List of people from Atlanta

This is an incomplete list that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

This is a list of people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the American city of Atlanta, the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Academics

Name Known for Association
Thomas E. Hill Professor of Philosophy at University of North Carolina and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Born in Atlanta
Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Leader, and Academic Born in Atlanta [1]
James W. Wagner President of Emory University Lives in Atlanta

Actors

Name Known for Association
Chloë Grace Moretz actress and model, known for roles in Kick-Ass, Hugo, Carrie and other films; winner of two Saturn Awards. [2][3] born in Atlanta
Isabella Acres (born 2001)[4][5] appeared as Rose on the situation-comedy television series Better Off Ted born in Atlanta
Matt Battaglia Emmy Award-winning producer;[6] co-produced a two-time Golden Globe Award-nominated film; acted in over 90 films network pilots and television shows.
Toni Braxton singer, actress and reality TV star of Braxton Family Values
Monica Calhoun actress, films include The Players Club, The Best Man, and The Salon; graduate of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
C. Martin Croker voice actor, Zorak and Moltar on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast
Nene Leakes reality TV star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
David Cross stand-up comedian and actor
Wylie Draper actor, portrayed older Michael Jackson in The Jacksons: An American Dream
Corri English actress, in 2006 honored at International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival as Best Actress for Unrest
Elle Fanning actress and model; younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning; known for I Am Sam, Daddy Day Care, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, We Bought a Zoo, Maleficent and other films
Jane Fonda Academy Award-winning actress, ex-wife of Atlanta television mogul Ted Turner
Jeff Foxworthy comedian resides in Atlanta[7]
Jasmine Guy actress, star of A Different World and film Harlem Nights
Omari Hardwick
Oliver Hardy comedian and actor
Ed Helms actor, The Office
Shuler Hensley singer and actor
Holly Hunter Academy Award-winning actress
DeForest Kelley[8] actor best known as Dr. McCoy on Star Trek born in Atlanta
Elijah Kelley
RonReaco Lee
Chris Lowell Veronica Mars
Christopher Massey Zoey 101
Kyle Massey That's So Raven
China Anne McClain actress, The A.N.T. Farm born in Atlanta
Brittany Murphy actress
Kip Pardue actor
Robert Patrick actor, played "T-1000" in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Ty Pennington
Tyler Perry actor, director, screen and playwright, producer, author [9] and songwriter; first film Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)[10] moved to Atlanta[11][12]
Victoria Principal actress, Dallas
Raven-Symoné actress, The Cosby Show, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and That's So Raven born in Atlanta[13]
Chandler Riggs actor, The Walking Dead born in Atlanta
Julia Roberts Academy Award-winning actress; films include Pretty Woman and Erin Brockovich born at Crawford Long Hospital[14]
Ryan Seacrest TV and radio personality; host of reality-television series American Idol attended Dunwoody High School
Christopher Tavarez
Kenan Thompson comedian, Saturday Night Live, Fat Albert
Chris Tucker actor and comedian "Columbia High School"
Devon Werkheiser Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
Scott Wilson actor, In Cold Blood, The Great Gatsby, The Walking Dead Atlanta native[15]
Kim Zolciak reality TV star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Business people

Name Field Known for Association
George Adair developer early-Atlanta real-estate developer
Dean Alford chief executive officer and politician president and chief executive of Allied Energy Services; member of the Georgia General Assembly
Ray Anderson entrepreneur founder of carpet manufacturer Interface, Inc.
Alan K. Avery art dealer founder of Atlanta Arts Project
Charles Brewer businessman founder of Internet service provider MindSpring, which later merged with EarthLink
Asa Griggs Candler entrepreneur founder of beverage manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company
S. Truett Cathy entrepreneur founder of the fast-food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A
Anne Cox Chambers entrepreneur co-owner of mass-media company Cox Enterprises
Lemuel Grant businessman and engineer early-Atlanta railroad man, landowner, engineer and businessman
James M. Henderson advertising born in Atlanta; lived in Greenville, South Carolina, Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in 1970 [16]
Anne T. Hill fashion designer founded Taffy's of California born in Atlanta[17]
Bernard Marcus entrepreneur co-founder of home-improvement retailing chain Home Depot; primary funding source for the Georgia Aquarium
John Pemberton chemist chemist and inventor of the carbondated soft drink Coca-Cola
Richard Peters businessman early-Atlanta railroad man, landowner and a founder of Atlanta
John C. Portman, Jr. architect international architect and developer, designer of the groundbreaking atrium-style hotel
Neel Reid architect student of École des Beaux-Arts; designed various buildings now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Ted Turner media mogul founder of cable-news channel CNN
Robert W. Woodruff executive president of the beverage manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company

