List of people from Birmingham, Alabama
This is a list of individuals who are natives of, or are notable in association with the city of Birmingham, Alabama.
Academia
- Monnie T. Cheves, Samford University professor; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960, died in Birmingham in 1988[1]
- Frank Moore Cross, religious scholar
- Angela Davis, social activist and author
- Richard Nelson Frye, scholar of Iran and Central Asia
- Roland Frye, scholar
- Carol Garrison, president of University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Freeman Hrabowski III, educator
- Herman H. Long, president of Talladega College and United Negro College Fund
- J. Gordon Melton, religious scholar
- Emil Wolfgang Menzel, Jr. Emeritus Professor in psychology
- Julia Tutwiler, educator and social reformer
Arts and literature
- John Beecher, activist poet
- Allen Barra, journalist, sports writer
- Joe David Brown, journalist, novelist
- Steven Ford Brown, publisher, translator, writer
- Mark Childress, author
- Jon Coffelt, artist
- Clayton Colvin, artist
- Dennis Covington, journalist, writer
- George R. Ellis (born 1937), author, art historian and director of Honolulu Academy of Arts
- Fannie Flagg, author, actress
- Lindsay Fuller, singer/songwriter
- Charles Gaines, novelist, screenwriter
- Charles Ghigna, poet, children's author
- Gail Godwin, novelist
- John Green, novelist
- Joe Hilley, novelist
- Kerry James Marshall, artist
- Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman
- Spider Martin, photojournalist
- Robert R. McCammon, novelist
- Kevin McGowin, novelist, reviewer
- Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
- Walker Percy, author
- Sun Ra, jazz musician.
- Howell Raines, New York Times editor
- James Redfield, novelist
- John Rhoden, sculptor
- Sonia Sanchez, poet
- Rowland Scherman, Grammy-award winning photographer
- Melissa Springer, photographer
- Ann Waldron (1924–2010), author.[2]
- Margaret Walker, poet and author
- Tobias Wolff, author
- Daniel Wallace, novelist
- John Weld, newspaper reporter, writer, Hollywood stunt man
Business and economics
- Cynthia Bathurst, animal rights activist, former mathematical analyst, founder/director of Safe Humane Chicago and Court Case Dog Program
- Ashton B. Collins, Sr., inventor, creator of Reddy Kilowatt
- Samuel DiPiazza, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers
- A. G. Gaston, African-American businessman
- Franklin Potts Glass, Sr., newspaper editor
- Jay Grinney, President and Chief Executive Officer of HealthSouth Corporation
- John M. Harbert, billionaire and founder of Harbert Corporation
- Elmer Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Alabama Power
- Ron Holt, CEO and founder of Two Maids & A Mop
- Charles Linn, founder of First National Bank of Birmingham (AmSouth Bancorporation)
- Don Logan, Chief Executive Officer of Time Inc.; Chairman of Time Warners Media and Communications Group; Chief Executive Officer of Southern Progress, owner of Birmingham Barons baseball team
- Michael K. Powell, Federal Communications Commission chairman
- Rufus N. Rhodes, founder of Birmingham News
- Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation
- James Sloss, industrialist and founder of Sloss Furnaces
- Alvin Vogtle, Chairman and CEO of Alabama Power and Southern Company
- Donald Watkins, banker, attorney
- Allen Harvey Woodward, industrialist and baseball team owner
Entertainment
- Mary Anderson, actress
- R. G. Armstrong, actor (Pleasant Grove)
- Steve Ashlee, director
- Mary Badham, juvenile actress
- Candace Bailey, actress
- Amber Benson, actress
- Rick and Bubba, radio/TV personalities
- Nell Carter, actress and singer
- Courteney Cox, actress (Mountain Brook)
- Paul Finebaum, radio/TV personalities
- Fannie Flagg, author, actress
- Louise Fletcher, actress
- Betty Lou Gerson, actress, raised in Birmingham.
