Is there anybody famous from your hometown or the surrounding area?

[Tom_Foolery]

My town (Owensboro, KY) can lay claim to being the birthplace of Johnny Depp and Tom Ewell (he co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH). We also have a lot of NASCAR drivers from here...Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, and the Green Brothers. Florence Henderson (THE BRADY BUNCH) went to high school here. She was actually born in Dale, IN...which is just across the Ohio River.

Edit: Added name of my town.

[madmax]

1. Bon Jovi

Bruce Springsteen.

[Penndems]

16. I don't think anybody famous is from Woodbridge

but I can name a few famous Virginians:

Katie Couric
Tim Reid ("WKRP in Cincinnati")
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot
Dave Matthews (and the band :)
Bruce Hornsby (and the Range :)
Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
The Statler Brothers
Ralph Stanley (bluegrass legend)
The Carter Family (ditto)
Patsy Cline

. . . and a few famous Pennsylvanians:

James Stewart
Charles Bronson
Pink
Shirley Jones
Sharon Stone
Perry Como
Lee Iacocca (former Chairman of Chrysler)
Will Smith ("in West Philadelphia, born and raised . . .")
Bradley Whitford ("West Wing")
Lil' Kim
Chris Matthews
George Benson (jazz guitar great)
Patti LaBelle

(edited for additional text and typo)

[bhunt70]

74. damn...you are from hoodbridge?

South Arlington here.

[Penndems]

77. Hi, neighbor! :)

:hi:

I was born in Arlington, and had an apartment there from 1980-1990.

A native Virginian!

[AlCzervik]

2. The Lt. Governor

of Kallyeefornia lives a couple of streets away from me, i found that out when the cable satellite up link trucks were cruising my hood.

[sniffa]

18. what about your hometown?

pLenty of mafia foLk from there.

[AlCzervik]

21. Sniffy

you are so on the list! I'll be making some calls today.

[sniffa]

30. i'm back on the crush List?

woot! go me. :D

[bicentennial_baby]

3. Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller

From my hometown of Greenfield, MA. It's funny to see him jogging down Main St. when he's here to visit his family. :P

[Webster Green]

4. Hmmmm....Sonoma County......

Winona Ryder is from Petaluma.

Tom Waits lives nearby, but I'm not sure if he is originally from here.

[Kahuna]

5. I live in NJ. Everybody famous is from NJ..

:D Just kidding. Cicely Tyson, Whitney Houston, Tisha Campbell(actress) and Beverly Johnson(model/actress) are home girls. Franki Valli is also my homey. From neighboring towns there are too many to list.

[VelmaD]

6. Audie Murphy...

was born just outside of my hometown. Monty Stratton used to live right down the street from my parents. He was a major league pitcher. He lost a leg and the story of his attempt to make a comeback was made into a movie (starring Jimmy Stewart no less as Monty). He died on my 12th birthday. :(

[SOteric]

38. Audie Murphy was a highly decorated hero of the second World War.

http://www.audiemurphy.com/welcome.htm

My mother admired him greatly.

[VelmaD]

67. Actually he was THE most highly decorated...

soldier from WWII. We got reminded of that fact quite often hearing about him as a kid. He was awarded every American medal for bravery and several foreign awards. His list of medals include:

-Medal of Honor
-Distinguished Service Cross
-Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster
-Legion of Merit
-Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and First Oak Leaf Cluster
-Purple Heart with Second Oak Leaf Cluster
-U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
-Good Conduct Medal
-Distinguished Unit Emblem with First Oak Leaf Cluster
-American Campaign Medal
-European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)
-World War II Victory Medal
-Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp
-Armed Forces Reserve Medal
-Combat Infantry Badge
-Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
-Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
-French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
-French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier
-French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star
-French Croix de Guerre with Palm
-Medal of Liberated France
-Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm

Apparently the people in my home town who knew him say he was a nice guy.

