.

“The FAA’s going to get two votes from two boards, both in favor,” Apple said.

The situation is ironic, and it’s hard to imagine that Parton would approve.

Stuart McWhorter, a member of the state-controlled board and deputy to Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee, briefly mentioned the dispute at the Friday meeting. He suggested that in the spirit of Parton “we can get beyond the litigation and get back to working together.”

Dolly Parton gets new Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she starred in Hollywood films including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”

Popovich, who attended the Friday meeting and spoke in favor of the proposal, was in tears after the unanimous vote in favor.

“It’s been a really beautiful experience, especially as you’re grieving someone that was such a great loss,” she told The Associated Press. “She’s the best of Tennessee. She’s the best of the humans on the planet. She was this magical person that provided light and guidance to all of us.

“Unfortunately she’s left us, but now we get to celebrate her and get to tell the world how much Tennessee loved her.”

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在田纳西州纳什维尔，共和党占多数的州政府和民主党控制的市政府正在为争夺该市机场的控制权而展开一场丑陋的斗争。

但双方有一点可以达成共识：纳什维尔国际机场应该更名为多莉·帕顿机场，以纪念田纳西州最受欢迎的女儿。此举将使帕顿成为美国50个最繁忙机场中首位以她名字命名的女性。

多莉娅·波波维奇是多莉·帕顿的超级粉丝，她曾发起请愿，要求在2025年将机场更名。周五，她表示，帕顿优雅地拒绝了以她的名字命名机场的想法，就像她生前拒绝的许多其他荣誉一样。这其中包括田纳西州议员在2021年提出的在州议会大厦广场上竖立她雕像的法案。

帕顿要求立法者撤回该法案，但她表示希望“几年后的某个时候，或者在我去世之后，如果你们仍然认为我应该得到它的话”，该法案能够通过。

Ron Davis/Archive Photos/Getty Images

雄心壮志：多莉·帕顿的商业帝国如何改变了她所在的阿巴拉契亚地区

帕顿两周前去世后，机场命名的想法似乎迅速传播开来，波波维奇的请愿书获得了超过 175,000 个签名——尽管争夺机场运营权的官员们并不需要这种推动。

在周五举行的纳什维尔都会机场管理局（州政府控股）会议上，一项指示机场首席执行官启动更名程序的动议获得董事会成员一致通过，他们对多莉·帕顿赞不绝口。机场官员表示，更名可能需要一年或更长时间，其中包括与帕顿的遗产管理人协商如何分配商品销售利润等事宜。

根据田纳西州州长的提议，纳什维尔机场将更名为多莉·帕顿机场。

纳什维尔都会区机场管理局由两部分组成：一部分由州政府运营，另一部分由市政府控制。这种两极分化的监管体系于2023年在共和党执政的州政府和民主党执政的市政府之间的党派纷争中形成。自此以后，机场的实际控制权一直存在争议，不同的管理委员会轮番接管，但又因法院的裁决而被罢免或推翻。

尽管存在分歧，但据奥康奈尔的发言人亚历克斯·阿普尔称，纳什维尔民主党市长弗雷迪·奥康奈尔和与之竞争的、由市政府控制的纳什维尔大都会机场管理局也支持更名。

苹果公司表示：“美国联邦航空管理局将获得两个委员会的两票赞成。”

这种情况颇具讽刺意味，很难想象帕顿会赞同。

田纳西州共和党州长比尔·李的副手、州政府控制的委员会成员斯图尔特·麦克沃特在周五的会议上简要提到了这场纠纷。他表示，本着帕顿的精神，“我们可以超越诉讼，重新开始合作。”

多莉·帕顿荣获好莱坞星光大道新星

多莉·帕顿出生于大烟山山麓的贫困家庭，后来成为一位跨越世代、地域和政治界限的偶像。除了创作和演唱《Jolene》和《I Will Always Love You》等热门歌曲外，她还出演了《朝九晚五》和《钢木兰》等好莱坞电影。

波波维奇出席了周五的会议，并发言支持该提案。在提案获得一致通过后，他激动得流下了眼泪。

“这真是一段美好的经历，尤其是在你正经历失去一位如此重要人物的悲痛之时，”她告诉美联社。“她是田纳西州最优秀的人。她是地球上最优秀的人。她是一个充满魔力的人，为我们所有人带来了光明和指引。”

“很遗憾她离开了我们，但现在我们可以缅怀她，并告诉全世界田纳西州有多么爱她。”