List of Louisvillians

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Following are notable people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area:

Name	Description
Muhammad Ali	Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Derek Anderson	Professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA.
Major Robert Anderson[1]	Union Army officer in the Civil War, known for his command of Fort Sumter at the start of the war.
John James Audubon	Ornithologist, naturalist and painter. Lived in Louisville for about two years.
Ned Beatty	Character Actor in films, TV and on stage, has appeared in a wide variety of roles ranging from dramatic to comedic in movies such as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Deliverance, Superman (1978), Network and 1941.
James Best	Character Actor, best known for his role as Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Barry Bingham, Jr.	Publisher of The Courier-Journal.
Barry Bingham, Sr.	Publisher of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times, and led both papers to national prominence.
Larry Birkhead	American entertainment photojournalist
Anne Braden	Civil rights activist.
Louis Brandeis	Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Foster Brooks	Actor and Comedian. Renowned for his "Lovable Lush" character, Brooks was a long-time Las Vegas headliner and appeared on numerous TV programs from the mid 1960s to mid 1990s, as well as appearing in cameo roles in such films as The Villain and Cannonball Run 2.
Pete Browning[2]	19th century major league baseball player, first to use custom pats, uncle of Tod Browning.
Tod Browning	Film Actor and Director. Directed several films starring silent screen legend Lon Chaney Sr., among them, The Unholy 3 (1925) and West of Zanzibar (1928). Best known for directing the horror classic Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi as well as the cult classic Freaks (1932).
Lance Burton	Stage Magician.
George Rogers Clark	The preeminent military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War.
William Conrad	Actor and Narrator in radio, film and television from the 1930s through the 1990s.
Jim Cornette	Noted Wrestling Manager and Promoter.
Joe Creason	Journalist for the Courier-Journal.
Tom Cruise	Actor. (Actually born in Syracuse, New York, lived in Louisville until his mid-teens.) Star of the films Risky Business, Top Gun, A Few Good Men and Mission: Impossible, just to name a few.
Denny Crum	Former Men's Basketball Coach for the University of Louisville Cardinals.
George Devol	Inventor of the first industrial robot.
Irene Dunne	Actress, starred in 1931 Academy Award Best Picture Cimarron.
Thomas Alva Edison	Before fame lived in Butchertown. House now a museum.
Bob Edwards	Radio Broadcaster, National Public Radio.
Jimmy Ellis	Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Pervis Ellison	Basketball player. Born in Savannah, Georgia. "Never Nervous Pervis" was the starting center for the University of Louisville for four years, including the 1986 national championship year. Ellison was the second freshman ever to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four and the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Norris Embry	Expressionist painter.
Abraham Flexner	American educator.
Dian Fossey	Nurse at Kosair Children's Hospital. Ethologist interested in gorillas.
Fontaine Fox	Nationally syndicated cartoonist, creator of "The Toonerville Trolley" (aka "Toonerville Folks"), one of the most popular strips of the World War I era.
Heather French	Miss America 2000.
Billy Gilbert	Comedic character actor in films during the 1930s and 1940s, appeared in supporting roles in such classic Laurel & Hardy shorts as The Music Box and County Hospital, also was the model for and provided the voice of Sneezy in Disney's Snow White
William Girdler	Director/producer of 1970s B-grade films such as Abby, Asylum of Satan and Grizzly.
CW Grafton	Author.
Sue Grafton	Author.
D.W. Griffith	Film Director, Innovator. Credited with originating many camera techniques that are still commonly used in films today. Directed numerous films, among them, Birth of A Nation, Intolerance and Way Down East. Lived several years in the Brown Hotel, until his death in 1948.
Darrell Griffith	Basketball Player. Won 1980 NCAA basketball championship and John R. Wooden Award; 1980 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player; 1981 NBA Rookie of the Year Award; played 11 seasons with the Utah Jazz; nicknamed Dr. Dunkenstein for aerial exploits.
Lionel Hampton	Band Leader and Jazz Musician.
John Hensley	TV and film actor, regular cast member on the cable TV program Nip/Tuck.
Mildred & Patty Hill	Composers of the song "Happy Birthday To You".
Audrey Hollander	Pornographic actress.
Telma Hopkins	Singer and Television Actress, member of the 1970s pop music trio Tony Orlando & Dawn
Paul Hornung	Football player with the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Allan Houston	Professional Basketball Player for the New York Knicks.
Edwin Hubble	Astrophysics, Lawyer, Basketball Coach at New Albany, IN High School. Lived in Highlands.
Henry Hull	Stage and film actor, star of the 1935 film Werewolf of London.
Joe Jacoby	Former pro football player for the Washington Redskins.
Ken Jenkins	Stage and film actor, co-founder of Actor's Theatre of Louisville and acted in Scrubs, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and I Am Sam.
