List of famous people from Memphis
Encyclopedia
This is a list of famous people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Memphis, Tennessee
, and its surrounding metropolitan statistical area, including Crittenden County, Arkansas, DeSoto County, Mississippi
, Marshall County, Mississippi
, Tate County, Mississippi
, Tunica County, Mississippi
, Fayette County, Tennessee, Shelby County, Tennessee
, and Tipton County, Tennessee
.
This list is in alphabetical order by last name.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and its surrounding metropolitan statistical area, including Crittenden County, Arkansas, DeSoto County, Mississippi
DeSoto County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2005 estimate, there were 137,004 people, 38,792 households, and 30,102 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 40,795 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
, Marshall County, Mississippi
Marshall County, Mississippi
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 34,993 people, 12,163 households and 9,110 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 per square mile . There were 13,252 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, Tate County, Mississippi
Tate County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,370 people, 8,850 households, and 6,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 9,354 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
, Tunica County, Mississippi
Tunica County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,227 people, 3,258 households, and 2,192 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 3,705 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Fayette County, Tennessee, Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, and Tipton County, Tennessee
Tipton County, Tennessee
Tipton County is a county located on the western end of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 51,271. Its county seat is Covington. Tipton County is part of the Memphis, TN–MS–AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, centered on Shelby County, which borders Tipton on...
.
This list is in alphabetical order by last name.
A through K
- Johnny AceJohnny AceJohnny Ace , born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, was an American rhythm and blues singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound....
— musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... - John AdairJohn Adair (anthropologist)John Adair , was an American anthropologist best known for work in visual anthropology but also very much involved and interested in applied anthropology....
, anthropologist, pioneer of NavajoNavajo peopleThe Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
& Zuni cultural studies. - Stephen Adams — United States Congressman and United States Senator
- Traci Adell — PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
centerfold - Lily AfsharLily Afshar- Awards and recognition :Afshar has been praised for her performances.She won the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Female Classical Guitarist. as well as the Tenth, Eleventh, and the Twelfth Annual "Premier Guitarist" awards by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts &...
— classical guitarist, University of MemphisUniversity of MemphisThe University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
music professor - Richard "Pistol" Allen — drummer; was one of the Funk Brothers who played on the Motown hits in the 1960s
- Estelle AxtonEstelle AxtonEstelle Axton was the co-founder, with her brother Jim Stewart, of Stax Records.Born in Middleton, Tennessee, Estelle Stewart grew up on a farm...
— co-founder of Stax RecordsStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and... - Archbishop LeRoy Bailey — Senior Pastor of The First CathedralThe First CathedralThe First Cathedral exists both as a non-denominational Christian ministry based in Bloomfield, Connecticut as well as the edifice in which the ministry is held . Originally known as The 1st Baptist Church, it was founded in 1968 in Hartford, Connecticut. The pastor is Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.-...
, A Megachurch in Bloomfield, ConnecticutBloomfield, ConnecticutBloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
; ClergyClergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional.... - Lloyd BarbeeLloyd BarbeeLloyd Augustus Barbee was an American, Democratic politician and civil rights activist.Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Barbee served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1949, he graduated from LeMoyne-Owen College. Barbee moved to Madison, Wisconsin to study for his law degree at the...
— Wisconsin legislator and civil rights activist - The Bar-Kays — musicians
- Kathy BatesKathy BatesKathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
— actress - Kenneth Lawrence BeaudoinKenneth Lawrence BeaudoinKenneth Lawrence Beaudoin was a poet and influential member of the Memphis, Tennessee literary community.Beaudoin is best known for inventing the "eye poem," a poetic form that combined words and pictures. Throughout his career, Beaudoin met and corresponded with a wide range of better-known...
— poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary... - Big Daddy V — wrestler
- Michael BeckMichael BeckJohn Michael Beck Taylor , commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Swan in the 1979 film, The Warriors.-Life and career:...
— actor, best known for The Warriors - Chris BellChris Bell (musician)Christopher Branford "Chris" Bell was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist born in Memphis, Tennessee. Along with Alex Chilton, he led the power pop band Big Star, which recorded albums during the early 1970s...
— musician - Bobby "Blue" Bland — musician
- Elizabeth BoldenElizabeth BoldenElizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden was an American supercentenarian woman who, at the time of her death at age 116 years and 118 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the then world's oldest living person. She was the last remaining documented person born in 1890. Bolden was the seventh...
