The following list contains persons of note who were born, raised, or spent portions of their lives in the American state of Kentucky. [1]
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
James Lane Allen (1849–1925) | Author, called the state's first important novelist [2] | Born near Lexington [2] |
Harriette Simpson Arnow (1908–1986) | Writer of novels, memoirs, and regional histories | Born in Wayne County, raised in Pulaski County |
Wendell Berry (born 1934) | Author and poet [3] | Born in New Castle [3] |
Myram Borders (born 1936) | 20-year manager of Las Vegas United Press International bureau | Born in Kentucky |
Pamela Brown (born 1983) | CNN reporter and newscaster [4] | Born in Louisville [4] |
Harry M. Caudill (1922–1990) | Author, historian, and attorney [5] | Born in Whitesburg [5] |
Irvin S. Cobb (1876–1944) | Author, humorist | Born in Paducah |
Clive Cussler (1931–2020) | Author and oceanic explorer | Lived in Louisville |
Rachael Denhollander (born 1984) | Author, advocate, lawyer | Lives in Louisville |
Greg Downs (born 1971) | Author [6] | Raised in Elizabethtown [6] |
John Fetterman (1920–1975) | Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for Louisville Courier-Journal | Born in Danville |
Larry Flynt (1942–2021) | Hustler magazine publisher | Born in Lakeville (Magoffin County) |
Joey Goebel (born 1980) | Author [7] | Born in Henderson [7] |
bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) (1952–2021) | Author, feminist, and social activist | Born and raised in Hopkinsville [8] |
Silas House (born 1971) | Author [9] | Born in Corbin, raised in Lily (Laurel County) [9] |
Lewis Craig Humphrey (1875–1927) | Editor of the Louisville Evening Post and co-editor of the Louisville Herald-Post [10] | Born and reared in Louisville |
Robert Kirkman (born 1978) | Comic book writer, co-creator of The Walking Dead [11] | Raised in Cynthiana [11] |
Bobbie Ann Mason (born 1940) | Author [12] | Born in Mayfield [12] |
Robert K. Massie (1929) | Pulitzer Prize-winning author | Born in Lexington |
Ed McClanahan (1932–2021) | Novelist, essayist, professor | Born in Brooksville; lives in Lexington |
Tony Moore (born 1978) | Comic book illustrator, co-creator of The Walking Dead [11] | Born and raised in Cynthiana |
Gurney Norman (born 1937) | Novelist, documentarian, professor | Raised in Allais; worked for Hazard Herald; professor at University of Kentucky |
Marsha Norman (born 1947) | Author and lyricist [13] | Born in Louisville [13] |
Andrew J. Offutt (1934–2013) | Author; father of Chris Offutt | Born near Morehead, lived in Louisville |
Chris Offutt (born 1958) | Author [14] | Raised in Haldeman (Rowan County) [14] |
Bill Plaschke (born 1958) | Columnist for Los Angeles Times ; TV personality | Born in Louisville, attended Ballard High School |
Steve Raible (born 1954) | News anchor, sports announcer, former NFL player | Born in Louisville, attended Trinity High School |
Elizabeth Madox Roberts (1881–1941) | Poet and novelist | Born in Perryville, spent most of her life in Springfield |
Charles P. Roland (1918–2022) | Historian | Spent academic career partly at University of Kentucky, retired to Lexington [15] |
Adelaide Day Rollston (1854–1941) | Poet, periodical literature contributor, wrote novelettes | Born and died in Paducah [16] |
Jesse Stuart (1907–1984) | Novelist, poet, short-story writer | Born in Greenup County, poet laureate of Kentucky 1954 |
Allen Tate (1899–1979) | Poet, novelist, literary critic [17] | Born in Winchester [17] |
Helen Thomas (1920–2013) | News service reporter in White House press corps [18] | Born in Winchester [18] |
Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005) | Journalist and author | Born in Louisville |
Robert Penn Warren (1905–1989) | First poet laureate of the United States [19] | Born in Guthrie [19] |
Anne Elizabeth Wilson (1901–1946) | Kentucky-born Canadian poet, writer, editor | Born in Frankfort [20] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Roy Bean (1825–1903) | Eccentric Old West justice of the peace [21] | Born in Mason County [21] |
Stephen Bishop (1780–1857) | Cave explorer and guide, enslaved person [22] | Published the first map of Mammoth Cave [22] |
Daniel Boone (1734–1820) | Iconic explorer and trapper, first entered Kentucky on hunting expeditions in 1767, carved Wilderness Trail from Eastern Tennessee through Cumberland Gap into Central Kentucky to Kentucky River; established his fort, Boonesborough, in Madison County where he lived from 1775 to 1779; fought during Revolutionary War, primarily against pro-British Indian tribes in region | |
Jim Bowie (1796–1836) | Died at the Battle of the Alamo, made famous the Bowie knife [23] | Born in Logan County [23] |
Creed Burlingame (1905–1985) | U.S. Navy submarine commander in the Pacific Theater during World War II | Born in Louisville |
Kit Carson (1809–1868) | Indian agent, trapper scout [24] | Born in Madison County [24] |
Floyd Collins (1887–1925) | Cave explorer [25] | Trapped and killed in Sand Cave [25] |
William J. Crowe Jr. (1925–2007) | U.S. Navy admiral and chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff | Born in La Grange |
William R. Higgins (1945–1990) | U.S. Marine colonel who was captured in 1988 and eventually murdered [26] | Born in Danville [26] |
