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The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in East St. Louis, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from East St. Louis, Illinois.
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter J. Boyne |  | Feb 2, 1929 | Jan 9, 2020 | US Air Force colonel; author; director of the National Air and Space Museum | Grew up in East St. Louis | |
| Cecile Hoover Edwards | Oct 26, 1926 | Sep 17, 2005 | Nutrition researcher, Howard University dean | Born in East St. Louis | [1] | |
| Harry Edwards | Nov 22, 1942 | Professor emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley; former consultant to the San Francisco 49ers | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Eugene B. Redmond | Dec 1, 1937 | Academic and city Poet Laureate; established the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club | Lived in East St. Louis | |||
| Daniel A. Vallero | Sep 5, 1953 [2] | Research scientist; author; adjunct professor of engineering at Duke University | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Brendley | 1958 | Expert in active protection systems, founder of Artis | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Dorothy Davis Locanthi | Apr 19, 1913 | Sep 27, 1999 | astronomer | Born and raised in East St. Louis | ||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erin Brown (a.k.a. Misty Mundae) | Oct 16, 1979 | Horror film actress, model, filmmaker | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Comethazine | Jul 6, 1998 | American rapper and songwriter | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Miles Davis |  | May 26, 1926 | Sep 28, 1991 | Jazz musician, recipient of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Grew up in East St. Louis | |
| William Dollar | Apr 20, 1907 | Feb 28, 1986 | Ballet dancer and choreographer | Grew up in East St. Louis | ||
| Katherine Dunham |  | Jun 22, 1909 | May 21, 2006 | Dancer, choreographer, anthropologist and author | Lived in East St. Louis | |
| Dorothy Gish | March 11, 1898 | June 4, 1968 | Actress | Lived in East St. Louis | ||
| Lillian Gish | Oct 14, 1893 | Feb 27, 1993 | Actress | Lived in East St. Louis | ||
| Russell Gunn | Oct 20, 1971 | Composer, arranger, recording artist, Grammy-nominated jazz musician | Grew up in East St. Louis | |||
| Brother Joe May | Nov 9, 1912 | Jul 14, 1972 | Gospel singer | Lived in East St. Louis | ||
| Rose Marion | 1875 | 1947 | Newspaper feature writer | |||
| Barbara Ann Teer | Jun 18, 1937 | Jul 21, 2008 | Writer, producer, actress and teacher; founder of the National Black Theater in Harlem (1968) | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Ike Turner |  | Nov 5, 1931 | Dec 12, 2007 | Musician, bandleader, songwriter, talent scout, and record producer; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Lived in East St. Louis | [3] |
| Tina Turner |  | Nov 26, 1939 | May 24, 2023 | Singer and actress; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recipient of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Lived in East St. Louis | [3] |
| Lee Wilde |  | Oct 9, 1922 | Sep 7, 2015 | Part of twin sister singing act The Wilde Twins | Born in East St. Louis | |
| Lyn Wilde | | Oct 10, 1922 | Sep 11, 2016 | Part of twin sister singing act The Wilde Twins | Born in East St. Louis | |
| Steamboat Willie | 1951 | Veteran musician of Dixieland, jazz and ragtime music; considered a New Orleans "institution" | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Robert Wrigley | 1951 | Poet | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Name | Image | Founded | Disbanded | Music | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unladylike | 2002 | Hip hop duo | Formed in East St. Louis | |||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcia Anderson |  | 1957 | First female African-American Major General US Army; bankruptcy clerk 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals | Finished school in East St. Louis | ||
| John Baricevic | Chief Judge, 12th Judicial District of Illinois | [ citation needed ] | ||||
| William D. Becker | Oct 23, 1876 | Aug 1, 1943 | Mayor of St. Louis 1941–43 | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Jerry Costello |  | Sep 25, 1949 | US congressman | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Dick Durbin |  | Nov 21, 1944 | Senior US senator of Illinois | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Victor Gold | Sep 25, 1928 | Jun 5, 2017 | Journalist, political consultant | Born in East St. Louis; reared in New Orleans, Louisiana | [4] | |
| Donald McHenry |  | Oct 13, 1936 | US Ambassador to the United Nations (1979 to 1981) | Grew up in East St. Louis | ||
| Wyvetter H. Younge | Aug 23, 1930 | Dec 26, 2008 | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 114th District (1975–2008) | [ citation needed ] | ||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Adams | 1868 | Baseball player for the St. Louis Browns (1890) | Born in East St. Louis | [5] | ||
| Hank Bauer |  | Jul 31, 1922 | Feb 9, 2007 | Right fielder and manager for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and Oakland Athletics; eight-time World Series Champion, 3 time All-Star | Born in East St. Louis | |