— oldest person in the world during most of 2006 - Charles BoyceCharles BoyceCharles Boyce , is an American cartoonist known for his syndicated comic panel Compu-toon. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee...
— syndicated cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising... - Craig BrewerCraig BrewerCraig Brewer is an American film director and screenwriter. His 2005 movie Hustle & Flow won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".- Life and career :Hustle & Flow...
— film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... - Judge Joe BrownJoe Brown (judge)Joseph "Joe" Brown is a judge and host of a court show which shares his name.-Early life:Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Brown graduated at the top of his class at Dorsey High School, then earned a bachelor's degree in political science and in 1973 a Juris Doctor degree at UCLA...
— politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Isaac BruceIsaac BruceIsaac Isidore Bruce is a retired American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Memphis....
— NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... - Tyrone CalicoTyrone CalicoTyrone Bernard Calico is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. In college, he was the starting receiver for Middle Tennessee State University. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash in the 2002 NFL Scouting Combine at 4.34...
— National Football League] player Tennessee Titans Come From Millington Trojans - Dixie CarterDixie CarterDixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
— actress - Bob CaruthersBob CaruthersRobert Lee Caruthers , nicknamed "Parisian Bob," was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms...
— major league baseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
— musician - Kellye CashKellye CashKellye Cash-Sheppard from Memphis, Tennessee, was Miss Tennessee 1986 and was crowned Miss America 1987, capturing preliminary honors in both the talent and swimsuit competitions....
— Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
1987 - Cy CasperCy CasperCharles Andrew "Cy" Casper was a player in the National Football League.-Career:Casper played with the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Gunners during the 1934 NFL season. The following season he played with the Pittsburgh Pirates.He played at the collegiate level at Texas Christian...
— NFL player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, St. Louis GunnersSt. Louis GunnersThe St. Louis Gunners, were an independent professional football team based in St. Louis, Missouri, who played the last three games of the 1934 National Football League season, replacing the Cincinnati Reds on the league schedule after the Reds' league membership was suspended...
, and the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... - David CatchingDavid CatchingDavid Catching is an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee.-Recording career:Catching has played the guitar for well-known hard rock bands Eagles of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age, Tex and the Horseheads, The Ringling Sisters, earthlings?, and Mondo Generator. He is also a member of...
— musician - Egypt CentralEgypt CentralEgypt Central is an American rock band from Memphis, Tennessee.-Formation and debut album :Egypt Central was formed on October 2, 2002. They wrote and recorded for one year until generating a buzz in their hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. After eight shows, they caught the attention of former Lava...
— musicians - Alex ChiltonAlex ChiltonWilliam Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
— musician - Robert Reed ChurchRobert Reed ChurchRobert Reed Church was an African-American entrepreneur and landowner who lived most of his adult life in Memphis, Tennessee. His father, Captain Charles B. Church was a white steamship owner. His mother was Emmeline, a slave owned by his father...
, Sr. — entrepreneur and philanthropist. - Philip ClaypoolPhilip ClaypoolPhilip Claypool is an American country music artist. Between 1995 and 1999, he recorded two studio albums for the Curb Records label , in addition to charting four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
— musician - Lashundra Trenyce CobbinTrenyceLashundra Trenyce Cobbins , known professionally as Trenyce, is an American singer and was a finalist for the second season of American Idol in 2003, finishing in fifth place.- Biography:...
— American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Contestant - Steve CohenSteve CohenStephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
— politician - George ColemanGeorge ColemanGeorge Edward Coleman is an American hard bop saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, known chiefly for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s.-Biography:...
— musician - Barron CollierBarron CollierBarron Gift Collier was an American advertising entrepreneur, who became the largest landowner and developer in the U.S. state of Florida, as well as, the owner of a chain of hotels, bus lines, several banks, and newspapers. He also owned a telephone company and a steamship line.Collier was born...
— businessman - Hank CrawfordHank CrawfordBennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. was an American R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, soul jazz alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter...
— musician - Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
— musician - Edward H. Crump — political bossPolitical bossA boss, in politics, is a person who wields the power over a particular political region or constituency. Bosses may dictate voting patterns, control appointments, and wield considerable influence in other political processes. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves...
and U.S. Representative - Chasity DanielsLa ChatChastity Daniels, born June 30 1979 , better known by her stage name La Chat is a hip hop and Crunk artist from Memphis, Tennessee. She is best known for her period as an artist on the Hypnotize Minds roster, and made regular guest appearances on many releases by other associated acts such as Three...
