Nashville airport to be named after Dolly Parton

The Nashville airport is to be renamed after Dolly Parton, a board of commissioners voted on Friday, in tribute to the Smoky Mountain singer who is estimated to bring $1.8bn each year to Tennessee through her Dollywood theme park.

The decision ensures that Parton, who died last month at 80 years old, will be memorialized with her name on an airport, although the renaming process will take time to complete.

In her lifetime, Parton did not think the idea, which came about last year, would come to fruition.

“I think that’s probably more of a joke than anything,” Parton told the Tennessean. “I mean, it does sound like a lot of fun to say: ‘Your flight is departin’ from Nashville’s D Parton.’                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The move to rename gained traction last month when the Nashville mayor, Freddie O’Connell, and the Tennessee governor, Bill Lee, threw their support behind the name change.