# What Famous People Come From Your Home Town? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259 "2007-05-01T03:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/41 "2007-05-01T14:33:06Z")
Not born, but lived: Brooke Shields and (one town over) Mohamed Ali. I shook Richard Nixon’s hand in my hometown, although he didn’t live there…but, he used to visit his pal, Beebe Rebozo, at his summer home near my brother (who sat next to Steven Hawking and Ringo Star on the Concord—not at the same time, though that would have been quite a surreal experience)…oh, and Burt Reynolds picked up my mother from the floor at the library after she tripped over his foot…John Travolta told me I looked good in between scenes that he, I and James Gandolfini did while filming one of _our_ major motion pictures together (yeah, we were all in it, so I consider it our film)… Salma Hayak’s dog took a dump right in front of my daughter and I, which I later stepped in…accidentally. …but, I digress. What was the question again? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/42 "2007-05-01T14:35:09Z")
Oh, I thought of another one – the artist Csatari lives in my home town. You may not have heard of him, but if you have any “Normam Rockwell” paintings that date from just before or from _after_ Rockwell’s death, Csatari almost certainly painted them. He worked with him for a while, and got his commissions after Rockwell died. We’ve got a Rockwell-style Boy Scout painting (replica) in our house that features our neighbors on it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/43 "2007-05-01T14:41:59Z")
Mark Teahen of the KC Royals. Susan Anton (Miss California 1969/_Baywatch_) That’s about it. We don’t have an awful lot of town here. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/44 "2007-05-01T14:56:25Z")
Wikipedia lists more than this, but these are the only ones I can verify: Al Hodge (actor, (Captain Video), (The Green Hornet) and director (The Lone Ranger) b.1912) Don Nottingham (pro football player, b. 1949) David D. Busch (photographer, author, b. 1947) Maynard James Keenan (rock singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, b. 1964) ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/45 "2007-05-01T15:10:26Z")
Famous people born in my city (or nearby):[ul][li]Nathan Fillion[/li][li]Michael J. Fox[/li][li]Jill Hennessey[/li][li]Marshall McLuhan[/li][li]W.P. Kinsella[/li][li]Mark Messier[/li][li]Scott Niedermayer[/li]Jarome Iginla[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/46 "2007-05-01T15:14:26Z")
Citing my ACTUAL hometown and not Cleveland or Akron… I was very proud to see that not only did we have an honest-to-goodness astronaut, **Ron Sega** (I had known about him) but he also has a [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Sega)! But digging further I see we also have Seattle Seahawk **Rob Sims** and female boxer **Vonda Ward**!! I never knew that - She is awesome! I will also give a shout out to my man [**Dan Letterle**](http://imdb.com/name/nm1307515/) who I actually know and actually went to school with. He is not very famous YET but we’d all just feel awful if I left him off this list and he became famous in the future, eh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/47 "2007-05-01T15:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=China Guy] AFAIK, that was the closest brush with celebrity Morecroft Wyoming has ever had, much less someone famous that came from there. [/QUOTE] I was cleaning out a flower bed once and found a card that said "Good for one free drink at Hopper’s Bar (maybe Hooper’s Bar, I’d have to find the card), Morecroft, Wyoming. This was in a small town in the Texas Panhandle (that has no famous people from it). ---
**Author:** ![frog\_princess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6bbea6/32.png) [@frog\_princess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frog_princess)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/48 "2007-05-01T15:36:58Z")
The only ones I can think of right now are: Clara Barton - organized the American Red Cross Elliot P. Joslin - founder of the Joslin Clinic ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/49 "2007-05-01T15:53:07Z")
From my home town of Calgary: Elisha Cuthbert Owen Hargreaves Brett Hart Owen Hart Mark Rypien Tegan and Sara And a number of hockey players ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/50 "2007-05-01T15:59:08Z")