He also starred in cowboy movies and his own biography "To Hell and Back". :)

[Shananigans]

7. Of course!

Actuall former Hibbing Residents:

Bob Dylan (Musician)
Kevin McHale (Basketball)
Roger Maris (Baseball)

Other famous former area residents:

Andrew "Bus Andy" Anderson - Founder of Greyhound

Richard Dean Anderson - Actor on McGyver Series

Vincent Bugliosi - Author/Attorney (Helter Skelter, The Sea Will Tell)

Geno Cappelietti - Pro Football, Keewatin

John Carroll - Business

Roger Enrico - Pepsi Cola

Judy Garland - Entertainer, Grand Rapids

Dick Garmaker - Basketball

Dorothy Hurlbert - First Bookmobile

Eddie Miller, All American Hockey

Jack Nelson - Pro Football

Jeno Paulucci - Entrepreneur Businessman (you know, the pizza rolls)

Rudy Perpich - Governor of Minnesota

Gary Puckett - Entertainer, Gary Pucket & The Union Gap

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

8. Hmm well John Edwards ...

John Edwards roamed the halls of North Carolina State University 20 years before I got there . Let's see and Eddie Pope of the US Men's Soccer team comes from my hometown as well . Lots of atheletes in the Carolinas . A couple of NBA players were in my HS classes .

[Angelus]

9. Hell no.

[meegbear]

10. Lynn, MA - Jack Albertson and Fluffernutter!!

now there's a combo!

[AlCzervik]

14. I have to order fluff online

and ah-so sauce and mallow cups, none are availbale in california.

[meegbear]

39. All here baby ....

keep yer smog! I'm in gastronomic heaven!

[The Spirit of JFK]

45. And I raise with

Graham crackers, Tenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Talisa Soto (a Bond girl), The Morgan Horse, Eric Gaffney from the band Sebadoh, Jon Wysockci (Drummer for Staind), and Emily Dickinson.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

11. Ogden Nash was from Baltimore.

When I was about 9 or 10 I looked his name up in the phone directory, and there it was.

[Angelus]

15. "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker!"

Greatest. Quote. Ever.

[murielm99]

20. And H.L. Mencken.

[Penndems]

28. . . . and Edgar Allen Poe

as well as Al Jolson and Babe Ruth.

[5thGenDemocrat]

43. And Al Kaline and David Byrne

But I thought Poe was from Richmond and died in Baltimore.
John
My parents were married in Baltimore in 1951 while dad was stationed at Fort Holabird.

[blindpig]

44. let's not forget John Waters

Pink Flamingos was a kinghell hoot.

[5thGenDemocrat]

46. And Barry Levinson

A couple pretty good directors there.
John
Since "movies" is the topic here, I'd add Robert Armstrong to my Saginaw list -- he played the impresario who introduced King Kong to the world in the 1935 original.

[blindpig]

57. oh yeah, Frank Zappa

well, actually he was born in Edgewood, 15 miles up Rt 40, but we still claim him, and he seemed to agree.
All in all, B'more seems to have produced an inordinate number of smart asses. Makes me proud..
Dave
Baltimorean in exile

[ronnykmarshall]

61. and Divine!

[Loonman]

12. America Hoffman used to live in my 'hood

I think he came over once, but I wasn't home at the time.

A direct line descendent of John Adams lives near me, too. He's a rocker.

[arwalden]

13. George W. Bush Lives EXACTLY 14.6 Miles From Me...

... according to MS Streets & Trips 2004.

Scary, isn't it?

-- Allen

[terrya]

19. Well, only half the time. So that's a bit reassuring. But why anyone..

would want to spend more time in Crawford, Texas than the White House is beyond me.

[PartyPooper]

34. For your sake, I sure hope he's 'down wind' from you!

:evilgrin:

[BOSSHOG]

17. Brett Favre from the thriving Metropolis

of Kiln, Mississippi. Its down the road a bit.

Jonathan Bender, Indiana Pacer from Picayune, Mississippi, its up the road a bit.

[murielm99]

22. I live twelve miles from the hometown of Ronald Reagan.

[Teddy_Salad]

23. Judy Davis

She's from my hometown of Perth, Western Australia.

Also, Americans won't know him but British DUers will.
Rolf Harris.....the "Tie me kangaroo down sport" guy.