Joseph Holt (1807–1894) | United States Postmaster General and judge advocate general [27] | Born in Breckinridge County [27] |
Husband E. Kimmel (1882–1968) | Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor [28] | Born in Henderson [28] |
Hal Moore (1922–2017) | US Army lieutenant general and author | Born in Bardstown |
Franklin Sousley (1925–1945) | One of six in iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima [29] | Born in Hilltop, Fleming County [29] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Ned Beatty (1937–2021) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
James Best (1926–2015) | Actor | Born in Powderly |
Rodger Bingham (born 1947), nicknamed "Kentucky Joe" | Fifth runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback [30] | Lives in Crittenden [30] |
Olive Blakeney (1899–1959) | Actress | Born in Newport |
Foster Brooks (1912–2001) | Comedian | Born in Louisville |
W. Earl Brown (born 1963) | Actor | Born in Murray |
Tod Browning (1880–1962) | Actor and director | Born in Louisville |
Leo Burmester (1944–2007) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Jennifer Carpenter (born 1979) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
John Carpenter (born 1948) | Film director | Reared in Bowling Green and attended Western Kentucky University |
Will Chase (born 1970) | Actor | Born in Frankfort |
George Clooney (born 1961) | Oscar-winning actor and director | Born in Lexington, reared in Augusta [31] |
Nick Clooney (born 1934) | Television personality and journalist | Born in Maysville |
Rosemary Clooney (1928–2002) | Actress and singer | Born and reared in Maysville |
Joyce Compton (1907–1997) | Actress | Born in Lexington |
William Conrad (1920–1994) | Actor, director, narrator in radio, film, TV | Born and reared in Louisville |
Tom Cruise (born 1962) | Actor and producer [32] | Raised in Louisville [32] |
Kassie DePaiva (born 1961) | Actress best known for role on One Life to Live | Born and reared in Morganfield |
Johnny Depp (born 1963) | Actor, producer, musician, singer, three-time oscar nominee, painter | Born in Owensboro |
Irene Dunne (1898–1990) | Actress, five-time Oscar nominee | Born in Louisville |
Bob Edwards (born 1947) | NPR radio host [33] | Born in Louisville [33] |
Farah Fath (born 1984) | Actress known for her roles on Days of Our Lives and One Life to Live | Born in Lexington |
Don Galloway (1937–2009) | Actor | Born and reared in Brooksville |
Rebecca Gayheart (born 1971) | Actress | Born in Hazard |
Billy Gilbert (1894–1971) | Actor and comedian | Born in Louisville |
D. W. Griffith (1875–1948) | Filmmaker | Born in La Grange |
Chris Hardwick (born 1971) | Host, comedian, and actor | Born in Louisville |
Florence Henderson (1934–2016) | Actress best known for her role on The Brady Bunch [34] | Reared in Owensboro [34] |
Boyd Holbrook (born c. 1981) | Actor | Born in Prestonsburg |
Josh Hopkins (born 1970) | Actor | Born in Lexington |
Elizabeth Ann Hulette, aka "Miss Elizabeth" (1960–2003) | Professional wrestling manager and valet | Born in Louisville, reared in Frankfort |
Josh Hutcherson (born 1992) | Actor | Born in Union |
Ashley Judd (born 1968) | Actress [35] | reared in Ashland [35] |
Patricia Kalember (born 1956) | Actress | Partly reared in Louisville |
Robert Karnes (1917–1979) | Actor | Born in Paducah |
Tommy Kirk (born 1941) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Jennifer Lawrence (born 1990) | Oscar-winning actress | Born and reared in Louisville |
Maggie Lawson (born 1980) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
Matt Long (born 1980) | Actor | Born in Winchester |
Lee Majors (born 1939) | Actor | reared in Middlesboro |
Terrence Mann (born 1951) | Actor | Born in Ashland |
William Mapother (born 1965) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Victor Mature (1915–1999) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Melissa McBride (born 1965) | Actress and casting director | Born in Lexington |
Catherine McCord (born 1974) | Actress and model | Born in Louisville |
Marie McDonald (1923–1965) | Actress and singer | Born in Burgin |
Charles Middleton (1874–1949) | Actor | Born in Elizabethtown |
Charles Napier (1936–2011) | Actor | Born in Scottsville |
Patricia Neal (1926–2010) | Oscar-winning actress | Born in Packard (Whitley County) |
Grady Nutt (1937–1981) | Religious humorist; television personality ( Hee Haw ) [36] | Lived in Louisville from 1960 until his death including the entire time of his rise to fame [36] |
Warren Oates (1928–1982) | Actor | Born in Depoy (Muhlenberg County) |
Sean O'Bryan (born 1963) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Annie Potts (born 1952) | Actress | Reared in Franklin |
Lawrence Pressman (born 1939) | Actor | Born in Cynthiana |
Wes Ramsey (born 1977) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Marisha Ray (born 1989) | Voice actress; co-founder and creative director of Critical Role Productions | Born in Mount Washington |
Jeffrey Reddick (born 1969) | Screenwriter, actor, and film producer | reared in Jackson |
Jessica Rey (born 1982) | Actress | Born in Fort Campbell |
Rob Riggle (born 1970) | Actor [37] on The Daily Show , The Office and Saturday Night Live | Born in Louisville [37] |