James Weldon Johnson - African American activist Merion C. Cooper - original “King Kong” director Wanda Hendrix - 1940s actress Patrika Darbo - soap opera actress Pat Boone - singer Gary “US” Bonds - singer Johnny Tillotson - singer Limp Bizkit Leanza Cornett - Miss America 1993 38 Special Derek Trucks - guitarist Lynyrd Skynyrd 😃 (hello - dead giveaway!) VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/51 "2007-05-01T16:02:27Z")
Noblesville, Indiana is not my home town, but i lived there for quite a few years. in no particular order, these folks were at least born there: **Rex Stout** , mystery writer and author of the nearly 70 ‘Nero Wolfe’ books, which i believe are still available. **Steve Wariner** , country music singer with 18 consecutive top ten hits dating from the 80s and several gold albums to date. **Colonel Pete Knight** USAF retired, politician, and former mayor of Palmdale, CA, who once upon a time ‘the fastest man alive.’ He still holds the world’s speed record for winged powered aircraft. i met him years ago when i was a print reporter writing for the local rag. fascinating, lovely man, with absolutely the bluest most brilliant eyes i’ve ever seen, before or since. you \*\*\*knew \* \*\* he was a pilot the minute you saw him. he passed away just a couple of years ago. **Norman Norell** , 50s fashion designer and known as ‘The Dean of American Fashion,’ whose whose designs hold up today with their clean lines and meticulous cut. His perfume is still being made. and last but not least, there’s **Dirty Helen** , a local madam, who i’m \*pretty \* sure was born in noblesville. she also lived in chicago and up in superior, wisconsin, but i can’t better info on her online. too obscure i guess. 😛 without getting to the local historical society archives to verify, i can’t be positive, but Barley Island Brewer, a nifty little pub in downtown Noblesville that does it’s own brewing, carries a beer in her name: Dirty Helen Brown Ale. pretty good reference for me and i can say with experience that it’s a mondo tasty beer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/52 "2007-05-01T16:03:26Z")
So far, the only “famous” people from my town that I can find are Juan Luna and James DeGorski. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/53 "2007-05-01T16:04:34Z")
[QUOTE=E. Thorp] Jazz singer Nancy Wilson was born and raised in my hometown. Any guesses? [/QUOTE] It’s not a guess, it’s my location, homie. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/54 "2007-05-01T16:05:42Z")
Where I grew up: Keith Whitley In the town I am now: Johnny Depp (born here, don’t know how long he stayed) Darrell and Michael Waltrip (from NASCAR) Jeff, David, and Mark Green (also from NASCAR) Jeremy Mayfield(also from NASCAR) ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/55 "2007-05-01T16:37:49Z")
The Dodge brothers, AKA - **Horace Elgin Dodge** , automobile industry pioneer **John Francis Dodge** , automobile industry pioneer **Ring Lardner, Sr.** , satirist, short story writer and sports columnist **Tommy James** , musician, Tommy James and the Shondells **Jake Cinninger** , musician, Umphrey’s McGee \*\* Aaron Montgomery Ward\*\*, founder, Montgomery Ward retail chain **Tommy Shaw** , musician, STYX Niles, Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/56 "2007-05-01T16:54:13Z")
Natives: Billy Sunday, evangelist Peter Schickele, composer and scholar of P.D.Q. Bach Jake Johannsen, comedian Residents: George Washington Carver, agricultural scientist Michael Gartner, publisher-broadcasting exec Bob Bartley, editor-publisher Nick Nolte, actor Dan Gable, Olympic wrestler-coach Jane Smiley, novelist ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/57 "2007-05-01T17:13:07Z")
Stevie Wonder (née Steveland Hardaway Judkins) Serena Williams (but not Venus) That’s it. Not a lot of famous people from my home town. However, oddly enough William Orville ‘Lefty’ Frizzell had a popular song in which he sang that he was born there, but he was born in Corsicana TX. It’s also mentioned in a Simon and Garfunkel song, and it was a big part of a Seinfeld episode. Guess that city! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/58 "2007-05-01T17:16:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Bart Starr [/SIZE] [/QUOTE] Bart Starr is my son’s cousin, a few times removed. Famous Chicagoans (musicians): Emma Abbott, (1850-1891), born in Chicago, noted soprano[2] Emilie Autumn, musician. Pioneer of “violindustrial” Avant, singer Rachel Barton Pine, violinist Bob Bryar drummer of My Chemical Romance Benn Jordan, electronic musician Paul Butterfield, Blues musician Marty Casey, frontman of the rock band Lovehammers Peter Cetera, singer Jimmy Chamberlin, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Gene Chandler, singer Steve Cole, Jazz saxophonist Sam Cooke, singer