- Gladys Gillem, wrestler
- Tod Griffin, actor
- Alan Hunter, MTV VJ
- Jasika Nicole, actress, illustrator
- Kate Jackson, actress
- Gail Patrick, actress, television producer
- Ibrehem Rahman, Survivor: Palau contestant
- Wayne Rogers, actor
- Dorothy Sebastian, film actress
- Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer)
- Rickey Smiley, radio personality
- Roy Wood, Jr., comedian
- Byron York, conservative author and journalist
- Tom York, television personality
Music
- Q Dot Davis, Rapper
- Inez Andrews, gospel singer
- Barry Beckett, pianist and record producer
- Benny Benjamin, drummer
- Samm Bennett, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
- Bo Bice, singer, American Idol runner-up (Helena, Alabama)
- Oteil Burbridge, bassist
- J.R. Cobb, songwriter and guitarist
- Dorothy Love Coates, gospel singer
- Sam Dees, soul music singer
- Diana DeGarmo, American Idol 3rd season runner-up
- Big Joe Duskin, blues pianist
- Dennis Edwards, soul music singer
- Sara Evans, country singer
- Al Gallodoro, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist
- Hardrock Gunter, rockabilly pioneer
- Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist and bandleader
- Emmylou Harris, singer
- Erskine Hawkins, composer, trumpeter and bandleader
- Haywood Henry, jazz saxophonist / clarinetist
- Taylor Hicks, soul music singer, American Idol winner
- Odetta Holmes, folk singer
- Jo Jones, jazz drummer
- KD, rapper
- Eddie Kendricks, soul music singer
- Baker Knight, songwriter and bandleader
- Sammy Lowe, jazz trumpeter and arranger
- Rebecca Luker, Broadway singer, actress
- Gucci Mane, rapper
- Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Southern rock/metalcore band
- Johnny O'Neal, jazz pianist
- Avery Parrish, composer and jazz pianist
- Hank Penny, Western swing musician
- Ray Reach, jazz vocalist and pianist
- Dan Sartain, rock musician
- Johnny Smith, jazz guitarist
- Ruben Studdard, singer, American Idol winner
- Sun Ra, jazz composer and bandleader
- Maria Taylor, singer
- Paul Williams, soul singer
- Tammy Wynette, country singer
- Through the Sparks, indie rock band
- Verbena (band), indie rock band
- Wild Sweet Orange, indie rock band
Law and politics
- Arthur Alber, Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1927–29
- John Amari, District 10 Circuit Court judge, former member of both houses of the Alabama State Legislature
- Douglas Arant, attorney and co-founder of Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings
- Richard Arrington, first African-American mayor of Birmingham
- B. B. Comer, former governor of Alabama
- Eugene "Bull" Connor, former Commissioner of Public Safety
- Hugh Culverhouse, lawyer and owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Russell McWhortor Cunningham, Governor of Alabama
- John Grenier (1930-2007), Republican politician in Alabama
- Art Hanes, mayor of Birmingham
- Gil Hill, Detroit, Michigan city council president and actor
- Perry O. Hooper, Sr., 27th chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, was born in Birmingham in 1925; resided adult life in Montgomery
- Bernard Kincaid, mayor of Birmingham
- Raymond Lee Lathan, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
- Warren A. Morton, Birmingham native; oilman from Casper, Wyoming, and late Republican Speaker of Wyoming House of Representatives
- Bert Nettles, lawyer in Birmingham; Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from Mobile (1969-1974)
- Cecil F. Poole, federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit
- Charles Redding Pitt, chairman of Alabama Democratic Party
- Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State
- George G. Siebels, Jr., first Republican to serve as mayor of Birmingham (1967-1975)
- Luther Strange, Attorney General of Alabama since 2011, was born in Birmingham.
- Margaret Tutwiler, diplomat
- Robert S. Vance chairman of Democratic Party, plaintiff's lawyer, federal judge United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Donald Watkins, attorney, banker
United States Senate
- Hugo Black (1927–1937), also Supreme Court Justice (1937–1971)
- B. B. Comer (1920), also Governor of Alabama (1907–1911)
- Joseph Forney Johnston (1907–1913)
- Richard Shelby (1987–present)
- Francis S. White (1914–1915)
- Oscar W. Underwood (1915–1927)
United States House of Representatives
- Truman H. Aldrich (Alabama's 8th congressional district, 1896)
- Spencer Bachus (6th District, 1993–present)
- John H. Bankhead (6th District, 1887–1907)
- Laurie C. Battle (9th District, 1947–1955)
- Sydney J. Bowie
- John H. Buchanan, Jr. (6th District, 1965–1981)
- Reuben Chapman (6th District, 1843–1847)
- Newton Nash Clements (6th District, 1880–1881)
- Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb (6th District, 1847–1861)
- Artur Davis (7th District, 1982–1992)
- Edward deGraffenried (6th District, 1949–1953)
- William Henry Denson (7th District, 1893–1895)
- Ben Erdreich (6th District, 1983–1993)
- Claude Harris, Jr. (7th District, 1987–1993)
- Thomas Haughey (6th District, 1867–1869)
- Goldsmith W. Hewitt (6th District, 1876–1879, 1881–1885)
- Earl F. Hilliard (7th District, 1993–2003)
- Richmond P. Hobson (6th District, 1907–1915)
- George Huddleston (9th District, 1913–1935)
- George Huddleston, Jr. (9th District, 1955–1963)
- Pete Jarman (6th District, 1937–1949)
- Burwell Boykin Lewis (6th District, 1879–1880)
- John Mason Martin (6th District, 1885–1887)
- John P. Newsome (9th District, 1943–1945)
- William B. Oliver (6th District, 1915–1937)
- Luther Patrick (9th District, 1935–1943, 1945–1947)
- Armistead I. Selden, Jr. (6th District, 1953–1965)
- Terri Sewell (7th district, 2011–present)
- Richard Shelby (7th District, 1979–1987)
- William Crawford Sherrod (6th District, 1869–1871)
- Joseph Humphrey Sloss (6th District, 1871–1875)
- Albert L. Smith, Jr. (6th District, 1981–1983)
- Jesse F. Stallings