— musician - Rick DeesRick DeesRigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
— former disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys... - Shannen DohertyShannen DohertyShannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
— actress - Peter C. Doherty — Nobel laureate and scientist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Michael DouglasMichael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
— Air Force member - Donald "Duck" Dunn — musician
- Johnny DowdJohnny DowdJohnny Dowd is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic elements in the lyrics as well as in the music...
— musician - Johanna EdwardsJohanna EdwardsJohanna Edwards is a bestselling American novelist and award-winning entertainment journalist. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Edwards graduated magna cum laude from the University of Memphis with a degree in journalism in 2001. While living and working in London, England, she decided to shift her...
— authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... - William EgglestonWilliam EgglestonWilliam Eggleston , is an American photographer. He is widely credited with increasing recognition for color photography as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries—which, until the 1970s, often tended to privilege work by photographers making black-and-white prints.- Early years...
— photographer - Eightball & MJG — musicians
- Ben FergusonBen FergusonBenjamin "Ben" Ferguson is an American radio host, conservative political commentator, and author. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Ben Ferguson Show, formerly aired throughout the United States on Radio America and is now syndicated by ICON Radio Network, of which Ben is the founder and...
— nationally syndicated talk radioTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host - Veronica Finn — former pop singer of the now-disbanded group innosense
- Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
— professional wrestlerProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
(adopted at six weeks; raised in MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) - Rey FlemingsRey FlemingsRey Flemings is the Founder and CEO Stipple, a provider of cloud services for online images. -Professional:Prior to founding Stipple, Flemings served as co-founder and CEO of Tennman Digital, an early stage technology investment fund and incubator based in San Francisco, CA. Tennman Digital is...
— music commissionerCommissionerCommissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission .... - George L. ForbesGeorge L. ForbesGeorge Lawrence Forbes is an American politician of the Democratic Party. From 1974 to 1989, Forbes served as one of the most powerful presidents of Cleveland City Council. He is the former President of the Cleveland NAACP and is semi-retired from practicing law.-Early and personal life:Forbes was...
— Cleveland City Council President, President of the Cleveland NAACP - Shelby FooteShelby FooteShelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American historian and novelist who wrote The Civil War: A Narrative, a massive, three-volume history of the war. With geographic and cultural roots in the Mississippi Delta, Foote's life and writing paralleled the radical shift from the agrarian planter system of the...
— author - Harold Ford, Jr.Harold Ford, Jr.Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
— politician - Jacob A. T. FordJacob FordJacob Ford is an American football defensive end he is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was originally selected by the Tennessee Titans as the 204th overall pick in the 6th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
— NFL player, Tennessee Titans (son of Fred "Sweet Daddy Goodlow" Ford) - Abe FortasAbe FortasAbraham Fortas was a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice from 1965 to 1969. Originally from Tennessee, Fortas became a law professor at Yale, and subsequently advised the Securities and Exchange Commission. He then worked at the Interior Department under Franklin D...
— politician and U.S. Supreme Court justice - Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
— singer - Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
— actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - David GestDavid GestDavid Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
— event and concert producer - Ginnifer Goodwin — actress
- Yo GottiYo GottiMario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...
— Rapper - Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
— musician - The GentrysThe GentrysThe Gentrys were an American band of the 1960s and early 1970s best known for their 1965 hit "Keep on Dancing"...
— 1960s Rock band with Larry Raspberry and Larry Wall - Larkin GrimmLarkin GrimmLarkin Grimm is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Memphis, Tennessee.She was born into a monastic order called Holy Order of MANS...
— folk singer - Gyft — Rapper signed to E1 Music, known for his single They Just Don't Know.
- Richard HalliburtonRichard HalliburtonRichard Halliburton was an American traveler, adventurer, and author. Best known today for having swum the length of the Panama Canal and paying the lowest toll in its history—thirty-six cents—Halliburton was headline news for most of his brief career...
— explorer and author - Lucy HaleLucy HaleKaren Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
— singer and actress - George HamiltonGeorge Hamilton (actor)George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
— actor - W.C. Handy — musician
- Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway — professional basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player - E. Hunter HarrisonE. Hunter HarrisonE. Hunter Harrison is a Tennessee-born railroader who served as the president and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian National Railway through the end of 2009.-Life:...