Kelly Rutherford (born 1968) | Actress on Melrose Place and Gossip Girl | Born in Elizabethtown |
Jeri Ryan (born 1968) | Actress on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard | Reared in Paducah |
Mitchell Ryan (1928–2022) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
Diane Sawyer (born 1945) | TV journalist | Born and reared in Glasgow; lived in Louisville [38] |
Michael Shannon (born 1974) | Actor | Born in Lexington |
William Shatner (born 1931) | Actor | Seasonally resides in Woodford County |
Sam Shepard (1943–2017) | Actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright | Lived in Midway |
Molly Sims (born 1973) | Actress and model | Born in Murray |
J. Smith-Cameron (born 1955) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
Hal Sparks (born 1969) | Actor | Reared in Peak's Mill |
Harry Dean Stanton (1926–2017) | Actor | Born in West Irvine (Estill County) |
Chrishell Stause (born 1981) | Actress known for her role on All My Children and Selling Sunset | Born in Draffenville (Marshall County) |
Martha Stewart (1922–2021) | Actress | Born in Bardwell |
Madame Sul-Te-Wan (1873–1959) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
Gus Van Sant (born 1952) | Film director | Born in Louisville |
Jim Varney (1949–2000) | Actor and comedian | Born in Lexington |
Jack Warden (1920–2006) | Actor | Reared in Louisville |
Muse Watson (born July 20, 1948) | Actor | Attended Berea College; lives in Berea |
Chuck Woolery (born 1940) | Game show host | Born in Ashland |
Sean Young (born 1959) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
Steve Zahn (born 1967) | Actor | Lives in Scott County |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Vice president of the United States [39] | Born in Graves County, lived much of his adult life in Paducah [39] |
Andy Beshear (born 1977) | Governor of Kentucky and attorney general of Kentucky | Born in Louisville |
Steve Beshear (born 1944) | 61st governor of Kentucky; 49th lieutenant governor of Kentucky and attorney general of Kentucky | Born in Dawson Springs |
Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) | US Supreme Court justice [40] | Born and reared in Louisville [40] |
John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875) | Vice president of the United States [41] | Born just outside Lexington [41] |
John Y. Brown Jr. (1933–2022) | Governor of Kentucky [42] | Born in Lexington [42] |
A. B. "Happy" Chandler (1898–1991) | Governor of Kentucky and baseball commissioner [43] | Born in Corydon [43] |
Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810–1903) | Abolitionist; ambassador to Russia negotiating purchase of Alaska; newspaper editor [44] | Born and lived in Clermont; [44] resident of Madison County; buried in the Richmond Cemetery |
Henry Clay (1777–1852) | Statesman [45] | Lived in Lexington [45] |
Kelly Craft (née Guilfoil; born 1962) | United States ambassador to the United Nations and United States ambassador to Canada [46] | Born in Lexington; grew up in Glasgow, Kentucky [46] |
John J. Crittenden (1787–1863) | US attorney general, senator, and representative; governor of Kentucky [47] | Born in Versailles; lived in Frankfort [47] |
Jefferson Davis (1808–1889) | President of the Confederate States | Born in Christian County |
Wendell Hampton Ford (1924–2015) | 53rd governor of Kentucky, 1971–1974; 45th lieutenant governor 1967–1971; U.S. senator 1974–1999, member of Democratic Party, veteran of Army and Kentucky National Guard, serving 1944–1946 and 1949–1962 | Born and reared in Owensboro |
Sara Beth Gregory (born 1982) | Member of Kentucky State Senate; former member of state house, first elected at age 28; attorney [48] | Born in Monticello in Wayne County [48] |
Julian Carroll (born 1931) | 54th Governor of Kentucky; 46th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky; member of the Kentucky State Senate, member of the Kentucky House of Representatives [49] | Born in Paducah [50] |
Randy Fine (born 1974) | U.S. representative and gambling industry executive [51] [52] | |
John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911) | US Supreme Court justice [53] | Born in Boyle County [53] |
Jimmy Higdon (born 1953) | Current member of the Kentucky State Senate, former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, businessman [54] | Born in Taylor County; resident of Lebanon in Marion County [54] |
Clayborne F. Jackson (1806–1862) | 15th governor of Missouri [55] | Born in Fleming County [55] |
Richard M. Johnson (1780–1850) | 9th vice president of the United States [56] | Born in Jefferson County [56] |
Robert W. Johnson (1814–1879) | C.S. senator from Arkansas [57] | Born in Scott County [57] |
Mae Street Kidd (1909–1999) | State legislator [58] | Represented a district in Louisville [58] |
Juanita M. Kreps (1921–2010) | Former US Secretary of Commerce | Born in Lynch |
Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) | 16th president of the United States [59] | Born in a portion of Hardin County that now lies in LaRue County [59] |
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–1882) | Wife of Abe Lincoln and First Lady 1861–1865; subject of multiple psychiatric case studies | Born and raised in Lexington |
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) | U.S. senator from Kentucky since 1985 and Republican leader of the U.S. Senate [60] | Raised in Louisville [60] |
