List of people from Birmingham, Alabama

Last updated September 26, 2024

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

Academia

Monnie T. Cheves, Samford University professor; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960; died in Birmingham in 1988^[1]
Frank Moore Cross, religious scholar
Angela Davis, social activist and author
Richard Nelson Frye, scholar of Iran and Central Asia
Roland Frye, scholar
Carol Garrison, ex-president of University of Alabama at Birmingham
Zenkei Blanche Hartman, first abbess of the San Francisco Zen Center
Freeman Hrabowski III, educator
Herman H. Long, president of Talladega College and United Negro College Fund
J. Gordon Melton, religious scholar
Emil Wolfgang Menzel, Jr. Emeritus Professor in psychology
Edward Taub, behavioral neuroscientist and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Julia Tutwiler, educator and social reformer

Arts and literature

Allen Barra, journalist, sportswriter
John Beecher, activist poet
Edgar Peters Bowron, art historian
Joe David Brown, journalist, novelist
Mark Childress, author
Jon Coffelt, artist
Clayton Colvin, artist
Dennis Covington, journalist, writer
George R. Ellis, author, art historian and director of Honolulu Academy of Arts
Fannie Flagg, author
Charles Gaines, novelist, screenwriter
Charles Ghigna, poet, children's author
Christopher Gilbert, poet^[2]
Gail Godwin, novelist
John Green, author
Joe Hilley, novelist
Caitlín R. Kiernan, novelist and paleontologist
Kerry James Marshall, artist
Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman
Spider Martin, photojournalist
Robert R. McCammon, novelist
Kevin McGowin, novelist, reviewer
Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Walker Percy, author
Howell Raines, New York Times editor
James Redfield, novelist
John Rhoden, sculptor
Sonia Sanchez, poet
Rowland Scherman, Grammy-award-winning photographer
Melissa Springer, photographer
Ann Waldron, author^[3]
Margaret Walker, poet and author
Daniel Wallace, novelist
Mary Ware (1828 –1915), poet, prose writer
John Weld, newspaper reporter, writer, Hollywood stunt man
Tobias Wolff, author

Business and economics

Cynthia Bathurst, animal rights activist, former mathematical analyst, founder/director of Safe Humane Chicago and Court Case Dog Program
Ashton B. Collins, Sr., inventor, creator of Reddy Kilowatt
Newton Collins, businessman and community builder
Samuel DiPiazza, former chairman and chief executive officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers
A. G. Gaston, African-American businessman
Franklin Potts Glass, Sr., newspaper editor
Jay Grinney, president and chief executive officer of HealthSouth Corporation
John M. Harbert, billionaire and founder of Harbert Corporation
Elmer Harris, chief executive officer of Alabama Power
Ron Holt, CEO and founder of Two Maids & A Mop
Charles Linn, founder of First National Bank of Birmingham (AmSouth Bancorporation)
Don Logan, chief executive officer of Time Inc.; chairman of Warner Media; chief executive officer of Southern Progress, owner of Birmingham Barons baseball team
Michael K. Powell, Federal Communications Commission chairman
Rufus N. Rhodes, founder of Birmingham News
Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation
James Sloss, industrialist and founder of Sloss Furnaces
Alvin Vogtle, chairman and CEO of Alabama Power and Southern Company
Allen Harvey Woodward, industrialist and baseball team owner

Entertainment

Mary Anderson, actress
R. G. Armstrong, actor (Pleasant Grove, Alabama)
Mary Badham, juvenile actress
Candace Bailey, actress
Amber Benson, actress
Anna Lee Carroll, actress
Lynne Carver, actress
Nell Carter, actress and singer
Courteney Cox, actress (Mountain Brook, Alabama)
Paul Finebaum, radio/TV personality
Jordan Fisher, actor, singer, and dancer
Fannie Flagg, author, actress
Louise Fletcher, actress
David F. Friedman, director and producer
Lili Gentle, actress
Betty Lou Gerson, actress
Gladys Gillem, wrestler
Walton Goggins, actor
Hank Green, Internet personality, podcaster
Alan Hunter, MTV VJ
Tamisha Iman, drag queen
Kate Jackson, actress
David Jaffe, video game designer ( God of War and Twisted Metal )
Jasika Nicole, actress, illustrator
Gail Patrick, actress, television producer
Ibrehem Rahman, Survivor: Palau contestant
Rick and Bubba, radio/TV personalities
Wayne Rogers, actor
Dorothy Sebastian, film actress
Daniel Scheinert, music video and film director
Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer, Alabama)
Rickey Smiley, radio personality
Trinity the Tuck, drag queen
Roy Wood, Jr., comedian
Byron York, conservative author and journalist
Tom York, television personality
Paula Hill, actress