— CEO - Jimmy HartJimmy HartJames "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
— singer, pro wrestling personality - Jon HassellJon HassellJon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:...
— musician - Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
— Academy Award-winning musician - Ingram HillIngram HillIngram Hill is a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee.In the summer of 2000, after attending the University of Memphis childhood friends Justin Moore and Phil Bogard joined with Shea Sowell and Matt Chambless to form the band. They spent much of the next year and a half touring throughout the...
— bandMusical ensembleA musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles... - John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
— bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician - John HulseJohn HulseJohn Hulse was an English clergyman. He is now known mainly as the founder of the series of Hulsean Lectures at the University of Cambridge.-Life:...
— Porn Star - Howlin' WolfHowlin' WolfChester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
— bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician - Al Jackson, Jr. — musician
- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson — Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter - Josh JasperJosh JasperJoshua Norwood "Josh" Jasper is an American football placekicker.He set the Tennessee state record for career high school field goals, with 44, and his longest field goal was 54 yards. In 2010, he was a Consensus College All-American placekicker for the LSU Tigers in his senior year, after...
(born 1987) - All-American college American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
placekickerPlacekickerPlacekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... - Michael JeterMichael JeterMichael Jeter was an American actor.- Early life :Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia , was a housewife...
— actor - Ashley JonesAshley JonesAshley Aubra Jones is an American actress. She is probably most recognized for her roles as Daphne on HBO's critically acclaimed drama True Blood, and as Dr...
— actress - Booker T. JonesBooker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
— musician - Florence KahnFlorence Kahn (actress)Florence Kahn was a Jewish American actress and the first wife of caricaturist and parodist Sir Max Beerbohm.-Acting career:...
early IbsenHenrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
actress and wife of Max BeerbohmMax BeerbohmSir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist best known today for his 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson.-Early life:... - George "Machine Gun" Kelly — Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era bank robber and kidnapper - Carlton W. KentCarlton W. KentSergeant Major Carlton Wayne Kent was the 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, assuming the post on April 25, 2007. He succeeded John L. Estrada, who had been serving in that capacity since June 2003. He was replaced by Micheal Barrett on June 9, 2011.-Biography:Carlton Kent was born in...
— Sergeant Major of the Marine CorpsSergeant Major of the Marine CorpsSergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank and billet in the United States Marine Corps.... - B.B. King — musician
- George KleinGeorge KleinGeorge Johann Klein, was a Hamilton, Ontario-born Canadian inventor who is often called the most productive inventor in Canada in the 20th century. Although he struggled through high school and got a grade C he managed to get in at UofT in Toronto to become an inventor...
- Disk Jockey - John Cooper- musican Skillet
L through Z
- Brian LawlerBrian LawlerBrian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
— professional wrestler - Jerry LawlerJerry LawlerJerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
— professional wrestler - Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
— musician - Alan LightmanAlan LightmanAlan Lightman is an American physicist, writer, and social entrepreneur. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of the international bestseller Einstein's Dreams. He was the first professor at MIT to receive a joint appointment in the sciences and the...
— novelist and physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole... - Booker LittleBooker LittleBooker Little, Jr was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.-Biography:Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz. Stylistically, his sound is rooted in the playing of Clifford Brown, featuring crisp articulation, a burnished...
— musician - Charles Lloyd — musician
- Jim MabryJim MabryJim Mabry is an American football player. He played on both offensive line and defensive line at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1981-1985. He then attended the University of Arkansas and was an offensive lineman from 1985-1989...
— Arkansas Razorbacks footballArkansas Razorbacks footballThe Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
All-American - Terry ManningTerry ManningTerry Manning is a music producer, songwriter, photographer and recording engineer known for work in rock, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres....
— music producer - The Mar-KeysThe Mar-KeysThe Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for the Stax label from Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound.-Career:...
— musicians - Wink MartindaleWink MartindaleWinston Conrad Martindale , known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Radio:...
— disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and television personality - Tim McCarverTim McCarverJames Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
— professional baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and broadcaster - Hilton McConnicoHilton McConnicoJoseph Hilton McConnico is a designer and artist who was born in Memphis, Tennessee but has lived and worked in Paris since 1965. After working in fashion for such designers as Ted Lapidus and Yves St...
— designer & artist - Kenneth D. McKellar — long-serving U.S. Senator
- The Memphis HornsThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
— an American horn sectionHorn sectionIn music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a... - Shaun MicheelShaun MicheelShaun Carl Micheel is an American golfer who is best known for his surprise victory in 2003 in one of golf's major championships, the PGA Championship....
