List of people from Birmingham, Alabama

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This is a list of individuals who are natives of, or are notable in association with the city of Birmingham, Alabama.

Academia

• William C. Carter, Marcel Proust scholar
• Mildred Leake Day, Arthurian scholar
• Richard Nelson Frye, scholar of Iran and Central Asia
• Roland Frye, scholar
• Carol Garrison, president of UAB
• J. Gordon Melton, religious scholar
• Richard N. Murray, Birmingham Museum of Art director, senior Smithsonian Institution scholar

Arts & Literature

• John Beecher, activist poet
• Allen Barra, journalist, sports writer
• Danielle Benson, artist
• Joe David Brown, journalist, novelist
• Steven Ford Brown, publisher, translator, writer
• Mark Childress, author
• Jon Coffelt, artist
• Clayton Colvin, artist
• Dennis Covington, journalist, writer
• Fannie Flagg, author, actress
• Frank Fleming, sculptor
• Charles Gaines, novelist, screenwriter
• Charles Ghigna, poet, children's author
• Gail Godwin, novelist
• John Green, novelist
• Joe Hilley, novelist
• Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman
• Spider Martin, photojournalist
• Robert R. McCammon, novelist
• Kevin McGowin, novelist, reviewer
• Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
• Sena Jeter Naslund, author
• Kerry James Marshall, artist
• Walker Percy, author
• Howell Raines, former New York Times editor
• James Redfield, novelist
• Sonia Sanchez, poet
• Rowland Scherman, Grammy-award winning photographer
• Melissa Springer, photographer
• Margaret Walker, poet and author
• Tobias Wolff, author
• Daniel Wallace, novelist
• Jan Walsh, food and wine writer, web publisher
• John Weld, newspaper reporter, writer, Hollywood stunt man

Business & Economics

• A.G. Gaston, African-American businessman
• Joseph E. Gibbs, founder of The Golf Channel
• John M. Harbert, American billionaire and founder of Harbert Corporation
• Elmer Harris, former CEO of Alabama Power
• Charles Linn, founder of First National Bank of Birmingham (AmSouth Bancorporation)
• Wallace Malone, former CEO of SouthTrust Corporation
• Brad Martin, former Chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated
• Michael K. Powell, former FCC chairman
• Rufus N. Rhodes, founder of the Birmingham News.
• Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation
• James Sloss, industrialist and founder of Sloss Furnaces
• Donald Watkins, banker, attorney
• Lynn McCroskey, inventor of patented technology and equipment used in IMAX Theaters

Entertainment

• R. G. Armstrong, actor
• Steve Ashlee, director
• Amber Benson, actress
• Rick and Bubba, radio/TV personalities
• Nell Carter, actress and singer
• Courteney Cox, actress
• Paul Finebaum, radio talk-show host
• Fannie Flagg, author, actress
• Louise Fletcher, actress
• Gladys Gillem, wrestler
• Alan Hunter, former MTV VJ
• Kate Jackson, actress
• Mark & Brian, radio personalities
• Gail Patrick, actress, television producer
• Ibrehem Rahman, Survivor: Palau contestant
• Paul Rogers, partybus
• Wayne Rogers, actor
• Vincent Saizis, cinematographer
• Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer)
• Matt Whitson, musician, producer
• Roy Wood, Jr., Comedian
• Byron York, conservative author and journalist
• Tom York, longtime Birmingham television personality

Music

• Attitude, rapper
• Barry Beckett, pianist and record producer
• Benny Benjamin, drummer
• Bo Bice, singer, American Idol runner-up (Helena)
• Birmingham J, rapper
• Oteil Burbridge, bassist
• Christopher Clowdus, classical conductor
• 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
• Eric Essix, jazz guitarist
• Al Gallodoro, jazz saxophonist / 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
• Patrick "S. Fly" Johnson [1], producer,rapper
• Jo Jones, jazz drummer
• 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
• Raza, singer, R&B/Soul
• Ray Reach, jazz vocalist and pianist
• The Red Light District (hip hop group)
• Johnny Smith, jazz guitarist
• Ruben Studdard, singer, American Idol winner
• Sun Ra, jazz composer and bandleader
• Maria Taylor, singer
• Paul Williams, soul music singer
• Tammy Wynette, country singer
• Through the Sparks, indie rock band
• Verbena (band), indie rock band
• Wild Sweet Orange, indie rock band