Suzanne Miles (born 1970) | Member of Kentucky House of Representatives from District 7 [61] | Born and resides in Owensboro [61] |
Samuel Freeman Miller (1816–1890) | US Supreme Court justice [62] | Born in Richmond [62] |
Doug Moseley (1928–2017) | State senator (1974–1987) [63] | Resident of Campbellsville, Columbia, and Bowling Green [63] |
Carrie Nation (1846–1911) | Prohibitionist [64] | Born in Garrard County [64] |
Ruth Ann Palumbo (born 1949) | Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives [65] | Born, raised, and resides in Lexington [65] |
Scott Pruitt (born 1968) | Attorney general of Oklahoma [66] | Grew up in Lexington [66] |
Stanley Forman Reed (1844–1980) | US Supreme Court justice [67] | Born in Minerva [67] |
Wiley Blount Rutledge (1894–1949) | US Supreme Court justice | Born in Cloverport |
Tony Snow (1955–2008) | White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush [68] | Born in Berea [68] |
James Speed (1812–1887) | US attorney general under Abraham Lincoln [69] | Born in Jefferson County [69] |
Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835–1914) | Vice president of the United States [70] | Born in Christian County [70] |
Zachary Taylor (1784–1850) | 12th president of the United States [71] | Raised in Kentucky [71] |
Ken Upchurch (born 1969) | Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from District 52 [72] | Resides in his native Monticello in Wayne County [72] |
Fred M. Vinson (1890–1953) | Chief justice of the United States [73] | Born in Louisa [73] |
Roger Vinson (born 1940) | Senior federal judge [74] | Born in Cadiz [74] |
James E. Whitlock (born 1934) | State representative [75] | Resident of Marion County [75] |
David L. Williams (born 1953) | Member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1987 to 2012, president of the state Senate from 2000 to 2012; Republican U.S. Senate nominee in 1992, gubernatorial nominee in 2011; current 40th District circuit judge [76] | Born in Burkesville in Cumberland County [76] |
Max Wise (born 1975) | Member of the Kentucky State Senate from District 16 in south central Kentucky, former FBI agent [77] | Born, reared, and resides in Campbellsville [78] |
Whitney Young (1921–1971) | Civil rights administrator [79] | Born in Lincoln Ridge [79] |
Ron Ziegler (1939–2003) | White House Press Secretary to President Richard Nixon [80] | Born in Covington [80] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Larry Birkhead (born 1973) | Father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead | Born, resides in Louisville [81] |
Lynndie England (born 1982) | Convicted in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal [82] | Born in Ashland [82] |
Donald Harvey (1952–2017) | Convicted serial killer | Raised in Booneville |
Charles Manson (1934–2017) | Convicted criminal and cult leader | Raised in Ashland |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Tanner Adell (born 1996) | Country singer | Born in Lexington [83] |
David "Stringbean" Akeman (1916–1973) | Country and comedy musician, member of the Grand Ole Opry , cast member on Hee Haw | Born in Annville |
John J. Becker (1886–1961) | Composer [84] | Born in Henderson [84] |
Adrian Belew (born 1949) | Guitarist and vocalist for the band King Crimson [85] | Born in Covington, raised in Alexandria and Ludlow [85] |
Kenny Bishop (born 1966) | Gospel and Christian singer [86] | Raised in Richmond [86] |
Mark Bishop (born 1965) | Southern gospel singer [87] | Raised in Richmond [87] |
Laura Bell Bundy (born 1981) | Country singer and actress [88] | Raised in Lexington [88] |
Steven Curtis Chapman (born 1962) | Contemporary Christian musician [89] | Born and raised in Paducah [89] |
Tyler Childers (born 1991) | Country singer | Born in Lawrence County |
John Conlee (born 1946) | Country singer | Born and raised in Versailles |
Billy Ray Cyrus (born 1961) | Country singer and actor | Born in Flatwoods |
Skeeter Davis (1931–2004) | Country singer | Born in Dry Ridge |
Jackie DeShannon (born 1941) | Singer-songwriter | Born in Hazel |
Don Everly (1937–2021) | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame [90] [91] | Born near Central City [90] |
Phil Everly (1939–2014) | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame [90] [91] | Born near Central City [90] |
Red Foley (1910–1968) | Singer in Country Music Hall of Fame | Born in Blue Lick |
Crystal Gayle (born 1951) | Country singer [92] | Born in Paintsville [92] |
EST Gee (born 1994) | Rapper [93] | Born and raised in Louisville [93] |
Troy Lee Gentry (1967–2017) | Country singer | Born in Lexington |
Ashley Gorley | Country songwriter and record producer [94] | Born in Danville [94] |
Tom T. Hall (born 1936–2021) | Country singer-songwriter | Born in Olive Hill |
Lionel Hampton (1908–2002) | Jazz musician [95] | Born in Louisville [95] |
Jack Harlow (born 1998) | Rapper | Born and raised in Louisville [96] |
Larnelle Harris | Gospel singer [97] | Born in Danville [97] |
Telma Hopkins (born 1948) | Singer and actress | Born in Louisville |
Grandpa Jones (1913–1998) | "Old time" country and gospel music singer, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry ; cast member on Hee Haw | Born in Niagara |