Directors

Name Known for Association
Spike Lee director of films including She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing and several music videos born in Atlanta[18]
Kenny Leon Several broadway plays and several television episodes
Tyler Perry director of films, plays and television series including Meet The Browns, plus Madea plays and movies moved to Atlanta[11][12]
Steven Soderbergh film director, Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven

Journalists

Name Known for Association
David Dick covered the Southeastern United States for CBS News in late 1960s based in Atlanta; later transferred to the Dallas bureau[19]
William Emerson covered the civil rights era as Newsweek's first bureau chief assigned to cover the Southern United States and was later editor in chief of The Saturday Evening Post. moved to Atlanta[20]
Frank Stanton Georgia's first Post Laureate died in Atlanta[21]
Ted Turner media mogul, TBS and CNN founder moved to Atlanta

Musicians

Name Known for Association
André Benjamin (performs under the mononym André 3000) rapper, actor, record producer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist; half of the rap group OutKast born in Atlanta
Johntá Austin singer-songwriter, signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings; awarded two Grammy Awards for songs "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey and "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige born in Atlanta[22]
David Berkeley singer-songwriter with four studio albums and one live album;[23] moved to Atlanta for his wife to finish school[24]
Radric Davis (Gucci Mane) rapper, actor lives in Atlanta
Tauheed Epps (2 Chainz) rapper from Atlanta
Ciara Harris (performs under the mononym Ciara) singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model moved to Atlanta [25][26]
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (better known as T.I.) rapper, actor and businessman born in Atlanta
Keri Hilson singer-songwriter and actress from Decatur attended Emory University[27]
Whitney Houston African-American singer, actress and model moved to Atlanta in 2002
Graham Jackson African-American theatre organist, pianist and choral conductor moved to Atlanta in 1923[28]
Jay Wayne Jenkins (Young Jeezy) rapper from Atlanta
Brenda Lee performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music; had 37 U.S. chart hits during 1960s,[29] known for songs "I'm Sorry" (1960) and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (1958); recipient of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2009) born in Atlanta in 1944[30]
Mable Lee dancer, entertainer, and 2008 Inductee into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame born in Atlanta in 1921.
Charlyn Marshall (better known at Cat Power or Chan Marshall) singer-songwriter, actress and model born in Atlanta[31]
China Anne McClain singer-songwriter and actress (cast member as Jasmine Payne on TV series Tyler Perry's House of Payne and co-star as Chyna Parks on A.N.T. Farm) born in Atlanta[32]
Usher Raymond (performs under the mononym Usher) singer-songwriter, dancer and actor; rose to fame in late 1990s with release of second album My Way attended North Springs High School[33]
Jerry Reed country-music singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films; signature songs include "Guitar Man", "East Bound and Down", "A Thing Called Love" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot" born in Atlanta[34]
Elton John singer-songwriter, English-born entertainer whose songs include "Your Song" , "Crocodile Rock" and "Candle in the Wind" resides part-time in Atlanta[35]
India Arie Simpson (better known as India.Arie) singer-songwriter and record producer;[36] has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S.; has won four Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album moved to Atlanta[37]
Chris Tomlin contemporary Christian music artist, worship leader and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas moved to Atlanta and began church[38][39]
Nicholas Williams (Trinidad James) rapper from Atlanta
Bobby Wilson (better known as Bobby V) recording artist (nicknamed "Valentino" because he was due to be born on Valentine's Day) attended North Atlanta High School and Clark Atlanta University[25]
Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress from TLC lived in Atlanta [40]
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress from TLC from Atlanta
Monica singer, songwriter, producer, and actress from Atlanta

Politicians

Name Known for Association
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. Governor of Georgia and 39th President of the United States lived in Atlanta
Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. First Black Mayor of Atlanta born and lived in Atlanta
Nathan Deal Governor of Georgia lived in Atlanta
Lester Maddox 75th Governor of Georgia born and lived in Atlanta
Kasim Reed 59th Mayor of Atlanta lived in Atlanta