Law & Politics

• Douglas Arant, attorney
• Richard Arrington, first African-American mayor of Birmingham
• B. B. Comer, Governor of Alabama
• Eugene "Bull" Connor, former Commissioner of Public Safety
• Norman Lee Cooper, President of American Bar Association
• Russell McWhortor Cunningham, Governor of Alabama
• Art Hanes, mayor of Birmingham
• Gil Hill, Detroit, Michigan city council president and actor
• Bernard Kincaid, mayor of Birmingham
• Chris McNair, Jefferson County Commissioner
• Warren A. Morton (1924-2002), Birmingham native; oilman from Casper and former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
• Cecil F. Poole, federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Charles Redding Pitt, chairman of Alabama Democratic Party
• Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of State
• Margaret Tutwiler, diplomat
• Robert S. Vance chairman of Democratic Party and Plaintiffs lawyer, federal judge United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• Donald Watkins, attorney, banker
• William Edgar Weldon, politician, real estate developer

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 (8th 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)
• 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
• Lawrence J. DeLucas, biophysical engineer, Columbia astronaut.
• E. O. Wilson, entomologist and noted author

Medicine

• James Andrews, nationally renowned orthopedic specialist
• Alan Heldman, interventional cardiologist and pioneer of the drug eluting stent
• S. Richardson Hill, endocrinologist and health care administration expert
• John W. Kirklin, pioneering heart surgeon
• Larry Lemak, orthopedist and entrepreneur
• Albert Pacifico, renowned heart surgeon
• Luther Leonidas Terry, former Surgeon General of the United States
• Glenn Carmichael, nationally prominent neurologist from Saint Vincent's Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama.
• Joseph F. Volker, dental researcher, first president of UAB

Sports

• Mike Anderson, former UAB basketball coach
• Charles Barkley, basketball player
• Gene Bartow, former basketball coach and Athletic Director for UAB
• Bruce Benedict, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Lyman Bostock, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Bobby Bowden, football coach
• Bear Bryant, football coach
• Jerricho Cotchery New York Jets WR
• Bubba Church, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Karlos Dansby, football player
• Spud Davis, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Tom Drake, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Vonetta Flowers, Olympic Gold-medalist and bobsledder
• 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 for the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and the San Antonio Spurs
• Trey Hardee, Division I track and field collegiate heptathlon and decathlon record holder, 2008 Olympic Games qualifier
• Bobby Humphrey, University of Alabama American football player, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos
• Bo Jackson, multi-sport athlete
• Ron Jackson, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Desmond Jennings, baseball player
• Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, Olympic gold-medalist and World champion, track and field athlete
• Theodore Long, current general manager of ECW
• Lee May, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Willie Mays, baseball player
• Charlie Moore, MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays
• Tony Nathan, football player and coach
• Gus Niarhos, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Satchel Paige, baseball player
• Erk Russell football player
• Jason Standridge, major league baseball player
• Ronald Steele, Basketball player
• Virgil Trucks, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player^[1]
• Bob Veale, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, major league baseball player
• John Zimmerman, professional pairs figure skater
• Dixie Walker, baseball player
• Mike Davis, UAB basketball coach
• Larry McReynolds - an announcer for NASCAR on FOX
• Dan Thomas - MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Adam Hollifield, UAB football player

Other

• Mother Angelica, nun and founder of global Catholic network EWTN
• Angela Davis, activist
• Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005
• Samantha Francis, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8
• Hank Green, professional blogger, YouTube vlogger, musician)
• Lola Hendricks, Civil Rights activist
• Natalee Holloway, missing person/media sensation
• Patti Ruffner Jacobs, suffragist and social reformer
• Wallace Rayfield. architect
• Joseph Raya, archbishop and social activist
• Jay Sebring, ex-boyfriend of Sharon Tate and Charles Manson victim.
• Courtney Shropshire, founder of Civitan International
• Fred Shuttlesworth, Civil Rights activist
• Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006
• Joshua Smithey, World Beard and Moustache Championship Final Contestant 2004
• Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995
• Louise Wooster, famed madam

See also

• List of people from Alabama

References