Common, rapper Billy Corgan, singer and Smashing Pumpkins frontman James Cotton, Blues musician Da Brat, rapper Miles Davis, musician Jack DeJohnette, drummer/pianist Disturbed, rock group Willie Dixon, Blues songwriter and record producer Do Or Die or D.O.D. Florence Kirsch Du Brul, classical pianist Phil Everly, singer Lupe Fiasco, rapper Harvey Fuqua, singer/songwriter/producer Benny Goodman, musician/bandleader Steve Goodman, singer Gene Greene, singer Buddy Guy, Blues guitarist Herbie Hancock, musician James Iha, former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Quincy Jones, musician/songwriter/producer Brendan Kelly, musician R. Kelly, singer William Kimball, founder of Kimball Piano Company Gene Krupa, musician L.O.R.E.N., rapper Ramsey Lewis, musician Curtis Mayfield, musician/songwriter/guitarist Tom Morello, guitarist Wayne Nelson, lead singer of classic rock’s Little River Band OK Go Power-pop Band James Petrillo, musician’s union head Liz Phair, musician Rhymefest, rapper Lou Rawls, singer Matt Skiba Lead singer of Alkaline Trio Horatio Spafford, penned the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” Mavis Staples, singer Patrick Stump, lead singer/guitarist for Fall Out Boy Hound Dog Taylor, guitarist Giorgio Tozzi, basso Jeff Tweedy, musician Twista, rapper Jon Walker, bassist for Panic! at the Disco Muddy Waters, Blues musician Peter Wentz, bassist and lyricist for Fall Out Boy Kanye West, rapper Tony Williams, jazz drummer Wesley Willis, musician Howlin’ Wolf, musician D’arcy Wretzky, former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Zim Zum, guitarist/musician, songwriter for The Pop Culture Suicides Chaka Khan, singer Other Entertainers (and I don’t think this list is entirely accurate) Maria Kanellis, wrestler CM Punk, wrestler Gillian Anderson, actress Dominic Armato, voice actor Reiko Aylesworth, actress Barney Balaban, mogul, head of Paramount Pictures Adam Baldwin, actor Ike Barinholtz, comedian Ralph Bellamy, actor James Belushi, actor/comedian John Belushi, actor/comedian Jack Benny, actor/comedian Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist Shelley Berman, comedian Carlos Bernard, actor Michael Ian Black, comedian Budd Boetticher, film director Tom Bosley, actor Buddy Bregman, composer/arranger Allan Carr, producer Dan Castellaneta, comedian Kyle Chavarria, actress Joan Cusack, actress/comedian John Cusack, actor Walt Disney, founder of The Walt Disney Company/mogul Mike Douglas, talk show host Michael Clarke Duncan, actor Dennis Farina, actor Chris Farley, actor/comedian Jon Favreau, actor/writer/director Tina Fey, actress/writer Michael Flatley, dancer Harrison Ford, actor Bob Fosse, director/choreographer Hugh Hefner, publisher/mogul Terrance Howard, actor Jennifer Hudson, actress John Hughes, film director/writer Philip Kaufman, film director Ron Livingston, actor Lar Lubovitch, choreographer Bernie Mac, actor/comedian William H. Macy, actor/producer John Malkovich, actor David Mamet, playwright/poet/screenwriter/director Michael Mann, film director/writer/producer Jenny McCarthy, actress/model Frances McDormand, actress Rick Moranis, actor Brian Doyle-Murray, actor Bill Murray, actor/comedian Bob Newhart, actor/comedian Melvin Van Peebles, director Jeff Perry, actor William L. Petersen, actor Jeremy Piven, actor Harold Ramis, actor/director/comedian Bill Rancic, winner of The Apprentice John C. Reilly, actor Lucille Ricksen, actress Pat Sajak, game show host Horatio Sanz, actor/comedian Amy Sedaris, actress David Sedaris, radio broadcaster & author Gary Sinise, actor Gloria Swanson, actress Mr. T., actor Jessica Taylor, actress [Forest Park] Giorgio Tozzi, singer, actor, and ghost singer for Rossano Brazzi in South Pacific Vince Vaughn, actor Raquel Welch, actress Robin Williams, actor/comedian Billy Zane, actor Florenz Ziegfeld, empresario Katie Doyle, castmember of MTV’s Road Rules Monique Calhoun, model ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/59 "2007-05-01T17:19:09Z")
[QUOTE=light strand] Stevie Wonder (née Steveland Hardaway Judkins) Serena Williams (but not Venus) That’s it. Not a lot of famous people from my home town. However, oddly enough William Orville ‘Lefty’ Frizzell had a popular song in which he sang that he was born there, but he was born in Corsicana TX. It’s also mentioned in a Simon and Garfunkel song, and it was a big part of a Seinfeld episode. Guess that city! [/QUOTE] Saginaw? ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259/60 "2007-05-01T17:21:07Z")
Yup. What gave it away? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-come-from-your-home-town/402259.md?page=4)