— professional golfer - Memphis SlimMemphis SlimMemphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
— musician - Dr. Cary MiddlecoffCary MiddlecoffEmmett Cary Middlecoff was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s....
— professional golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er - Lola MitchellGangsta BooGangsta Boo, also known as Lady Boo was the first female member of the Memphis, Tennessee-based rap group Three 6 Mafia...
— musician - Willie Mitchell — musician
- Allen B. Morgan, Jr.Allen B. Morgan, Jr.Allen Benners Morgan, Jr. is an American business man who was among the founders and served as chairman and CEO of regional brokerage firm Morgan Keegan & Company, based in Memphis, Tennessee.-Early life:...
— businessmanBusinesspersonA businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, founded Morgan Keegan - Chips MomanChips MomanLincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...
— music producer - Sputnik MonroeSputnik Monroe (wrestler)Sputnik Monroe was a professional wrestler from the mid 1940s through the early 1970s. Monroe was a headliner in many territories, and was best known in Memphis, where he and Billy Wicks set an attendance record that lasted until the Monday Night Wars boom period.-Life:Sputnik was born Rosco...
— professional wrestler - Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad2009 Little Rock recruiting office shootingThe 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting took place on June 1, 2009, when Muslim convert Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, aka Carlos Leon Bledsoe, opened fire with a rifle in a drive-by shooting on soldiers in front of a United States military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a...
, fka Carlos Leon Bledsoe—charged in the 2009 jihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
i Little Rock military recruiting office shooting. - David W. Mullins, Jr. — former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve
- Charlie MusselwhiteCharlie MusselwhiteCharlie Musselwhite is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, one of the non-black bluesmen who came to prominence in the early 1960s, along with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield. Though he has often been identified as a "white bluesman", he claims Native American heritage...
— blues musician - Zach MyersZach MyersZach Myers was born in 1983 in Memphis, Tennessee. He founded and is currently the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band The Fairwell...
— lead guitarist for rock band ShinedownShinedownShinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original... - Elise NealElise NealElise Neal is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Neal, a Memphis, Tennessee native, was born on March 14, 1966, the daughter of a nurse and a construction worker. She attended Lakeview Elementary. She was a ballet dancer and a cheerleader...
— actress - Pat and Gina NeelyPat NeelyPatrick "Pat" Neely is a restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is the co-owner of Neely's Bar-B-Que restaurant in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. He and wife Gina host two popular Food Network television programs named Down Home with the Neelys and Road Tasted with the Neelys. The pair...
— celebrity chefs on Food NetworkFood NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent.... - Hailey Anne NelsonHailey Anne NelsonHailey Anne Nelson is an American actress.-Career:After commencing her career at age 5 in various stage performances, Nelson starred in the Tim Burton film Big Fish as Jenny , alongside Ewan McGregor, Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, and Miley Cyrus...
— actress - Phineas Newborn, Jr. — jazz musician
- Nights Like TheseNights Like TheseNights Like These was a deathcore band from Memphis, Tennessee, heavily influenced by death metal and sludge metal.- Biography :In 2006, a monkey gave birth to Nights Like These, they released their debut, The Faithless, to overall positive reviews on Victory Records...
— Victory RecordsVictory RecordsVictory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
metalcoreMetalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band - Michael OherMichael OherMichael Jerome Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels...
— NFL player, Baltimore Ravens - Woody PaigeWoody PaigeWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Paige, Jr. is a sports columnist for The Denver Post, author, and a regular panelist on the ESPN sports-talk program Around the Horn. He was also a co-host of Cold Pizza and its spin-off show 1st and 10 until Nov. 4, 2006, when it was announced that Paige would return to the...
— sports writer and guest on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Around the HornAround the HornAround the Horn is a daily, half-hour sports roundtable on ESPN filmed in Washington, D.C. It airs at 5:00 pm ET, as part of a sports talk hour with Pardon the Interruption. The show is currently hosted by Tony Reali.-History:Around the Horn premiered on November 4, 2002, hosted by Max Kellerman... - Project PatProject PatPatrick Houston, better known as Project Pat is an American rapper originating from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia....
— Rapper - Cindy Parlow — athlete
- Chris ParnellChris ParnellThomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell is an American comic actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2006 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock. Parnell also voices Cyril Figgis on the FX animated comedy...