Jonah Jones (1919–2000) | Jazz trumpeter | Born in Louisville |
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe (born 1993) | Singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, actress, and model | Born in Lexington [98] [99] |
Naomi Judd (1946–2022) | Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland |
Wynonna Judd (born 1964) | Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland |
James Kottak (born 1962) | Former drummer for hard rock groups Kingdom Come, Wild Horses and Warrant; current drummer for German heavy metal band The Scorpions [100] | Born in Louisville [100] |
Nick Lachey (born 1973) | Member of the band 98 Degrees; married to Jessica Simpson and starred on reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica | Born in Harlan |
Homer Ledford (1927–2006) | Bluegrass musician and instrument maker | Lived in Winchester |
Brian Littrell (born 1975) | Member of the Backstreet Boys [101] | Born in Lexington [101] |
Patty Loveless (born 1957) | Country singer | Born in Pikeville |
Loretta Lynn (1932–2022) | Country singer [102] | Born and raised in Butcher Holler [102] |
Les McCann (born 1935) | Soul jazz piano player and vocalist; crossover artist into R&B and soul | Born in Lexington |
Bill Monroe (1911–1996) | "Father of bluegrass music" and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame [103] | Born and raised in Rosine [103] |
Eddie Montgomery (born 1963) | Country singer | Born in Danville, raised in Garrard County |
John Michael Montgomery (born 1965) | Country singer | Born in Danville, raised in Garrard County |
Will Oldham (born 1970) | Songwriter and musician | Born in Louisville |
Joan Osborne (born 1963) | Singer-songwriter [104] | Born in Anchorage [104] |
Josh Osborne | Grammy-winning country music songwriter | Virgie |
Artimus Pyle (born 1948) | Former drummer for the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd | Born in Louisville |
Dottie Rambo (1934–2008) | Member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame [105] | Born in Madisonville, raised in Morganfield [105] |
Kevin Richardson (born 1971) | Member of the Backstreet Boys | Born in Lexington, raised in Irvine |
Jean Ritchie (1922–2015) | Folk singer [106] | Born in Viper (Perry County) [106] |
Rubi Rose (born 1997) | Rapper, model | Born in Lexington |
Nicole Scherzinger (born 1978) | Pop singer, former member of The Pussycat Dolls, television personality | Raised in Louisville |
Sturgill Simpson (born 1978) | Grammy-winning musician | Born in Jackson, grew up in Versailles |
Ricky Skaggs (born 1954) | Bluegrass and country music artist [107] | Born and raised in Cordell (Lawrence County) [107] |
Kevin Skinner (born 1974) | Country singer, winner of 2009 America's Got Talent [108] | Native of Mayfield [108] |
Jordan Smith (born 1994) | Pop singer, winner of The Voice season 9 | Born in Harlan (Harlan County) |
Chris Stapleton (born 1978) | Country singer | Born in Lexington |
Rick Steier (born 1960) | Former guitarist for hard rock groups Kingdom Come, Wild Horses and Warrant [109] | Born in Louisville [109] |
Mark Stuart (born 1968) | Member of the Christian band Audio Adrenaline [110] | Born and raised in Owensboro [110] |
Noah Thompson (born 2002) | American Idol season 20 winner | Raised in Blaine (Lawrence County) |
Bryson Tiller (born 1993) | Rapper | Born and raised in Louisville [111] |
David Tolliver | Singer-songwriter, Halfway to Hazard | Born in Hindman |
Mary Travers (1936–2009) | Folk singer with Peter, Paul and Mary | Born in Louisville |
Merle Travis (1917–1983) | Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame [112] | Born in Rosewood (Muhlenberg County) [112] |
Keith Whitley (1955–1989) | Country singer | Born in Sandy Hook |
Dwight Yoakam (born 1956) | Country singer | Born in Pikeville |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
James Gilbert Baker (1914–2005) | Astronomer, designer of optics systems, co-founder of Louisville Astronomical Society | Born in Louisville, graduated from the University of Louisville |
Isaac Chuang | Inventor, realized the first quantum computer [113] | Born in Corbin |
George Devol (1912–2011) | Inventor of Unimate, the first industrial robot [114] | Born in Louisville [114] |
Rex Geveden | Associate administrator of NASA [115] | Born in Mayfield [116] |
J. Richard Gott (born 1947) | Princeton University astrophysical sciences professor and Doomsday argument theory | Born in Louisville |
Robert H. Grubbs (1942–2021) | 2005 Nobel laureate in Chemistry [117] | Born in Marshall County, raised in Paducah [117] |
G. Scott Hubbard (born 1948) | NASA scientist, associate director of NASA's Ames Research Center, "Mars czar" [118] | Born and raised in Elizabethtown [118] |
William Lipscomb (1919–2011) | 1976 Nobel laureate in Chemistry [119] | Raised in Lexington [119] |
Garrett A. Morgan (1877–1963) | Traffic light and gas mask inventor [120] | Born in Paris [120] |
Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866–1945) | 1933 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine [121] | Born in Lexington [121] |
Phillip A. Sharp (born 1944) | 1993 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine [122] | Born in Falmouth [122] |
Nathan Stubblefield (1860–1928) | Inventor, demonstrated wireless radio [123] | Born in Murray [123] |