[sniffa]

24. ben affLeck, matt damon

tracy chapman & bob dyLan (i know they're not 'from' there technicaLLy but a stay at/around harvard shouLd count).

wiLLiam weLd
juLia chiLd

i'm sure there's pLenty more from my hometown.

where i Live now: john quincy adams maybe?

[trof]

25. Jimmy Buffet, Hank Aaron

From the Mobile area.
Hank Williams, from Columbiana, near Montgomery, my birthplace.

[Parrcrow]

26. Jim Carrey, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis.....

Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Whats-her-face and that 'Don't squeeze the Charmin' Guy.

Hamilton, Ontario Canada.

[Cannikin]

27. Jerry Jones and Mary Steenburgen.

(little rock, ar)

[Rowdyboy]

29. Leontyne Price who, when she debuted at the Metropolitian Opera

received a 42 minute ovation, one of the longest in Met history...

Born in Laurel, Mississippi, daughter of a carpenter and a mid-wife

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

31. Probably my all time favorite singer

[Rowdyboy]

42. That voice is incomparable

soft, dusky, alive...It resonates in my head!

[Whitacre D_WI]

32. Blue-Jay is from my hometown.

[jus_the_facts]

33. Tim McGraw....grew up in Start, La....10miles east o' here......

.....Anthony *Booger* McFarland of the Tampa Bay Bucks...grew up in Winnsboro, La..25miles south east o'here....Bubby Brister NFL QB from right here in Monroe....that idiot that was on Survivor ?Clay Jordan? is from here too :eyes: There's several other sports figures from around here as well but their names escape me at the moment! :)

oh yeah...Jerry Lee Lewis...Mickey Gilley...Jimmy Swaggart..all cousisns...were born and raised in Ferriday, La...which is about 35miles southeast o'here...my Uncle went to school with 'em all! :D

[wryter2000]

35. Oaktown

Gertrude Stein, The Poynter Sisters, Rickey Henderson, Tom Hanks, Mark Hammil (Luke Skywalker), Mark Curry (Hanging with Mr. Cooper), the black actor from Love Boat (blanking on the name), Frank LaLayne, Toni, Tony, Toney (sp?). Tower of Power founders are from Hayward and Berkeley.

We also have the first wildlife refuge in the US (Lake Merritt) and are the home of the Black Panther Party and the Hell's Angels.

[corporatewhore]

36. Lucinda williams willie nelson stevie ray vaughn Austin RAWKS!!

[SOteric]

37. Linda Barry, Peter Buck, Jimi Hendrix, Carol Channing,

Dale Chilhuly, Mark Tobey, Cameron Crowe, Brandon Frasier, Hillary Swank, Steve Miller, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Bill Gates, Gary Larson, Quincy Jones, Robert Sadamu Shimabukuro, Kyle McLachlan, Ted Bundy, Gary Leon Ridgway, Kurt Cobain (close anyway), Frances Farmer, Bruce and Brandon Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee, Chief Sealth

Edit: Carl, John & Elmer Nordstrom (of now international "Nordstrom's" department stores {they were shoe salesmen}) Greg McCaw of McCaw Cellular; Rosalynn Sumners, Olympic and World Champion Figure Skater; Christine Keff, Tom Douglas, Chefs; Patty Murray and Jim McDermott, forces of liberal politics; Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen, liberal activist, anti-nuclear activist and retired archbishop of the Roman Catholic church

[5thGenDemocrat]

40. Saginaw, Michigan -- all these are famous to somebody

Stevie Wonder, Question Mark and the Mysterians ("96 Tears"), Sonny Stitt, S Epatha Merkerson, Marie Dressler, Col. Tim McCoy, Norman BelGeddes, Theodore Roethke, Sewell Avery, Kenyon Martin, Serena Williams, Jason Richardson, Charles Rogers.
John
At DU, MSchreader and me. We even went to the same high school (Arthur Hill), albeit 14 years apart.
ON EDIT: In 1956-58 or so, two members of Ike's cabinet, Secretary of the Army Wilbur Brucker and Secretary of the Treasury George Humphrey, were Saginaw natives. For a town of 80,000 or so then (even one at the Center of the Universe), that's pretty good.