— actor - Gilbert E. PattersonGilbert E. PattersonBishop G. E. Patterson was an American Pentecostal-Holiness, Charismatic minister who served as the international Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ , Inc....
— bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of God in ChristChurch of God in ChristThe Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S.... - Luther PerkinsLuther PerkinsLuther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...
— musician - Elliot PerryElliot PerryElliot Lamonte Perry is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.The 6'0" point guard from Memphis State University , was selected with the tenth pick of the second round by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1991 NBA Draft...
— professional basketball player - Dewey PhillipsDewey Phillips"Daddy-O" Dewey Phillips was one of rock 'n' roll's pioneering disk jockeys, along the lines of Cleveland's Alan Freed, before Freed came along.-Early life:...
— early rock 'n' roll disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys... - Sam PhillipsSam PhillipsSamuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
— founder of Sun RecordsSun RecordsSun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash... - David PorterDavid Porter (musician)David Porter is an American soul musician. Porter is best known as the songwriting and production partner of Isaac Hayes at Stax Records during the 1960s...
— musician - Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
— musician and actor - Project PatProject PatPatrick Houston, better known as Project Pat is an American rapper originating from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia....
— gangsta rapGangsta rapGangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
per - Margaret Polk - "The Memphis Belle"
- Tommy ProthroTommy ProthroJames Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
— former footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach at UCLA - Missi PyleMissi PyleAndrea Kay "Missi" Pyle is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in several films, including Galaxy Quest, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Big Fish, 50 First Dates, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay...
— actress - Lisa QuinnLisa Quinn-Biography:Quinn was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where she attended Briarcrest High School. After graduating from the Art Institute of Ft Lauderdale in 1997, Quinn launched an interior consultation business from her home in WPB. One year later, Lisa Quinn, Inc...
— actress, author, designer - Michael RamirezMichael RamirezMichael Patrick Ramirez is a two-time American Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist. His cartoons typically present conservative viewpoints....
— Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning editorial cartoonistEditorial cartoonistAn editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary.... - Jay ReatardJay ReatardJimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. , better known by the stage name Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Lindsey was signed to Matador Records...
— musician - Otis ReddingOtis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
— musician - Charlie RichCharlie RichCharles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
— musician - Loren RobertsLoren RobertsLoren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO...
— professional golfer - Russell Roberts (economist)Russell Roberts (economist)Russell Roberts is a professor of economics at the George Mason University Mercatus Center. Roberts founded and directed the Management Center at the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis...
— economist - Adrian RogersAdrian RogersAdrian Pierce Rogers served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention , a Southern Baptist pastor, and a conservative author....
— former pastor of Bellevue Baptist ChurchBellevue Baptist ChurchBellevue Baptist Church is a large Southern Baptist megachurch in the Cordova area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States.-History:Bellevue Baptist was founded in 1903 by Central Baptist Church as a mission church on the outskirts of Memphis...
and president of the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members... - Steve RossSteve RossSteve Ross may refer to:* Steve Ross , American movie mogul* Stephen Ross , British politician* Stephen Ross , American economist...
— actor - Joe RussellJoe RussellJoseph Russell is a professional backgammon player from Los Angeles, California.He is a founding sponsor and a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Backgammon Federation, where he serves on it's Executive Committee and is chairman of it's Education Committee.He is a former World Champion...
- former world backgammon champion - Lance RussellLance RussellLance Russell is a former professional wrestling announcer in the Memphis region from 1959 to 1997, particularly in NWA Mid-America and its descendant as the dominant promotion in Memphis, the Continental Wrestling Association...
— pro wrestling announcer - SalivaSaliva (band)Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
— musical group - Sam and Dave — Sam MooreSam MooreSamuel David Moore is an American Southern Soul and Rhythm & Blues singer who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 through 1981...
and David Prater, musicians - Sam the ShamSam the ShamSam the Sham is the stage name of the American rock and roll singer Domingo “Sam” Samudio . Sam the Sham was known for his camp robe and turban and hauling his equipment in a 1952 Packard hearse with maroon velvet curtains...
— musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, leader of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs - William SandersonWilliam SandersonWilliam Sanderson is an American character actor.-Early life:Sanderson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to an elementary school teacher mother and a landscape designer father...
