From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Listing of famous people born in, or famous for their association with, Alabama.
- Hank Aaron, baseball player(Mobile)
- Ralph Abernathy, civil rights activist (Linden)
- Daniel Alarcón, novelist (Birmingham)
- Mel Allen, sportscaster - NY Yankees 1938-1963 (Birmingham)
- Bobby Allison, race car driver, (Hueytown)
- Donnie Allison, race car driver, (Hueytown)
- Davey Allison, race car driver, (Hueytown)
- Mike Armstrong, winner of the 1974 Mr. Alabama bodybuilding title (Birmingham)
- Richard Arrington Jr., first black mayor of (Birmingham)
- John Badham, film director (Birmingham)
- Mary Badham, actress (Birmingham)
- Tallulah Bankhead, actress (Huntsville)
- Charles Barkley, basketball player (Leeds)
- Mark Barnes, prominent New York attorney (Dadeville)
- Arthur D. Baylor, First Black Chief of Police in Montgomery (Montgomery)
- Paul Bearer, WWE Manager/ wrestling promoter (Mobile)
- Sam A. Beatty, law professor, Ala Sup Ct Justice (Tuscaloosa)
- Amber Benson, actress (Birmingham)
- Bo Bice, American Idol contestant (Huntsville)
- Michael Biehn, actor (Anniston)
- Sanford Bishop, U.S. congressman (Mobile)
- Bibi Black, classical trumpeter (Huntsville)
- Hugo Black, senator, jurist (Harlan)
- Lucas Black, actor (Speake)
- Winton Blount, businessman (Union Springs)
- Neil Bonnett, race car driver (Hueytown)
- Bobby Bowden, Florida State University football coach (Birmingham)
- Rich Boy, rapper (Mobile)
- Frank W. Boykin, United States Congressman (Bladon Springs, Alabama)
- Rick Bragg, Pulitizer prize-winning author (Possum Trot)
- David G. Bronner, CEO for Retirement Systems of Alabama (Montgomery) born Cresco, Iowa
- Janice Rogers Brown, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Luverne)
- Johnny Mack Brown, actor (Dothan)
- Paul "Bear" Bryant, University of Alabama football coach (Tuscaloosa) born Morro Bottom, Arkansas
- Jimmy Buffett, singer/songwriter (Mobile)
- Oteil Burbridge, bassist
- Edward A. Burkhalter, Dir-Intel Comm,Admiral-US Navy, Ch-Steelcloud (Roanoke)
- Brett Butler, comedian (Montgomery)
- Pat Buttram, actor ("Smiley," Gene Autry's sidekick) (Gadsden)
- Larry Byrom, Steppenwolf guitarist (Huntsville)
- Mr. Bigg, rap artist (Mobile)
- Nell Carter, actress and singer (Birmingham)
- George Washington Carver, scientist and botanist (Tuskegee) born Diamond, Missouri
- Truman Capote, writer (Monroeville) born New Orleans, Louisiana
- Reg E. Cathey, actor, The Wire, The Corner, and Oz (Huntsville)
- Beth Chapman, Alabama Secretary of State and former State Auditor
- Fred Child, host of American Public Media's Performance Today (Huntsville)
- Mark Childress, writer (Monroeville)
- C-Nile, Rapper (Mobile)
- Nat King Cole, singer (Montgomery)
- Marva Collins, educator (Monroeville)
- Jeff Cook, country musician (Fort Payne)
- Charles J. Cooper, former Assistant US Attorney General (Birmingham)
- L E Cooper, Advisor, Atty, Author, Banker (Roanoke) (See also Connecticut List)
- Jayce Cosper,author, educator, actor (Montevallo, Alabama)
- Jerricho Cotchery, football player, New York Jets (Birmingham)
- Dennis Covington, writer (Birmingham)
- Courteney Cox, actress (Mountain Brook)
- Rick Crawford, Nascar Craftsman Truck Series driver (Mobile)
- Brodie Croyle, NFL Quarterback (Rainbow City)
- Hosea Chanchez,Actor Born in Montgomery
- Angela Davis, activist (Birmingham)
- N. Jan Davis, astronaut (born Cocoa Beach, Florida, grew up in Huntsville)
- Morris Dees, founder of Southern Poverty Law Center (Montgomery)
- Sam Dees, soul music singer (Birmingham)
- Donna D'Errico, actress (Dothan)
- Diana DeGarmo, American Idol contestant (Birmingham)
- Kim Dickens, actress (Huntsville)
- Chris Dickerson, bodybuilder (born Montgomery)
- Mahala Ashley Dickerson, lawyer (born Montgomery)
- Jessica Dixon, singer, writer, pro volley ball player (Montgomery)