Music

Inez Andrews, gospel singer
Barry Beckett, pianist and record producer
Adolphus Bell, electric blues musician, best known as a one-man band ^[4]
Benny Benjamin, drummer
Samm Bennett, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
Bo Bice, singer, American Idol runner-up (Helena, Alabama)
Helvetia Boswell, singer with The Boswell Sisters
Piney Brown, R&B and blues singer-songwriter^[5]
Oteil Burbridge, bassist
Dorothy Love Coates, gospel singer
J.R. Cobb, songwriter and guitarist
Sam Dees, soul music singer
Diana DeGarmo, American Idol 3rd season runner-up
Big Joe Duskin, blues pianist
Dennis Edwards, soul music singer
Erra, progressive metalcore band
Al Gallodoro, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist
Gucci Mane, rapper
Hardrock Gunter, rockabilly pioneer
Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist and bandleader
Emmylou Harris, singer
Erskine Hawkins, composer, trumpeter and bandleader
Haywood Henry, jazz saxophonist / clarinetist
Taylor Hicks, soul music singer, American Idol winner
Odetta Holmes, folk singer
Jo Jones, jazz drummer
Bill Justis, musician
Eddie Kendricks, soul music singer
William King, singer, founding member of The Commodores
Baker Knight, songwriter and bandleader
Sammy Lowe, jazz trumpeter and arranger
Rebecca Luker, Broadway singer, actress
Hugh Martin, songwriter and film composer
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Southern rock/metalcore band
Johnny O'Neal, jazz pianist
Avery Parrish, composer and jazz pianist
Hank Penny, Western swing musician
Ray Reach, jazz vocalist and pianist
St. Paul and The Broken Bones, neo soul band
Dan Sartain, rock musician
Johnny Smith, jazz guitarist
Ruben Studdard, singer, American Idol winner
Sun Ra, jazz composer and bandleader
Maria Taylor, singer
Through the Sparks, indie rock band
Verbena, indie rock band
Virgos Merlot, hard rock band
Wild Sweet Orange, indie rock band
Paul Williams, soul singer
Tammy Wynette, country singer
YBN Nahmir (Nick Simmons), rap/hip hop artist
Jerry Yester, singer

Government, law and politics

Arthur Alber, Los Angeles City Council member, 1927–29
John Amari, District 10 Circuit Court judge, former member of both houses of the Alabama State Legislature
Douglas Arant, attorney and co-founder of Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings
Richard Arrington, first African-American mayor of Birmingham
B. B. Comer, former governor of Alabama
Eugene "Bull" Connor, former Commissioner of Public Safety
Hugh Culverhouse, lawyer and owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Russell McWhortor Cunningham, Governor of Alabama
Mike Fair, Oklahoma state legislator
John Grenier, Republican politician in Alabama
Art Hanes, mayor of Birmingham
Gil Hill, Detroit, Michigan city council president and actor
Perry O. Hooper, Sr., 27th chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; born in Birmingham in 1925; resided in adult life in Montgomery
Bernard Kincaid, mayor of Birmingham
Michael Landsberry, Marine and math teacher
Raymond Lee Lathan, Wisconsin state legislator
Chris McNair, Alabama state legislator and businessman
Bert Nettles, lawyer in Birmingham; Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from Mobile (1969-1974)
Charles Redding Pitt, chairman of Alabama Democratic Party
Cecil F. Poole, federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit
Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State
George G. Siebels, Jr., first Republican to serve as mayor of Birmingham (1967-1975)
Luther Strange, Attorney General of Alabama 2011-2017 and former Senator of Alabama, born in Birmingham
Margaret Tutwiler, diplomat
Robert S. Vance, chairman of Democratic Party, plaintiff's lawyer, federal judge United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

United States Senate

Hugo Black (1927–1937), also Supreme Court Justice (1937–1971)
B. B. Comer (1920), also Governor of Alabama (1907–1911)
Joseph Forney Johnston (1907–1913)
Doug Jones (2018–2021)
Richard Shelby (1987–2023)
Luther Strange (2017–2018)
Oscar W. Underwood (1915–1927)
Francis S. White (1914–1915)