Writers and artists

Name Known for Association
Joel Chandler Harris wrote the Uncle Remus stories lived in West End of Atlanta[41]
Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind born in Atlanta
Lewis Grizzard writer and humorist lived in Atlanta
Lucy May Stanton artist born in Atlanta<ref name = ""NGE">Fowler, Betty Alice (2009). "Lucy May Stanton (1875-1931)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 25 March 2013.</ref>
Flannery O'Connor Southern gothic writer lived in Atlanta

See also


References

  1. ↑ "Martin Luther King Jr. Biography". www.biography.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Chloë Grace Moretz - IMDb". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Chloë Grace Moretz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Isabella Acres Rose on ABC's Better Off Ted". ABC Medianet. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Jay Harrington Talks Private Practice". My Take On TV. January 8, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Matt Battaglia: Emmy Winner". The Voice-Tribune. 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  7. ↑ "Jeff Foxworthy". jefffoxworthy.com. 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/deforest-kelley-1920-1999
  9. ↑ Christian, Margena A. (October 2008). "Becoming Tyler: Bill Collector Turned Billion-Dollar Media Mogul Was Molded from Pain, Promise and Persistence". Ebony (via FindArticles). p. 4.
  10. ↑ "The Highest-Paid Men In Entertainment". Forbes. 2011-12-09. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Property valuation of NW Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA: 4075 (LOVETT SCHOOL), 4110 (THE BARRONE TRUST), 4122 (LOVETT SCHOOL THE) (tax assessments)". City-data.com. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1
  13. ↑ "Raven Symone". MSN. 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  14. ↑ Taylor, Clarke (November 24, 1983). "Eric Roberts: His 'Star 80' Shines". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 16, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Scott Wilson". The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  16. ↑ "James M. Henderson (1921-1995)". knowitall.org. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  17. ↑ Taffy Original Designs says fall line will be all cotton with full skirts. Women’s Wear Daily. May 10, 1955.
  18. ↑ "Spike Lee Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story". Biography.com. 1957-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  19. ↑ "Resolution adjourning the Senate in honor and loving memory of David Dick". lrc.ky.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  20. ↑ Staff (August 28, 2009). "William Emerson Dies at 86; Newsweek Journalist Covered the South – He Was the Magazine's First Bureau Chief Covering the South a Year Before the Brown vs. Board of Education Ruling and Wrote About the Fight for Civil Rights". Associated Press (via the Los Angeles Times). August 28, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  21. ↑ Perry, L.L.; Wightman, Melton F. (1938). "Frank Lebby Stanton: Georgia's First Post Laureate". Georgia Department of Education. p. 41.
  22. ↑ "Johnta Austin Biography". Artistdirect. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  23. ↑ "David Berkeley discography". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  24. ↑ Photo by Tobias Prasse (January 30, 2009). "David Berkeley Keeps Moving". Paste. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Hot Singers to Watch for in 2005". Jet 107 (64): 64. 23 May 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  26. ↑ Database (undated). "Ciara". Billboard. Retrieved December 14, 2006.
  27. ↑ Scott, Damien (August 3, 2009). "Keri Hilson (Cover Story)". Complex. Complex Media. p. 2. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Inventory of the Graham W. Jackson, Sr. Papers: Historical Sketch". Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
  29. ↑ "Brenda Lee: The Lady, the Legend". Brenda Lee Productions. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
  30. ↑ "Brenda Lee Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story". Biography.com. 1944-12-11. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  31. ↑ "Cat Power". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  32. ↑ "Disney Channel Bio – China Anne McClain". Disney Channel Medianet. Archived from the original on November 28, 2011.
  33. ↑ "North Springs High School". Public School Review. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  34. ↑ "Jerry Reed Bio | Jerry Reed Career". CMT. 1937-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  35. ↑ "Park Place on Peachtree". Parkplaceonpeachtree.com. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  36. ↑ "On a Spiritual and Emotional Journey – India.Arie and Her Music". EF News International. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  37. ↑ "India.Arie MTV biography". MTV. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  38. ↑ "Human3rror Blog". Human3rror.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  39. ↑ "Modern March blog". Modernmarch.com. October 10, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  40. ↑ Salamone, Gina (2 October 2012). "TLC’s Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins gets new reality show". New York Daily News. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  41. ↑ "Joel Chandler Harris Home". National Park Service. NPS.gov. Retrieved 7 October 2012.