Tom Kennedy	Game show host.
James Kottak	Current drummer for legendary metal band Scorpions, Yamaha drums endorser/clinician and former drummer for Kingdom Come, Warrant and Wild Horses.
Increase Allen Lapham	Surveyor, Naturalist, Help form U.S Weather Bureau.
Maggie Lawson	TV actress.
Joe E. Martin	Olympic boxing coach who trained World Heavyweight Champions Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Ellis, and several National Golden Gloves champions.
Victor Mature	Film Actor. Starred in a wide range of films, including My Darling Clementine, Kiss of Death, Samson and Delilah and The Robe.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell	Senate Minority Leader.
Terry Meiners	Radio talk show host.
Milton Metz	Popular local radio and television personality.
Jack Narz	Game show host.
Bobby Nichols	Professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship, one of the Majors in men's professional golf.
Marsha Norman	American playwright who won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Will Oldham	Songwriter and Musician.
Joan Osborne	Singer and Songwriter.
Greg Page	Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Scott Padgett	Professional basketball player for the New Jersey Nets.
Bubba Paris	Graduate of Louisville's DeSales High School, offensive tackle for the 1982 Super Bowl winning San Francisco 49ers.
Fred Pfeffer[2]	Major league baseball player.
Wilson Pickett	American R&B/Rock and Roll and soul singer
Rick Pitino	Current Head Coach of the University of Louisville Cardinals Men's Basketball Team; Former Head Coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the Boston Celtics.
Steve Raible	Former NFL Player for the Seattle Seahawks and co-anchor of local KIRO News in Seattle, Washington.
Pee Wee Reese	Professional Baseball Player for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rajon Rondo	Pro-Basketball player with Boston Celtics, also played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Don Rosa	Illustrator of Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters.
Rudy Rucker	Computer scientist and science fiction author.
Col. Harland Sanders	Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, born, raised, and lived in Henryville, Indiana until adulthood.
Diane Sawyer	Television Journalist and Co-Anchor of ABC's Good Morning America.
Nicole Scherzinger	Actress, singer and dancer best known for her work as the lead vocalist for The Pussycat Dolls.
"Papa" John Schnatter	Founder of Papa John's Pizza, born and raised in Jeffersonville, Indiana until founding his pizza chain.
Phil Simms	Former quarterback for the NFL's New York Giants and currently a television sportscaster.
James Breckenridge Speed	Businessman and Philanthropist.
James Speed	Lawyer, politician, and professor.
Rudell Stitch	Welterweight Boxer.
John William "Bubbles" Sublett[3]	Half of the black comedic song and tap dance team "Buck & Bubbles", became a popular vaudeville entertainer and toured extensively with his partner Ford Lee "Buck" Washington. The team also appeared in films such as A Star Is Born ('37) and Cabin In the Sky ('43). Originated the role of the character "Sportin' Life" in George Gershwin's musical Porgy and Bess. Later, he became the first black entertainer to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Danny Sullivan	Former racing driver and winner of the 1985 Indianapolis 500.
Zachary Taylor	U.S. President.
Hunter S. Thompson	Journalist and author, long-time contributing writer for Rolling Stone magazine.
Mary Travers	Folk Artist Peter, Paul and Mary.
Johnny Unitas	Professional Football Player from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Gus Van Sant	Film Director, Photographer, Musician, and Author.
Wes Unseld	Former basketball player and coach in the NBA.
Jack Warden	Film and television actor. Began his career in the early 1950s, performing on such TV shows as Playhouse 90 and Studio One, later appeared in such films as Run Silent, Run Deep, Shampoo and All The President's Men.
Ford Lee "Buck" Washington	Half of the black comedic song and tap dance team "Buck & Bubbles". Joined with partner John William "Bubbles" Sublett in 1917, the team became a top vaudeville act, playing extensively across the U.S. and Europe and were the first black entertainers to perform at New York's Radio City Music Hall. He also sang on recordings with Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith and Coleman Hawkins. (see also: John William "Bubbles" Sublett)
Henry Watterson	Founder of The Courier-Journal and namesake of the Henry Watterson Expressway.
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand	60 Minutes Tobacco informant.
Enid Yandell	Sculptor.
York	William Clark's manservant and participant in Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Sean Young	Film and television actress. Began career with supporting roles in such films as Blade Runner, Stripes and Dune
Mia Zapata	Murdered singer of the Seattle punk band The Gits.
John Ziegler	Radio talk show host.

[edit] References

1. ^ (1967) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 
2. ^ ^{a b} [1969] (1979) in Reichler, Joseph L.: The Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th edition, New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8. 
3. ^

[edit] See also

• List of famous Kentuckians