- Christopher Dixon, comedy, trumpeter (Montgomery)
- Melinda Dillon, actress (Cullman)
- Deidre Downs, 2005 Miss America (Pelham)
- Benjamin Minge Duggar (1872-1956), botanist; discoverer of tetracycline
- Luther Duncan (1875-1947), 4-H pioneer; educator and administrator (Auburn)
- A.G. Gaston, African-American businessman (Birmingham)
- Teddy Gentry, country musician (Alabama) (Fort Payne)
- Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), poet and children's author (Homewood)
- Kenneth A. Gibson, first black mayor of major eastern city (Newark, New Jersey, from 1970 to 1986) (Enterprise)
- Kenneth R. Giddens, long term director of Voice of America; TV/radio station founder (Pine Apple)
- Harvey Glance, track athlete (Phenix City)
- DJ Glass, Supreme Dictator of the New World Order (Mobile)
- Bobby Goldsboro, singer (Dothan)
- William C. Gorgas, U. S. Army Surgeon General (Mobile)
- Mike Gottfried, former college football coach, ESPN commentator (Mobile)
- Urbie Green, jazz trombonist (Mobile)
- Kevin Greene, NFL player (Anniston)
- Steve Grissom, race car driver (Gadsden)
- Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump (Fairhope)
- Lafayette Guild, pioneer in the research of yellow fever (Tuscaloosa)
- Sarah Haardt, writer, wife of H. L. Mencken (Montgomery)
- Jon Hand, football player (Sylacauga)
- Mia Hamm, U.S. soccer star (Selma)
- Lionel Hampton, jazz musician (Birmingham)
- W. C. Handy, jazz composer (Florence)
- John M. Harbert, billionaire businessman (coal mining)(Mountain Brook)
- Marguerite Harbert, billionaire heiress (Mountain Brook)
- Waid Harbison, author (Cullman)
- Emmylou Harris, singer (Birmingham)
- William R. Harvey, president of Hampton University (Brewton
- Gustav Hasford, writer, screen-writer (Russellville)
- Erskine Hawkins, jazz composer (Birmingham)
- Howell Heflin, judge-CJ Ala Sup Ct, US Senator (1978-97) (born Poulan, Georgia)
- Rosalyn Heights, singer (Mobile)
- John S. Hendricks, Founder, Chair & CEO of Discovery Networks (Huntsville)
- Vic Henley, comedian (Oxford)
- Alexis Herman, former Secretary of Labor, (Mobile)
- Jake Hess, gospel quartet singer, (Haleyville)
- Taylor Hicks, American Idol winner 2006 (Hoover)
- J. Lister Hill, US Senator (1938-1969) (Montgomery
- Sylvia Hitchcock, Miss USA and Miss Universe 1967 (Tuscaloosa}
- Bill Holbrook, syndicated comic strip artist (Huntsville)
- Mitch Holleman, TV star (Reba) (Auburn, Alabama)
- Lonnie Holley, artist (Birmingham)
- Polly Holliday, actress (Jasper)
- Nall Hollis, artist (Arab)
- Condredge Holloway, CFL player (Huntsville)
- Hardcore Holly, WWE star, (Mobile)
- Evander Holyfield, boxer, (Atmore)
- Robert Horry, basketball player (Andalusia)
- Frank House, baseball player and legislator (Bessemer)
- Linda Howard, romance writer (Gadsden)
- Freeman A. Hrabowski III, academic, university president (Birmingham)
- James Byron Huggins, writer, activist (Decatur)
- William Bradford Huie, journalist, author (Hartselle)
- Alan Hunter, original MTV VeeJay (Birmingham)
- Bo Jackson, multi-sport athlete (Bessemer)
- Kate Jackson, actress (Birmingham)
- Sonny James, country singer (Hackleburg)
- Mae C. Jemison, first African American female in space (Decatur)
- Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker (Mobile)
- Dean Jones, actor (Decatur)
- Orlando Jones, actor (Mobile)
- Lee Roy Jordan, Bama All Am & pro football linebacker Dallas Cowboys (Excel)
- Ralph "Shug" Jordan, Auburn University football coach (Auburn)
- Tom Joyner, radio personality (Tuskegee)
- J Juliano, singer/songwriter for Little Nashville, Country for Kids (Hoover)
- Helen Keller, writer (Tuscumbia)
- Eddie Kendricks, soul singer (Union Springs)
- Jimmy Key, baseball pitcher (Huntsville)
- Caitlín R. Kiernan, writer and paleontologist (Leeds)
- Martin Luther King III, civil rights leader (Montgomery)