[loafie]

41. Amy Fisher

We're very proud

[Burma Jones]

56. OOOOOOHHHHH

We used to live near the Bedford Women's Correctional Center that housed the fair Long Island Lolita.....

[Taverner]

65. Shoot me but I always thought she was cute

But then again I always liked Heidi Fleiss too...

[pagerbear]

71. Boo! Hiss!

[Taverner]

75. Admit it Pager, you have a naughty crush!

I know ya do!

[pagerbear]

88. Oh, I have lots of naughty crushes

I was booing at the joke in your subject line!

[GirlinContempt]

47. Just Burton Cummings

The laughing stock of Winnipeg
Oh! And Guy Maddin, film makxer extrodinare

[johnnie]

49. Out of curiosity..

Why is Burton Cummings the laughing stock?

[GirlinContempt]

59. Because he's

a frightening drunk old man with delusions of grandeur?

[Cursive_Knives512]

48. the Baldwin brothers

Grew up around here. Some of their relatives go to my school; I've met their mother, she's a very classy woman. Very cool too.

[RebelOne]

50. Andrew Prine aka Steven, one of the Visitors

in the TV series "V." He was one of the lizard bitch Diana's top officers. That was his most memorable role, even though he has had starring roles in some B grade movies. He lived in my town of Miami Springs, Florida, and his mother was a school teacher there. My best friend dated him for a little while.

[Penndems]

79. I remember he was on a TV show in the early 1960s with

Earl Holliman called "Wide Country".

He was one handsome dude in his younger days. :)

[richmwill]

51. Capt. Lou Albano, James Earl Jones and Mary Tyler Moore

Famous wrestling manager Capt. Lou Albano (he also played the part of Cyndi Lauper's father in the "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" video) lives in my town. He's a very cool guy, I see and talk to him every once in awhile. James Earl Jones lives about 10 minutes away from me, in a neighboring town. I've never seen him though, everybody tells me he's really nice too. Mary Tyler Moore owns a horse farm about 30 minutes away from me. I've never met her either, but a cab driver pointed her house out to me one time. And if you want to stretch, Bill and Hillary live about 30 minutes from the store I work at. If they ever came in- my God, I would not be able to speak :)

[Southpaw Bookworm]

52. Nick Saban

football coach of LSU

Mary Lou Retton

Frank Gatski, an old pro football player

Sam Jones, deceased pro baseball player

[BigMcLargehuge]

53. born in New Bedford, MA, Live in Derry, NH

Famous New Bedfordites include:

Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick)
Fredrick Douglass (He attained his freedom from slavery in New Bedford)
The guy who wrote "LA Confidential" was born in New Bedford

Right next door in Dartmouth grew up one-time Red Sox pitcher Brian Rose.
Right next door in Fall River lived none other than Lizzie Borden.

Famous Derryites include:

Robert Frost. He taught at Pinkerton Academy and wrote several of his more famous poems while living in Derry.

Alan B. Shephard. First American in Space.

[Scout]

54. Jeff Daniels, Bob Seger, Tom Hulce

Jeff Daniels (actor) is from Chelsea, Michigan, very near my home town ... Jeff's parents are friends with my husband's parents, and he went to school with my husband. A mutual friend (of my husband and I) showed us her photo album one day, and there were pictures of her sister standing up for Jeff's wife at Jeff and Kathleen's wedding.

Bob Seger is from Ann Arbor, and went to high school at same time and same school as my brothers (they weren't friends with him or anything).

I think the actor Tom Hulce (Animal House, Amadeus) is from Ann Arbor too, but I'm not positive about him.

[Burma Jones]

55. My birthplace of Gary, Indiana was the home of:

Michael and all the other Jacksons
Alex Karras - Football Player
Karl Malden - Actor
Frank Borman - Astronaut


I live in Montgomery County, MD. Famous types from here include:

Goldie Hawn
Carl Bernstein
Ben Stein

I'm sure there's others, but I can't think of them

[ronnykmarshall]

58. Bakersfield, CA

Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, the band Korn and Rick Meres (race car driver).