United States House of Representatives

Truman H. Aldrich (Alabama's 8th congressional district, 1896)
Spencer Bachus (6th District, 1993–2015)
John H. Bankhead (6th District, 1887–1907)
Laurie C. Battle (9th District, 1947–1955)
Sydney J. Bowie
John H. Buchanan, Jr. (6th District, 1965–1981)
Reuben Chapman (6th District, 1843–1847)
Newton Nash Clements (6th District, 1880–1881)
Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb (6th District, 1847–1861)
Artur Davis (7th District, 1982–1992)
Edward deGraffenried (6th District, 1949–1953)
William Henry Denson (7th District, 1893–1895)
Jack Edwards (1st District, 1965–1985)
Ben Erdreich (6th District, 1983–1993)
Claude Harris, Jr. (7th District, 1987–1993)
Thomas Haughey (6th District, 1867–1869)
Goldsmith W. Hewitt (6th District, 1876–1879, 1881–1885)
Earl F. Hilliard (7th District, 1993–2003)
Richmond P. Hobson (6th District, 1907–1915)
George Huddleston (9th District, 1913–1935)
George Huddleston, Jr. (9th District, 1955–1963)
Pete Jarman (6th District, 1937–1949)
Burwell Boykin Lewis (6th District, 1879–1880)
Elaine Luria (VA 2nd District, 2019–2023), and former United States Navy Commander
John Mason Martin (6th District, 1885–1887)
John P. Newsome (9th District, 1943–1945)
William B. Oliver (6th District, 1915–1937)
Luther Patrick (9th District, 1935–1943, 1945–1947)
Armistead I. Selden, Jr. (6th District, 1953–1965)
Terri Sewell (7th district, 2011–present)
Richard Shelby (7th District, 1979–1987)
William Crawford Sherrod (6th District, 1869–1871)
Joseph Humphrey Sloss (6th District, 1871–1875)
Albert L. Smith, Jr. (6th District, 1981–1983)
Jesse F. Stallings
Louis Washington Turpin (9th District, 1893–1895)
Oscar W. Underwood (8th District, 1895–1896; 9th District 1897–1915)

Math, science, and technology

Mary Anderson, inventor of windshield wipers
Andrew Jackson Beard, inventor of automatic railcar coupling
Edward M. Burgess, chemist and inventor of the Burgess reagent
Lawrence J. DeLucas, biophysical engineer; Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut
Annie Easley, mathematician and rocket scientist
Clyde Foster, scientist and mathematician
E. O. Wilson, entomologist and author

Medicine

James Andrews, orthopedic specialist
Tinsley Harrison, editor of first five editions of Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine, dean of UAB School of Medicine
Alan Heldman, interventional cardiologist and pioneer of the drug eluting stent
John W. Kirklin, heart surgeon
Larry Lemak, orthopedic surgeon, owner of the Lemak Group
Albert Pacifico, heart surgeon
Michael Saag, AIDS researcher
Luther Leonidas Terry, Surgeon General of the United States

Sports

Mario Addison, NFL player
Mike Anderson, University of Arkansas men's basketball coach
Jay Barker, football player, college and pro quarterback
Charles Barkley, basketball player, Hall of Famer and TV personality (Leeds, Alabama)
Gene Bartow, basketball coach and athletic director for University of Alabama at Birmingham
Bruce Benedict, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Cornelius Bennett, NFL Pro-Bowler
Eric Bledsoe, basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans
Neil Bonnett, born in Birmingham, Hall of Fame NASCAR driver, TV personality
Th-resa Bostick, born in Birmingham, IFBB professional bodybuilder
Lyman Bostock, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Bobby Bowden, football coach
Debbie Bramwell-Washington, IFBB professional bodybuilder
Levert Carr, football player
Bubba Church, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Jared Cook, born in Birmingham, football player, tight end
Ted Cook, football player
Jerricho Cotchery, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Ed Daniel (born 1990), basketball player who plays for Israeli team Maccabi Ashdod
Karlos Dansby, football player
Marcell Dareus, football player for Buffalo Bills
A. J. Davis, NFL player
Mike Davis, UAB basketball coach
Spud Davis, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Tom Drake, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Vonetta Flowers, bobsledder, Olympic gold medalist
Vince Gibson, football coach
Harry Gilmer, football player
Alex Grammas, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Hubie Green, professional golfer
Jerry Hairston, Sr., born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Samuel H. Hairston, baseball player
Darrin Hancock, NBA player
Trey Hardee, NCAA Division I track and field collegiate heptathlon and decathlon record holder, Olympian
Walt Harris, MMA fighter
Chandler Hoffman, born in Birmingham, United Soccer League player
Bobby Humphrey, football player, Alabama and NFL
Tina Hutchinson (born 1964/1965), basketball player^[6]
Bo Jackson, 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, multi-sport athlete
Ron Jackson, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Desmond Jennings, baseball player
Ken Jordan, football player
Smylie Kaufman, golfer
Larry Kenon, born in Birmingham, basketball player
Corey Kluber, Major League Baseball pitcher, Cy Young Award winner
Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, multiple Olympic gold-medalist and world champion track-and-field athlete
Theodore Long, General Manager of WWE Smackdown
Larry Mason (American football), football player
Lee May, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Willie Mays, Major League Baseball player, Hall of Famer
KJ McDaniels, NBA player
Larry McReynolds, announcer for NASCAR on FOX
Charlie Moore, baseball player
Tony Nathan, football player and coach
Gus Niarhos, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Satchel Paige, Major League Baseball player
Sam Raben (born 1997), soccer player
Chris Richards, born in Birmingham, professional soccer player for Crystal Palace of the English Premier League and the United States national team
David Robertson, Major League Baseball player
Oliver Robinson, basketball player
Erk Russell, football player
Ed Salem, football player and Birmingham restaurateur
Jason Standridge, Major League Baseball player
Ronald Steele, basketball player
Rebel Steiner, football player
Pat Sullivan, 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and former head football coach at Samford University
Dabo Swinney, born in Birmingham, Clemson University head football coach
Tanner Tessmann, professional soccer player, United States international, and Olympian
Bryan Thomas, born in Birmingham, linebacker for New York Jets, graduated from Minor High School
Dan Thomas, Major League Baseball player for Milwaukee Brewers
Andre Tippett, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker
Tommy Tolleson, NFL player
Virgil Trucks, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player^[7]
Bob Veale, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
Dixie Walker, Major League Baseball player
Peahead Walker, born in Birmingham, football coach
Adam Warren, Major League Baseball pitcher
Cat Whitehill, U.S Women’s National Soccer team player
Austin Wiley (born 1999), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
JaCorey Williams (born 1994), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Chris Woods, player of gridiron football
Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
John Zimmerman, professional pairs figure skater