- William R. King, Senator, U.S. Vice-President (Cahaba)
- Yolanda King, actress and daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Montgomery)
- Hank Klibanoff, Pulitzer prize-winning author, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Managing Editor (Florence)
- Craig Knowles, founder of Alabama Republican Party (Huntsville)
- Larry Langford, Mayor of Birmingham
- Adam Lazzara, lead singer of Taking Back Sunday (Sheffield)
- Harper Lee, writer (Pulitzer Prize) (Monroeville)
- Carl Lewis, track and field athlete (Birmingham)
- George Lindsey, actor (Jasper)
- Donald Logan, former chairman of Time Warner (Birmingham)
- Joe Louis, heavy weight champion boxer (Lafayette)
- Joseph Lowery, civil rights leader (Huntsville)
- Mitch Lucas, sports writer, novelist (Vernon)
- Rebecca Luker, singer and actress (Helena)
- Shelby Lynne, country singer (Frankville)
- Alfred Malone, NFL player, Houston Texans (Frisco City)
- Wallace D Malone Jr, CEO of SouthTrust Bank (Dothan)
- Joshua E. Manning, US Navy veteran, activist (Gadsden)
- William March, writer, World War I hero (Mobile)
- Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman, formerly with the Montgomery Advertiser
- Hugh Martin, songwriter (Birmingham)
- James D. Martin, Republican politician
- F. David Mathews, educator (Grove Hill)
- Willie Mays, baseball player (Birmingham)
- Robert R. McCammon, horror writer (Birmingham)
- Thomas McClary, guitarist (Commodores) (Tuskegee)
- Willie McCovey, baseball player (Mobile)
- Bryant H. McGill, poet (Mobile)
- Alexander McGillivray, Creek Chief, Little Tallassee (Montgomery)
- Lachlan McGillivray, Scots-Indian trader, Little Tallassee (Montgomery)
- Joe McInnes, corporate executive, state exec (Wetumpka)
- Frank McIntyre,army general, Chief of the Bureau of Insular affairs (Montgomery)
- James McQueen, first (1714) Alabama Indian trader and Creek Indian leader, Tallassee (Montgomery)
- Don Mincher, baseball player (Huntsville)
- Charles Moore, civil rights photojournalist (Hackleburg)
- Rodney Keith Moore, gay American polyglot (Florence)
- Thomas Hinman Moorer, admiral Chairman JCS (Mount Willing)
- Roger Murrah, country songwriter (Athens)
- Albert Murray, writer (Nokomis)
- Rosa Parks, civil rights activist (Tuskegee)
- Satchel Paige, baseball player ( Mobile)
- Wesley M. "Pat" Pattillo, religious communication leader ( Mobile and Birmingham)
- Dan Penn, singer, songwriter & record producer (Vernon)
- Walker Percy, author (Birmingham)
- Chuck Person, NBA player (Brantley)
- Wesley Person, NBA player (Brantley)
- Wilson Pickett, R&B and Soul singer (Prattville)
- Juan Pierre, baseball player, (Mobile)
- Charles Redding Pitt, US & State Attorney, politician (Decatur)
- Paula Poundstone, comedian (Huntsville)
- Tyrone Prothro, University of Alabama Football Player (The Catch) (Heflin, Alabama)
- Curly Putman, Country Songwriter (Princeton)
- James Record, Alabama State Senator and Madison county commission chairman (Huntsville)
- Howell Raines, former New York Times editor (Birmingham)
- Wayne Ray, author/poet (Talladega; Lineville)
- Gary Redus, baseball player (Decatur)
- Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State (Birmingham)
- Michael Rooker, actor (Jasper,Alabama)
- Rich Boy, rapper (Mobile)
- Lionel Richie, singer (Tuskegee)
- Bob Riley, Governor of Alabama (Ashland)
- Philip Rivers, college football star at North Carolina State University, NFL star with the San Diego Chargers (Decatur)
- Wayne Rogers, actor (Birmingham)
- Betty Roze, singer (Mobile)
- Frank Rose, educator, former President of the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa)
- Marie Rudisill, aka "The Fruitcake Lady" (Monroeville), Truman Capote's aunt he grew up with
- Carlton Russell, organized crime boss (Pelham)
- Nick Saban, head football coach University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) born Fairmont, West Virginia