[BlueStateGirl]

60. Pearl S. Buck, James Michener, Pink, and Kentucky Derby

winner Smarty Jones.

[Penndems]

78. The future Triple Crown winner :)

The Preakness is a week from Saturday. I'm bettin' on Smarty.

[Bertha Venation]

62. Yeah. Me.

I am Surf City Baby from Surf City USA.

And my mother went to high school with the Bridges Boys (Beau & Jeff).

And June Lockhart visted me in the hospital when I was an infant, after heart surgery.

That's it.

[KamaAina]

63. Jasmine Trias (for the moment), Don Ho, Yvonne Elliman...

...Mosi Tatupu, Russ Francis (now an active repuke :( ), Dave Guard AND Bob Shane (two of the original Kingston Trio), sumo yokozuna Akebono and Musashimaru, Bette Midler (!) and many more.

[Taverner]

64. Pat Tillman

Went to Leland HS in Almaden, a hill over from where I grew up.

According to some of my friends who teach , and knew teachers who taught him, he was one of the good guys.

[southpaw]

66. Rick Bragg

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote the Jessica Lynch book...

The Pride of Piedmont, Alabama.

Check out Al Franken's Bragg-Piedmont riff in the first chapter of "LIES and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them"

[camero]

68. Doug Flutie

His hometown is listed as Manchester, MD. Where I grew up. He moved out after I moved in though so we never met.

[pagerbear]

69. Jesse Helms

Union County, NC

Yee-haw.

[sus]

70. Zasu Pitts

Zazu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas and debuted in silent film in 1917. Whenever my family would return for a funeral or a wedding or whatever, my father would announce "Zazu PITTS was born here!" as we entered town, as if that would brighten the prospect of spending the next week in that wretched town.

[SmileyBoy]

72. Jonny Lang and Roger Maris.

That's it.

[Lavender Brown]

73. Andy Rooney, David Hyde Pierce (nt)

[Bonhomme Richard]

76. Dustin Hoffman, Mia Farrow (see her a lot), Henry Kissenger..............

(met him once), Peter Gallagher, Richard Widmark, John Oates, Sam Waterston (my wife knows him well), Conan O'Brien, Skith Henderson, Patty Lupone, There are a lot of others, just drawing a blank now.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

81. Henry Kissinger was from Furth, Germany....

....probaboly the most famous Further.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

80. I had no idea Florence Henderson had an Owensboring connection

I thought Johnny Depp grew up in Louisville....

[Tom_Foolery]

85. Johnny Depp was born here...

His parents moved the family to Florida when he was just a few months old. He still has family here, though. The house that he lived in as a baby is a shrine to some of his fans.

Florence Henderson moved to Owensboro as a teenager to live with her older sister and to go to Owensboro Catholic High School. Her sister still lives here. My mother used to play Bunko with her. Before you ask, Bunko is some kind of card game.

In fact, there is one episode of THE BRADY BUNCH when Carol's grandmother visits from Owensboro. Carol even mentions Owensboro.

[Mr Bojangles]

82. Famous O-Town Residents...

Offhand I can think of the guys from Creed *cringe*, um...I don't know about birthplaces, but the Backstreet Boys are from here, too.

We're also the summer residence of one Mick E. Mouse, for whatever that's worth.

I weep =(

[neverborn]

83. Mudvayne... Ugh. :/

[carolinayellowdog]

84. Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, William Styron

Keely Smith, Tim Reid, Alonzo Mourning, Bruce Hornsby, all from the Hampton Roads area

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

86. More famous people than you can shake a stick at.

Although you probably don't know any. Most of them are soap opera actors.

Including this one, with I once saw as a toddler while I worked at her father's business. Append a "g" at the end. Warning: nude pics!

http://www.terravista.pt/enseada/7797/fotos/go1.jp
http://www.terravista.pt/enseada/7797/fotos/go83.jp
http://www.terravista.pt/enseada/7797/fotos/go89.jp

[BritishHuman]

87. JRR Tolkien

I live within walking distance of Sarehole Mill. And driving distance from Stratford-upon-Avon, where a fairly successful playwright lived.