- Louis Washington Turpin (9th District, 1893–1895)
- Oscar W. Underwood (8th District, 1895–1896; 9th District 1897–1915)
Math, science and technology
- Mary Anderson, inventor of windshield wipers
- Andrew Jackson Beard, inventor of automatic railcar coupling
- Edward M. Burgess, chemist and inventor of the Burgess reagent
- Lawrence J. DeLucas, biophysical engineer; Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut
- E. O. Wilson, entomologist and author
Medicine
- James Andrews, nationally renowned orthopedic specialist
- Tinsley Harrison, editor of first five editions of Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine, dean of UAB School of Medicine
- Alan Heldman, interventional cardiologist and pioneer of the drug eluting stent
- John W. Kirklin, pioneering heart surgeon
- Albert Pacifico, renowned heart surgeon
- Michael Saag, prominent AIDS researcher
- Luther Leonidas Terry, Surgeon General of the United States
Sports
- Mike Anderson, University of Alabama at Birmingham basketball coach
- Jay Barker, football player, college and pro quarterback
- Charles Barkley, basketball player, Hall of Famer and TV personality
- Gene Bartow, basketball coach and athletic director for UAB
- Bruce Benedict, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Eric Bledsoe, basketball player
- Neil Bonnett, born in Birmingham, Hall of Fame NASCAR driver, TV personality
- Th-resa Bostick, born in Birmingham, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Lyman Bostock, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Bobby Bowden, football coach
- Debbie Bramwell-Washington, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Levert Carr, football player
- Jerricho Cotchery, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
- Bubba Church, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Ted Cook, football player
- Karlos Dansby, football player
- Marcell Dareus, football player for Buffalo Bills
- A. J. Davis, NFL player
- Mike Davis, UAB basketball coach
- Spud Davis, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Tom Drake, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Vonetta Flowers, bobsledder, Olympic gold medalist
- Vince Gibson, football coach
- Alex Grammas, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Hubie Green, professional golfer
- Jerry Hairston, Sr., born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Samuel H. Hairston, baseball player
- Darrin Hancock, NBA player
- Trey Hardee, Division I track and field collegiate heptathlon and decathlon record holder, Olympian
- Chandler Hoffman, born in Birmingham, Major League Soccer player
- Bobby Humphrey, football player, Alabama and NFL
- Bo Jackson, multi-sport athlete
- Ron Jackson, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Desmond Jennings, baseball player
- Ken Jordan, football player
- Larry Kenon, born in Birmingham, basketball player
- Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, multiple Olympic gold-medalist and world champion track-and-field athlete
- Theodore Long, general manager of WWE Smackdown
- Larry Mason, football player
- Lee May, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Willie Mays, baseball player, Hall of Famer
- Larry McReynolds, announcer for NASCAR on FOX
- Charlie Moore, baseball player
- Tony Nathan, football player and coach
- Gus Niarhos, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Satchel Paige, baseball player
- David Robertson, baseball player
- Erk Russell, football player
- Ed Salem, football player and Birmingham restaurateur
- Jason Standridge, major league baseball player
- Ronald Steele, basketball player
- Rebel Steiner, football player
- Picabo Street, downhill skier, Olympic gold medalist
- Pat Sullivan, 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and head football coach at Samford University
- Dabo Swinney, born in Birmingham, Clemson University head football coach
- Bryan Thomas, born in Birmingham, Linebacker New York Jets graduated from Minor High School in 1997
- Dan Thomas, MLB player for Milwaukee Brewers
- Andre Tippett, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker
- Tommy Tolleson, NFL player
- Virgil Trucks, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player[3]
- Bob Veale, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- Dixie Walker, major league baseball player
- Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
- John Zimmerman, professional pairs figure skater
Other
- Mel Allen, radio and TV sports personality; primary play-by-play announcer for New York Yankees
- Mother Angelica, nun and founder of global Catholic network EWTN
- Donald Beatty, aviator, explorer and inventor
- Angela Davis, activist
- Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005
- Samantha Francis, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8
- John Green, professional author, YouTube blogger and musician
- Lola Hendricks, Civil Rights activist
- Patti Ruffner Jacobs, suffragist and social reformer
- James Meissner, World War I Flying Ace
- Wallace Rayfield, architect
- Joseph Raya, archbishop and social activist
- Sonia Sanchez, poet, activist, and educator
- Jay Sebring, Charles Manson victim; ex-boyfriend of Sharon Tate
- Courtney Shropshire, founder of Civitan International
- Fred Shuttlesworth, Civil Rights activist
- Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006
- Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995
- Louise Wooster, famed madam
See also
References
- ↑ "In Memoriam: Monnie T. Cheves". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. August 17, 1988. p. D3. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ↑ Hevesi, Dennis. "Ann Waldron, Biographer of Southern Writers, Is Dead at 85", The New York Times, July 6, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- ↑ Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th edition ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.