| Steve Biras | Feb 26, 1917 | Apr 21, 1965 | Second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, batted 1.000 | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Ed Blake | Dec 23, 1925 | Apr 15, 2009 | Pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Athletics | Graduated high school in East St. Louis | ||
| Jim Bruske | Oct 7, 1964 | Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Homer Bush | Nov 12, 1972 | Second baseman for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Florida Marlins; World Series champion | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Billy Colgan | Catcher for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys | Born in East St. Louis | ||||
| Terry Hanson |  | Jun 16, 1947 | Sports executive for the Atlanta Braves, PGA Tour, and NBA TV | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Ernie Hickman | 1856 | Nov 19, 1891 | Pitcher for the Kansas City Cowboys | Born and died in East St. Louis | ||
| Sam Jethroe |  | Jan 20, 1918 | Jun 18, 2001 | Center fielder for the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates; awarded NL Rookie of the Year (1950) | Born in East St. Louis | |
| Jerry Kane | Jul 21, 1866 | Oct 27, 1948 | Pitcher for the St. Louis Browns | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Scott Little | Jan 19, 1963 | Outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Frank Millard | Jul 4, 1865 | Jul 4, 1892 | Second baseman for the St. Louis Browns | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Salty Parker | Jul 8, 1912 | Jul 27, 1992 | Infielder for the Detroit Tigers | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Hank Schmulbach | Jan 17, 1925 | May 3, 2001 | Pinch runner for the St. Louis Browns | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Fleury Sullivan | 1862 | Feb 8, 1897 | Pitcher for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1884) | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Bill Walker |  | Oct 7, 1903 | Jun 14, 1966 | Pitcher for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals | Born in East St. Louis | |
| Joe Wallis | Jan 9, 1952 | Outfielder for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| John Ward | 1862 | Aug 2, 1899 | Pitcher for the Providence Grays | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Johnny Wyrostek |  | Jul 12, 1919 | Dec 12, 1986 | Center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds; two time All-Star (1950, 1951) | [ citation needed ] | |
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaPhonso Ellis | May 5, 1970 | Power forward for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Cuonzo Martin | Sep 23, 1971 | Played for the Vancouver Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks; head coach of University of Missouri, Tennessee men's basketball teams | Born in East St. Louis | |||
| Darius Miles |  | Oct 9, 1981 | Small and power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies | Attended East St. Louis Senior High School | ||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Cox |  | Feb 17, 1968 | Linebacker for five National Football League teams; Super Bowl champion (XXXVI); major philanthropist for East St. Louis High School | Attended East St. Louis High School | [6] | |
| Kerry Glenn | Jan 3, 1962 | Cornerback for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | |||
| Terry Hawthorne | Jan 1, 1990 | Cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | |||
| Dana Howard | Feb 27, 1972 | Linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, and Chicago Bears | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | |||
| Mike Magac | May 25, 1938 | Aug 25, 2003 | Guard for the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | ||
| James Harris | May 13, 1968 | Defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, and Oakland Raiders | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | |||
| Eric C. Wright | Apr 18, 1959 | All-Pro cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers; four-time Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV) | Born in East St. Louis, Illinois | |||
| Montez Murphy | Jan 6, 1982 | Free agent for the Kansas City Chiefs | Attended East St. Louis High School | |||
| Damien Nash | Apr 14, 1982 | Running back for the Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos | Attended East St. Louis High School | |||
| Shelby Jordan | Jan 23, 1952 | Offensive Tackle for the New England Patriots, and the LA Raiders; Super Bowl champion (XVII) | Attended East St. Louis High School |
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Connors |  | September 2, 1952 | Player with most match wins, just ahead of Roger Federer. | Grew up in East St. Louis | [7] | |
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Harper |  | May 13, 1984 | Olympic gold medalist in 100 meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee |  | Mar 3, 1962 | Ranked among all-time greatest athletes in women's heptathlon and long jump; winner of six Olympic medals and four world championships | Born in East St. Louis | ||
| Al Joyner | Jan 19, 1960 | Track Olympic gold medalist in triple jump at the 1984 Summer Olympics; brother of Jackie Joyner-Kersee | Born in East St. Louis | |||
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with his wife Tina Turner as the leader of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
Tina Turner was a singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the husband-wife duo Ike & Tina Turner before launching a successful career as a solo performer.