Other

Mel Allen, radio and TV sports personality, primary play-by-play announcer for New York Yankees
Mother Angelica, nun and founder of global Catholic network EWTN
Robert Joseph Baker, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham
Donald Beatty, aviator, explorer and inventor
Angela Davis, activist
Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005
Samantha Francis, contestant on America's Next Top Model , Cycle 8
Victor Gold, journalist, formerly with The Birmingham News
Hank Green, YouTube blogger, musician and entrepreneur
Lola Hendricks, civil rights activist
Patti Ruffner Jacobs, suffragist and social reformer
Robert B. McNeill, Presbyterian minister
James Meissner, World War I flying ace
Artemus Ogletree, victim of 1935 unsolved murder in Kansas City
Joseph Raya, archbishop and social activist
Wallace Rayfield, architect
Sonia Sanchez, poet, activist, and educator
Jay Sebring, hair stylist, Charles Manson victim, ex-boyfriend of Sharon Tate
Courtney Shropshire, founder of Civitan International
Fred Shuttlesworth, civil rights activist
Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006
Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995
Louise Wooster, famed madam

References

↑ "In Memoriam: Monnie T. Cheves". Alexandria Daily Town Talk . August 17, 1988. p. D3. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
↑ "How the Stars Understand Us by Christopher Gilbert - Poems | Academy of American Poets".
↑ Hevesi, Dennis. "Ann Waldron, Biographer of Southern Writers, Is Dead at 85", The New York Times, July 6, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2010.
↑ Eagle, Bob L.; LeBlanc, Eric S. (1 May 2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. ABC-CLIO. p. 48. ISBN 9780313344244 . Retrieved 8 October 2018– via Google Books.
↑ "Miracle Records". Campber.people.clemson.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
↑ Norcross, Don (January 11, 1984). "Tina". Times-Advocate. p. C1. Retrieved March 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
↑ Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.

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[1] "In Memoriam: Monnie T. Cheves". Alexandria Daily Town Talk . August 17, 1988. p. D3. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.

[2] "How the Stars Understand Us by Christopher Gilbert - Poems | Academy of American Poets".

[3] Hevesi, Dennis. "Ann Waldron, Biographer of Southern Writers, Is Dead at 85", The New York Times, July 6, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2010.

[4] Eagle, Bob L.; LeBlanc, Eric S. (1 May 2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. ABC-CLIO. p. 48. ISBN 9780313344244 . Retrieved 8 October 2018– via Google Books.

[Campber-5] "Miracle Records". Campber.people.clemson.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2016-10-04.

[6] Norcross, Don (January 11, 1984). "Tina". Times-Advocate. p. C1. Retrieved March 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com.

[The_Baseball_Encyclopedia-7] Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.

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