John T. Thompson (1860–1940) | Inventor of the "Tommy" gun [124] | Born in Newport [124] |
George Whitesides (born 1939) | Harvard University chemistry professor [125] | Born in Louisville [125] |
Terrence W. Wilcutt (born 1949) | Astronaut [126] | Born in Russellville [126] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Nate Adcock (born 1988) | MLB relief pitcher [127] | Born in Elizabethtown [127] |
David Akers (born 1974) | NFL placekicker [128] | Born and raised in Lexington [128] |
Shaun Alexander (born 1977) | NFL running back [129] | Born and raised in Florence [130] |
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) (1942–2016) | Olympic and professional boxing champion and activist [131] | Born and raised in Louisville [131] |
Dave Anderson (born 1960) | MLB infielder and coach [132] | Born in Louisville [132] |
Derek Anderson (born 1974) | NBA shooting guard [133] | Born in Louisville [133] |
Josh Anderson (born 1982) | MLB center fielder | Born and raised in Somerset |
Bill Arnsparger (1926–2015) | New York Giants and LSU head coach | Born in Paris, Kentucky |
Len Barker (born 1955) | MLB pitcher | Born in Fort Knox |
Jeremy Bates (born 1974) | Boxer nicknamed "The Beast" | Born in Argillite |
Butch Beard (born 1947) | NBA player and coach | Born and raised in Hardinsburg [134] |
Gus Bell (1928–1995) | MLB player | Born in Louisville |
Todd Benzinger (born 1964) | MLB player | Born in Dayton |
Bernie Bickerstaff (born 1944) | Head coach of five NBA teams | Born in Benham |
Rob Bironas (1978–2014) | NFL placekicker | Born and raised in Louisville [135] |
Gay Brewer (1932–2007) | Pro golfer, 1967 Masters champion | Raised in Lexington |
Don Brumfield (born 1938) | Hall of Fame jockey | Born in Nicholasville |
Greg Buckner (born 1976) | NBA shooting guard and coach [136] | Born in Hopkinsville [136] |
Jay Buhner (born 1964) | MLB outfielder | Born in Louisville |
Jim Bunning (1931–2017) | Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher [137] and politician [138] | Born in Southgate [137] |
Chris Burke (born 1980) | MLB second baseman [139] | Born in Louisville [139] |
Paul Byrd (born 1970) | MLB pitcher [140] | Born in Louisville [140] |
Dwane Casey (born 1957) | Head coach of NBA's Toronto Raptors [141] | Born in Morganfield [141] |
Steve Cauthen (born 1960) | National Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey [142] | Born in Covington, [142] raised in Walton [143] |
Ray Chapman (1891–1920) | Only Major League Baseball player to be killed during a game | Born in Beaver Dam [144] |
Rex Chapman (born 1967) | NBA shooting guard [145] | Born in Bowling Green, [145] attended Owensboro's Apollo High School [146] |
Jerry Claiborne (1928–2000) | College Football Hall of Fame coach [147] | Born in Hopkinsville [147] |
Tyler Clippard (born 1985) | MLB pitcher | Born in Lexington |
Blanton Collier (1906–1983) | Cleveland Browns and Kentucky head coach | Born in Millersburg |
Cris Collinsworth (born 1959) | Wide receiver for Cincinnati Bengals, TV sportscaster [148] | Resides in Fort Thomas [149] |
Earle Combs (1889–1976) | Baseball Hall of Famer [150] | Born in Pebworth (Owsley County) [150] |
Tim Couch (born 1977) | NFL quarterback [151] | Born and raised in Hyden [151] |
Dave Cowens (born 1948) | Basketball Hall of Famer [152] | Born and raised in Newport [152] |
Denny Crum (1937–2023) | Basketball Hall of Fame coach [153] | Lived in Louisville |
Dermontti Dawson (born 1965) | NFL center | Born in Lexington |
Paul Derringer (1906–1987) | MLB pitcher | Born in Springfield [154] |
E. A. Diddle (1895–1972) | Basketball Hall of Fame coach [155] | Born in Gradyville (Adair County) [155] |
Chris Dowe (born 1991) | Professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League [156] | Born in Louisville [156] |
Scott Downs (born 1976) | MLB relief pitcher [157] | Born in Louisville [157] |
Brian Doyle (born 1954) | MLB infielder | Born in Glasgow |
Denny Doyle (1944–2022) | MLB infielder | Born in Glasgow |
Laura duPont (1949–2002) | Tennis player | Born in Louisville |
Hugh Durham (born 1937) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Louisville |
Steve Finley (born 1965) | MLB outfielder [158] | Raised in Paducah [159] |
Hugh Durham (born 1937) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Louisville |
Bud Foster (born 1959) | Virginia Tech defensive coordinator 1995–2019 | Born in Somerset |
Woodie Fryman (1940–2011) | MLB infielder | Born and raised in Ewing |
Joe Fulks (1921–1976) | Basketball Hall of Famer [160] | Born in Birmingham (Marshall County) [160] |
Clarence Gaines (1923–2005) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Paducah |
Tyson Gay (born 1982) | Sprinter, 2007 world champion at 100 and 200 meters [161] | Born [162] and raised in Lexington |
Jack Givens (born 1956) | Basketball player, 1978 Final Four MVP | Born in Lexington |
Sean Green (born 1979) | MLB relief pitcher [163] | Born in Louisville [163] |
Ted Greene (1932–1982) | AFL linebacker [164] | Born in Kentucky |
Darrell Griffith (born 1958) | College Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Louisville |
Don Gullett (born 1951) | MLB pitcher | Born in Lynn, attended high school in South Shore |
Eddie Haas (born 1935) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
