By Roxanne "Flashbulb" Starr
Nashville International Airport may soon carry a new name: Dolly Parton's.
Tennessee's governor and airport officials announced Friday that the state is moving to rename the airport in honor of the singer, songwriter and businesswoman, according to NBC News. Parton, a Tennessee native, has long been synonymous with the state — from her Dollywood theme park in the Smoky Mountains to her decades of chart-topping music.
Details on the timeline and formal process for the renaming were not immediately available in NBC News' report, which did not specify a vote date or cost estimate for the change. The American Times has not independently confirmed additional specifics beyond that single source and will update as more reporting emerges.
Parton, 80, has built a career and public image around a mix of glamour, business savvy and hometown loyalty to Tennessee, making her an obvious choice for state officials looking to honor a native daughter. Airports named for musicians are not unheard of — Liverpool's is named for John Lennon — but a Parton-branded gateway to Music City would be a fitting bookend to a career built substantially on Nashville's stages and studios.
No word yet from Parton herself on the proposed honor. If it goes through, Nashville would join a short list of cities that have put a beloved entertainer's name on the front door.
— Compiled from reporting by NBC News.
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