What's Love Got to Do with It is a 1993 American biographical film based on the life of American singer-songwriter Tina Turner. Directed by Brian Gibson and written by Kate Lanier from a uncredited story draft by the late Howard Ashman, based on Tina's 1986 autobiography I, Tina, it stars Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as her abusive husband Ike Turner.
Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm, and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit."
Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in Clarksdale, Mississippi and led by Ike Turner through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has undergone considerable line-up changes over time.
Jimmy Thomas was an American soul singer and songwriter. He was best known as a vocalist for Ike Turner. Thomas joined Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1958, and remained with the band when the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was formed in 1960. He released solo singles on Turner's labels Sue, Sputnik, and Sonja Records. After his departure from Turner, Thomas continued recording as a solo artist, eventually relocating to London. He formed his own label, Osceola Records, in 1979.
"A Fool in Love" is the debut single by Ike & Tina Turner. It was released on Sue Records in 1960. The song is Tina Turner's first release with the stage name "Tina Turner" although she had been singing with Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm since 1956. It was the first national hit record for bandleader Ike Turner since the number-one R&B hit "Rocket 88" in 1951, for which he did not receive proper credit.
The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner is the debut album by Ike & Tina Turner. It was released on the Sue Records in February 1961. The album is noted for containing the duo's debut single "A Fool in Love" and their follow-up singles "I Idolize You" and "I'm Jealous."
Robbie Montgomery is an American singer and restaurateur. She is noted for being one of the original Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s. After her tenure as an Ikette, she was a member of the Mirettes, and then became a "Night Tripper" for Dr. John. In the 1970s, Montgomery was a backing vocalist for acts such as Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, the Rolling Stones, and Joe Cocker. She later created the Sweetie Pie's franchise, and starred in the award-winning reality series Welcome to Sweetie Pie's.
Nutbush City Limits is a studio album by Ike & Tina Turner released on United Artists Records in 1973. The album is noted for the hit single "Nutbush City Limits", which became a staple in their live shows.
"Boxtop" is a song written and produced by musician Ike Turner. It was originally released as a single in 1958 on Tune Town Records. "Boxtop" is noted for being Tina Turner's first appearance on a record under the name "Little Ann," two years before her debut as Tina Turner on "A Fool In Love" in 1960.
Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner is a 1999 autobiography by American musician Ike Turner with British writer Nigel Cawthorne.
The ClubManhattan was a nightclub at 1320 East Broadway in East St. Louis, Illinois. The venue was owned by Booker Merritt. The Club Manhattan has a prominent place in Greater St. Louis music history. It is best known for being the nightclub where singer Tina Turner met her future husband, bandleader Ike Turner.
The Club Imperial was a nightclub at 6306-28 West Florissant Ave in St. Louis, Missouri. During the club's heyday in the 1950s through the 1960s, acts such as Ike & Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, and Bob Kuban and the In-Men performed at the Club Imperial.
Willie Kizart was an American electric blues guitarist best known for being a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s. Kizart played guitar on "Rocket 88" in 1951, which is considered by some accounts to be the first rock and roll record. The record is noted for featuring one of the first examples of distortion ever recorded; played by Kizart.
Billy Gayles was an American rhythm & blues drummer and vocalist. Gayles was a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s with whom he recorded for Flair Records and Federal Records as the lead vocalist. Gayles also backed various musicians, including Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Otis Rush, Albert King, and Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes.
Vernon Guy was an American R&B vocalist based in St. Louis. Early in his career he toured with bandleader Ike Turner in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Guy released a few solo records on Turner's labels before forming the Sharpees with Benny Sharp in the mid 1960s. He later performed with musicians Bennie Smith and Johnnie Johnson.
Jessie Smith was an American R&B vocalist. She began her career singing with musician Benny Sharp, recording as Little Miss Jessie, and became best known as one of the original Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She later sang backing vocals for various artists, including Dr. John, Paul Williams, Al Kooper, José Feliciano, and Leon Ware.
Ruby Alline Bullock Selico was an American songwriter. She was the older full sister of singer Tina Turner. Bullock once served as the manager of the girl group the Ikettes. She wrote songs for Ike & Tina Turner as well as their band the Kings of Rhythm, including "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" which was covered by Nina Simone.
Erskine Oglesby was an American tenor saxophonist and blues singer. He was a native of St. Louis and as a teenager he played in a local band with Chuck Berry. He later played with Little Milton, Albert King, and Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. Oglesby also recorded as a solo artist and released a few albums on Black & Tan Records.