Cliff Hagan (born 1931) | Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Owensboro |
Joe B. Hall (1928–2022) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Cynthiana |
Clem Haskins (born 1943) | NBA player and coach | Born in Campbellsville |
Nicky Hayden (1981–2017) | MotoGP racer [165] | Born and raised in Owensboro [165] |
JB Holmes (born 1982) | PGA Tour golfer [166] | Born and raised in Campbellsville [166] |
Paul Hornung (1935–2020) | Notre Dame and Pro Football Hall of Famer, sportscaster [167] | Born and raised in Louisville [167] |
Allan Houston (born 1971) | NBA shooting guard [168] | Born and raised in Louisville [168] |
Lou Johnson (1932–2020) | MLB outfielder | Born in Lexington |
Monique Jones (born 1979) | IFBB professional bodybuilder | Born in Fort Knox |
Gregory Kaidanov (born 1959) | U.S. chess grandmaster [169] | Lives in Lexington [169] |
Austin Kearns (born 1980) | MLB outfielder [170] | Born in Lexington [170] |
Shawn Kelley (born 1984) | MLB relief pitcher [171] | Born in Louisville [171] |
Shipwreck Kelly (1910–1986) | NFL halfback | Born in Simstown [172] |
Roy Kidd (born 1931) | College Football Hall of Fame coach [173] | Born in Corbin [173] |
Stephen Mather (1970–2005) | Pro tennis player | Born and raised in Louisville |
Jeremy Mayfield (born 1969) | NASCAR driver [174] | Born and raised in Owensboro [174] |
Carl Mays (1891–1971) | MLB pitcher | Born in Liberty |
George McAfee (1918–2009) | Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback for Chicago Bears [175] | Born in Corbin [175] |
Mary T. Meagher (born 1964) | 1984, 1988 Olympic medalist swimmer | Born in Louisville |
Trever Miller (born 1973) | MLB pitcher [176] | Born in Louisville [176] |
C. J. Mosley (born 1983) | NFL defensive end [177] | Born in Fort Knox [177] |
Tori Murden (born 1963) | First woman to make solo crossing of Atlantic Ocean by rowboat or ski to geographic South Pole | Raised and lives in Louisville |
Bobby Nichols (born 1936) | Pro golfer, 1964 PGA Championship winner | Born in Louisville |
Betty Pariso (born 1956) | IFBB professional bodybuilder | Born in Cynthiana [178] |
John Pelphrey (born 1968) | University of Kentucky basketball player and Florida assistant coach | Born in Paintsville |
Kenny Perry (born 1960) | Professional golfer [179] | Born in Elizabethtown, raised in Franklin, graduated from high school in Lone Oak [179] |
Mel Purcell (born 1959) | Pro tennis player | Raised in Murray |
Frank Ramsey (1931–2018) | Basketball Hall of Famer [180] | Born in Corydon [180] |
Jon Rauch (born 1978) | Professional baseball pitcher [181] | Born in Louisville and raised in Westport [181] |
Pee Wee Reese (1918–1999) | Baseball Hall of Famer [182] | Born in Ekron and raised in Louisville [182] |
Mark Reynolds (born 1983) | MLB infielder [183] | Born in Pikeville [183] |
Weston Richburg (born 1991) | Professional football player [184] | Born in Louisville [184] |
Rajon Rondo (born 1986) | Professional basketball player [185] | Born in Louisville [185] |
Gene Roof (born 1958) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
Phil Roof (born 1941) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
Jack Roush (born 1942) | International Motorsports Hall of Famer [186] | Born in Covington [187] |
Vincent Sanford (born 1990) | Professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League | Born in Lexington |
Howard Schnellenberger (1934–2021) | College football coach, Miami, Louisville and Florida Atlantic | Raised in Louisville |
Ferdie Schupp (1891–1971) | Professional baseball pitcher, New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Robins, and Chicago White Sox [188] | Raised in Louisville |
Frank Selvy (born 1932) | College Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Corbin |
John Shelby (born 1958) | MLB outfielder [189] | Born in Lexington [189] |
Jeff Sheppard (born 1974) | Basketball player for Kentucky Wildcats | resides in London (Laurel County) |
Phil Simms (born 1955) | NFL quarterback and TV sportscaster [190] | Born in Lebanon, raised in Louisville [190] |
Donta Smith (born 1983) | Professional basketball player in NBA and for Maccabi Haifa, 2014 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP [191] | Born in Louisville [191] |
C. J. Spillman (born 1986) | NFL safety and special teamer [192] | Born in Louisville [192] |
Woody Stephens (1913–1998) | Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer | Born in Stanton |
Danny Sullivan (born 1950) | C.A.R.T. and Formula 1 auto racer; winner of 1985 Indianapolis 500 [193] | Born in Louisville [193] |
Jacob Tamme (born 1985) | NFL tight end [194] | Born in Lexington [194] |
Justin Thomas (born 1993) | Pro golfer, 2017 PGA Championship champion | Born in Louisville |
Dan Uggla (born 1980) | MLB second baseman [195] | Born in Louisville [195] |
Wes Unseld (1946–2020) | Basketball Hall of Famer [196] | Born and raised in Louisville [196] |
Darrell Waltrip (born 1947) | NASCAR driver and broadcaster [197] | Born and raised in Owensboro [197] |
Michael Waltrip (born 1963) | NASCAR driver [198] | Born and raised in Owensboro [198] |
Jeff Walz (born 1971) | Louisville women's basketball coach [199] | Born and raised in Fort Thomas [199] |
Larry Warford (born 1991) | NFL offensive lineman [200] | Raised in Richmond [200] |