— actor - J. Peter Sartain — Archbishop of Seattle
- Clarence Saunders — inventor and businessman, founder of the world's first self-service supermarket, Piggly WigglyPiggly WigglyPiggly Wiggly is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. The current company headquarters is in Keene, New Hampshire....
- Josey ScottJosey ScottJosey Scott is the former lead vocalist of Post-grunge/hard rock band Saliva. In addition to Saliva, Scott co-wrote and performed "Hero" with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.- Career :Prior to Saliva, Scott fronted a Memphis-area heavy metal band called BlackBone in...
— musician - Dan SchneiderDan Schneider (TV producer)Daniel James "Dan" Schneider is an American songwriter, actor, writer, and producer of films and television. He is the co-president of his own production company called Schneider's Bakery....
— actor - Will ShadeWill ShadeWill Shade was an African American Memphis blues musician, best known for his membership in the Memphis Jug Band. Shade was commonly called Son Brimmer, a nickname from his grandmother Annie Brimmer, because "son" is short for "grandson"...
— musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... - Paul ShanklinPaul ShanklinPaul Shanklin is an American conservative political satirist, impressionist, comedian, and conservative speaker...
— voiceoverVoiceOverVoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
artist and creator of song parodies heard on the Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
radio program - Cybill ShepherdCybill ShepherdCybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
— actress & model - George SherrillGeorge SherrillGeorge Friederich Sherrill , also known as "The Brim Reaper", "Flat Breezy", and "Duckbill" , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a free agent-College and independent baseball:Sherrill was not drafted after graduating from Austin Peay State...
— MLB player - Lee ShippeyLee ShippeyHenry Lee Shippey , who wrote under the name Lee Shippey, was an author and journalist whose romance with a French woman during World War I caused a sensation in the United States as a "famous war triangle." Shippey later wrote a popular column in the Los Angeles Times for 22 years.-Early...
— journalist - McKinley SingletonMcKinley SingletonMcKinley Singleton is a former guard who played in the National Basketball Association. Singleton was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA Draft, but was waived by the team before the season began. He later played with the New York Knicks during the 1986-87 NBA season...
- NBA player, New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Fred SmithFrederick W. SmithFred Sidney Smith III , or Fred Smith, is the founder, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx, originally known as Federal Express, the first overnight express delivery company in the world, and the largest in the United States...
— Founder and Chairman FedExFedExFedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee... - Lane SmithLane SmithWalter Lane Smith III was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,...
— actor - Andrew StevensAndrew StevensAndrew Stevens is an American executive, film producer, director and former actor.-Early life:Andrew Stevens was born Herman Andrew Stephens in Memphis, Tennessee...
— actor - Stella StevensStella StevensStella Stevens Stella Stevens Stella Stevens (born October 1, 1938 is an American film, television and stage actress, who began her acting career in 1959 and starred in such popular films as The Nutty Professor, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Silencers, The Ballad of Cable Hogue and The...
— actress - Jim StewartJim Stewart (music)Jim Stewart is a former record company executive and producer who co-founded Stax Records.- Biography :Raised on a farm in Middleton, Tennessee, Stewart moved to Memphis in 1948, after graduating from high school. He worked at Sears, at First National Bank, and then was drafted into the United...
— record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and co-founder of Stax RecordsStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and... - Bobby SowellBobby SowellBobby Sowell is an American musician, pianist and composer. He spent much of his early years playing rockabilly piano in the late 1950s, playing organ in rock and roll bands in the 1960s and playing piano in numerous country music bands in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s...
— musician - Cliff TaylorCliff Taylor (American football)Cliff Taylor is a former running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1974 NFL Draft and played that season with the team. After a year away from the NFL, he played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1976 NFL season.-References:...
- NFL player for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Green Bay Packers - Carla ThomasCarla ThomasCarla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.-Childhood:...
— musician and daughter of Rufus ThomasRufus ThomasRufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the... - Danny ThomasDanny ThomasDanny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
— entertainer and founder of St. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In... - Rufus ThomasRufus ThomasRufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the...
— musician - Fred D. Thompson — actor and former U.S. Senator (alumnus of the University of MemphisUniversity of MemphisThe University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
) - Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
— musician and actor - Drumma BoyDrumma BoyChristopher James Gholson, better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is a multi-platinum award winning record producer and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee.-Early life:...
— hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music producer - Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
— musician - Andrew VanWyngardenMGMTMGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
— musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
lead singer and songwriter of Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock duo MGMTMGMTMGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio... - Anita WardAnita WardAnita Ward is an American singer and musician. She is best known for her 1979 million selling chart-topper, "Ring My Bell".-Career:Before signing a recording contract, Ward obtained a degree in psychology from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and had become a schoolteacher...
— Disco/DanceDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
singer and school teacher; 19791979 in musicSee also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
number one Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
single "Ring My BellRing My Bell"Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song by Anita Ward. It was originally written for Stacy Lattisaw, but when she signed with a different label, Ward was asked to sing it instead and it became her only major hit. The song hit number one on the disco charts. "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both...
." - Thomas WatersonThomas WatersonThomas Waterson, born Seth Thomas Waterson in 1895 was an American police officer and member of the Memphis Police Department in Memphis, Tennessee. Along with Detective Sergeant William Raney of the Memphis police, Waterson was a member of the team who captured notorious "Public Enemy Number...
— Memphis police officer who captured Machine Gun KellyMachine Gun KellyGeorge Kelley Barnes , better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster during the prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His most famous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon & businessman Charles Urschel in July 1933 for which he,...
in Memphis raid in 1933 - Ida B. WellsIda B. WellsIda Bell Wells-Barnett was an African American journalist, newspaper editor and, with her husband, newspaper owner Ferdinand L. Barnett, an early leader in the civil rights movement. She documented lynching in the United States, showing how it was often a way to control or punish blacks who...
— civil rights advocate and women's rights advocate - Junior WellsJunior WellsJunior Wells , born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist...
— musician - David WestDavid West (baseball)David Lee West , is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1988-1998...
— former baseball player - Red WestRed WestRed West is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter.West was born Robert Gene West in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lois and Newton Thomas West. He was a close high school friend of rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. An excellent athlete and former U.S...
— actor - Kirk WhalumKirk WhalumKirk Whalum is an American smooth jazz saxophonist and songwriter. He toured as Whitney Houston's opening act for several years. Whalum has also recorded a series of well received solo albums and film soundtracks, with music ranging from pop to R&B to smooth jazz...
— musician - Reggie WhiteReggie WhiteReginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
— NFL player; began his career with the Memphis ShowboatsMemphis ShowboatsThe Memphis Showboats were a franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders...
of the USFL - Maurice WhiteMaurice WhiteMaurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
— musician - Bobby WhitlockBobby WhitlockRobert Stanley 'Bobby' Whitlock is a songwriter and performer, best known as a member of Derek and the Dominos.- Biography :...
— musician, keyboardist in Derek and the Dominoes - John Shelton Wilder — Tennessee politician
- Tennessee WilliamsTennessee WilliamsThomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
— playwright - Kemmons WilsonKemmons WilsonCharles Kemmons Wilson was the founder of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels.-Personal life:He was born in Osceola, Arkansas, the only child of Kemmons and Ruby "Doll" Wilson. His father was an insurance salesman who died when Kemmons was nine months old...
— businessman, founder of Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline... - Roy YeagerRoy YeagerRoy Yeager is an American musician.His musical career started off when he moved to Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 14. Roy met Bobby Sowell in high school in 1964 and soon they were playing gigs, as a duo and with bands...
— musician - Shawn LaneShawn LaneShawn Lane was an American musician. Although piano was his first instrument, he quickly became a noted player in underground guitar circles and joined Black Oak Arkansas when he was just fourteen years old....
— musician - Three 6 MafiaThree 6 MafiaThree 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
— Academy Award-winning rap musicians - Garrett WangGarrett WangGarrett Richard Wang is an American actor. Wang is best known for his role in Star Trek: Voyager as Ensign Harry Kim.-Early life:...
— actor - Louis WilliamsLouis WilliamsLouis "Lou" Tyrone Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him with the 45th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft...
— NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player, Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... - Mike WilsonMike Wilson (basketball)Mike Wilson is a former guard who played in the National Basketball Association. Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He first played with the Washington Bullets in 1983 before finally playing with the Cavaliers in 1984. Later, he played with the...
, NBA player - Francis WinklerFrancis WinklerFrancis Winkler is a former defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1968 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the team.-References:...
— NFL player, Green Bay Packers - Kings Of LeonKings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
— musicians (Correction: Kings of Leon were formed and live in Mount Juliet, TN. a suburb of Nashville) - Lil WyteLil WytePatrick Lanshaw , better known by his stage name Lil Wyte, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a member of the rap collective Hypnotize Minds.- Early life :...
— Rapper