- Sonia Sanchez, poet (Birmingham)
- David Satcher, surgeon general (Anniston)
- Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, writer (Montgomery)
- Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader (Marion)
- Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation (Selma)
- Jay Sebring, Charles Manson murder victim (Birmingham)
- Jeff Sessions, U.S. Senator (Dothan)
- Joe Sewell, baseball player (Titus)
- Luke Sewell, baseball player (Titus)
- Rip Sewell, baseball player (Decatur)
- Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer)
- Tommy Shaw, rock musician (Montgomery)
- Richard C. Shelby, U.S. Senator (Birmingham)
- Fred Shuttlesworth, civil rights activist (Birmingham)
- Don Siegelman, former Governor of Alabama (Mobile)
- Percy Sledge, soul singer (Leighton)
- Rickey Smiley, comedian (Birmingham)
- Ella Gaunt Smith, doll manufacturer (Roanoke)
- Leighton W. Smith, Jr., admiral, US Navy (Mobile)
- Ozzie Smith, Baseball player (Mobile)
- Thomas M. Smith, District Attorney (Tuscaloosa)
- Zeke Smith, All American Auburn & pro football player Uniontown
- John Sparkman, US Senator (1946-1979) (Hartselle)
- Mark Spencer, President/CEO of Digium, creator of Asterisk (PBX) (Huntsville)
- Ken Stabler, college football star at the University of Alabama, NFL quarterback with Oakland Raiders (Foley)
- John Stallworth, NFL player (Tuscaloosa)
- Bart Starr, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Green Bay Packers (Montgomery)
- Charles Steele, CEO and National President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (Tuscaloosa)
- Donald W. Stewart, US Senator (Anniston)
- George W. Stewart, founder, American Gospel Quartet Convention (Tuscaloosa)
- Mike Stewart (novelist), author (Vredenburgh)
- Warren St. John, author, journalist (Birmingham)
- T. S. Stribling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Florence) born Clifton, Tennessee
- Hut Stricklin, race car driver (Calera)
- Ruben Studdard, American Idol winner 2003 (Birmingham)
- Jimmy Lee Sudduth, artist and blues musician (Fayette)
- Pat Sullivan, NFL quarterback, coach (Birmingham)
- Sun Ra, musician (Birmingham)
- Don Sutton, baseball player (Clio)
- Channing Tatum, actor (born in Cullman)
- Toni Tennille, one-half of duo Captain & Tennille (Montgomery)
- Fred Thompson, former U.S. senator from Tennessee, actor (Sheffield)
- Tommy Tuberville, current head football coach at Auburn University, (Auburn) born Camden, Arkansas
- Cynthia Tucker, columnist and editor, (Monroeville)
- Chief Tuskaloosa, Creek Indian chief and leader
- Take 6, Grammy award winners, (Huntsville)
- Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia (Huntsville)
- Harry "The Hat" Walker, MBA batting coach (Leeds)
- Margaret Walker, poet, author (Birmingham)
- Ben Wallace, NBA player (White Hall)
- Daniel Wallace, writer (Birmingham)
- George Wallace, politician (Clio)
- Gerald Wallace, NBA athlete (Childersburg)
- Eugene Walter, writer-actor (Mobile)
- Dinah Washington, singer, "Queen of the Blues" (Tuscaloosa)
- Ken Watters, jazz trumpeter (Huntsville)
- William Weatherford, (Red Eagle) Creek leader
- William Edgar Weldon, real estate executive, politician (Wetumpka)
- Leroy Wells American Idol contestant (Grand Bay)
- Fred Wesley, jazz and funk musician (Mobile)
- Joseph Wheeler, Confederate & US general (Hillsboro) born in Georgia
- Heather Whitestone, 1995 Miss America (Dothan)
- Brian Whitworth, attorney & petroleum company executive (Birmingham)
- Billy Williams, baseball player (Mobile)
- Hank Williams, seminal country musician (Georgiana)
- Paul Williams, soul singer (Birmingham)
- Kathryn Tucker Windham, storyteller & author
- E. O. Wilson, biologist and writer (Birmingham)
- Tobias Wolff, author (Birmingham)
- Tammy Wynette, country singer (Red Bay)
