List of people from Birmingham, Alabama explained

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, 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

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

See also

• List of people from Alabama

Notes and References

1. News: In Memoriam: Monnie T. Cheves. Alexandria Daily Town Talk. D3. August 17, 1988. September 9, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195808/http://www.natchitocheshighschool1960.org/class_profile.cfm?member_id=2431454. September 10, 2014.
2. Web site: 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. Book: Blues: A Regional Experience. Bob L.. Eagle. Eric S.. LeBlanc. 48. 1 May 2013. ABC-CLIO. 9780313344244. 8 October 2018. Google Books.
5. Web site: Miracle Records . Campber.people.clemson.edu . 2016-10-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090427195857/http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/miracle.html . 2009-04-27 .
6. Web site: Don. Norcross. Tina. January 11, 1984. Times-Advocate. C1. Newspapers.com. March 28, 2023.
7. Book: Reichler, Joseph L. . The Baseball Encyclopedia . 1969 . 4th . 1979 . Macmillan Publishing . New York . 0-02-578970-8 . registration .