Brandon Webb (born 1979) | MLB pitcher, [201] 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner [202] | Born and raised in Ashland [201] |
Todd Wellemeyer (born 1978) | MLB pitcher | Born in Louisville |
John Wooden (born 1910) | Basketball player and coach | Taught English and coached several sports at Dayton High School [203] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Ann Stewart Anderson (1935–2019) | Painter, artist | Born in Frankfort, but spent most of her life in Louisville |
John James Audubon (1785–1851) | Wildlife artist [204] | Spent much of his career painting in Henderson [204] |
Lance Burton (born 1960) | Stage magician | Born in Louisville |
Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) | Figure and portrait painter [205] | Born in Covington [205] |
Larry Elmore (born 1948) | Fantasy artist | Born in Louisville |
Fontaine Fox (1884–1964) | Cartoonist | Born in Louisville |
Joel Tanner Hart (1810–1877) | Sculptor | Born near Winchester, in Clark County |
Harlan Hubbard (1900–1988) | Artist and author [206] | Born in Bellevue and lived in Fort Thomas and Trimble County |
Mac King (born 1959) | Stage magician | Born in Hopkinsville |
Loren Long | Illustrator [207] | Raised in Lexington [207] |
David W. Mack (born 1972) | Comic book artist and writer [208] | Lives in Bromley, graduate of Northern Kentucky University [208] |
Amanda Matthews (born 1968) | Artist of The Girl Puzzle (NYC), [209] artist of United We Stand, Divided We Fall (COVID Memorial KY), public speaker | Born in Mt. Washington; lives in Lexington |
Kate Matthews (1870–1956) | Photographer [210] | Born in New Albany, Indiana, but spent most of her life in Pewee Valley [210] |
Ralph Eugene Meatyard (1925–1972) | Photographer [211] | Born in Normal, Illinois, but established his photography and optometry careers in Lexington [211] |
Don Rosa (born 1951) | Cartoonist, Donald Duck illustrator [212] | Born in Louisville [212] |
Paul Sawyier (1865–1917) | Painter, artist | Raised in Frankfort and spent most of his painting career there [213] |
Gideon Shryock (1802–1880) | Architect [214] | Born in Lexington [214] |
Moneta Sleet Jr. (1926–1996) | 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography [215] | Born in Owensboro [215] |
Bruce Tinsley (born 1958) | Cartoonist, known for his comic strip Mallard Fillmore [216] | Born in Louisville [216] |
Edgar Tolson (1904–1984) | Woodcarver and folk artist [217] | Born in Trent Fork [217] |
Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
---|---|---|
David Boaz (born 1953) | Executive vice president of the Cato Institute [218] | Born in Mayfield [218] |
Ben M. Bogard (1868–1941) | Clergyman, founder of American Baptist Association; pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas, pastor under Southern Baptist Convention in 1890s Kentucky [219] | Born in Elizabethtown [219] |
Anne Braden (1924–2006) | Civil rights activist, journalist, educator [220] | Born in Louisville [220] |
LaVerne Butler (1926–2010) | Clergyman and college president [221] | Born in Henderson County; pastor of 9th & O Baptist Church in Louisville, president of Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, also resided in Lexington |
Brian Cashman (born 1967) | Senior VP and general manager of New York Yankees [222] | Raised in Lexington [222] |
Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) | Mystic [223] | Born in Beverly, seven miles (11 km) south of Hopkinsville [223] |
Thomas D. Clark (1903–2005) | Historian credited with preserving much of Kentucky's history [224] | Lived in Lexington, taught at University of Kentucky for more than seven decades [224] |
Chris Clarke (born 1957) | Southern Baptist missionary to the equestrian community [225] | Operates Happy Trails Ministry in Burna [225] |
David and Mary Conley | The Amazing Race contestants known as "Team Kentucky" | Live in Stone [226] |
Tara Conner (born 1985) | 2006 Miss USA [227] | Raised from early childhood in Russell Springs [227] |
Mordecai Ham (1877–1961) | Tent revivalist who preached the sermon, converting Billy Graham to Christianity | Born in Allen County [228] |
Heather French Henry (born 1974) | 2000 Miss America [229] | Born in Augusta, raised in Maysville [229] |
Duncan Hines (1880–1959) | Food critic [230] | Born in Bowling Green [230] |
Willie K. Hocker (1862–1944) | Designer of the Arkansas state flag | Born in Madison County |
Robert S. James (1818–1850) | Revivalist pastor; father of Jesse James and Frank James; co-founder of William Jewell College | Born in Logan County |
Casey Jones (1864–1900) | Railroad engineer of song; killed trying to stop a train collision; subject of a television series based loosely on his career [231] | Born in Cayce [231] |
Lexi Love | Drag performer on Rupaul's Drag Race Season 17 | Based in Louville, and from Florence |
Brandi Mudd (born 1989) | Elementary school teacher and contestant from MasterChef season 7 | Born in Irvington |
Venus Ramey (1924–2017) | 1944 Miss America [232] | Born in Ashland, raised in Paintsville [233] |
Gene Robinson (born 1947) | First openly gay noncelibate Episcopal bishop [234] | Born in Lexington [234] |
Col. Harland Sanders (1890–1980) | Founder of KFC [235] | Lived in Corbin [235] |
"Papa" John Schnatter (born 1962) | Founder of Papa John's Pizza [236] | Lives in Anchorage [236] |