This is a list of Amarilloans, notable current and former citizens of

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

Arts and entertainment

* Jennifer Archer, author *

Art Bell Arthur William Bell III (June 17, 1945 – April 13, 2018) was an American broadcaster and author. He was the founder and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program '' Coast to Coast AM'', which is syndicated on hundreds ...

, radio host and author * Lacey Brown,

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

and ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'' finalist *

Gail Caldwell Gail Caldwell (born January 20, 1951) is an American critic and author. She was the chief book critic for ''The Boston Globe'', where she was on staff from 1985 to 2009. Caldwell was the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. The award wa ...

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning book critic *

Derek Cecil Derek Cecil (born January 5, 1973) is an American actor. He played the role of Seth Grayson on the Netflix series '' House of Cards'', starred in the short-lived series '' Push, Nevada'' and '' The Beat'', and made several appearances in the seri ...

, actor (''

Push, Nevada ''Push, Nevada'' is an American mystery television series set in the fictional town of Push, Nevada. It premiered on September 17, 2002, on ABC, and ran for seven episodes before it became one of the first shows to be canceled during the Fall ...

'') *

Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008) was an American dancer and actress. After recovering from polio as a child and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s. Her roles usually featured her abilit ...

, dancer and actress (''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. The plot follows an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will revive his career, but the play ...

'', ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

'') *

Arden Cho Arden Lim Cho (born August 16, 1985) is an American actress, singer and model known for portraying Kira Yukimura in the 2011 MTV television series ''Teen Wolf'' and Ingrid Yun in the 2022 Netflix television series '' Partner Track''. Early life ...

, actress *

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as Carol Stark, the mother of James "Jim" Stark (James Dean) in '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Scre ...

, actress (''

Rebel Without a Cause ''Rebel Without a Cause'' is a 1955 American coming-of-age melodrama film, directed by Nicholas Ray. The film stars James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen and William Hopper. It is also the film debut of ...

'') *

Joe Ely Joe Ely (; born February 9, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas' progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce ...

, country and folk singer *

Ron Ely Ronald Pierce Ely (June 21, 1938 – September 29, 2024) was an American actor and novelist, best known for portraying Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan (1966 TV series), Tarzan'' and playing the lead role in the film ''Doc Savage: ...

, actor (''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

'') *

Todd English William Todd English (born August 29, 1960) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality, based in Boston, Massachusetts. He hosted the TV cooking show, ''Food Trip with Todd English,'' on PBS. In 2005 he was a ...

, celebrity chef *

Kevin Fowler Kevin Fowler (born May 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter. He has released five studio albums, and has charted four singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including the top 40 hit "Pound Sign (#?*!)". In addition, he wrot ...

, country music singer *

Blair Garner Blair Garner is an American radio personality best known for his work in country radio. Garner spent over two decades as a nationally syndicated overnight disc jockey, first hosting ''After Midnite'' for Premiere Networks and then ''The Blair Gar ...

, country music radio host *

Jimmy Gilmer The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, were an American rock and roll group, particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. The original line-up consisted of George Tomsco (lead guitar), Chuck T ...

, rock singer ("

Sugar Shack "Sugar Shack" is a song written in 1962 by Keith McCormack. McCormack gave songwriting credit to his aunt, Beulah Faye Voss, after asking what are "those tight pants that girls wear" to which she replied "leotards". The song was recorded in 1963 ...

") *

Jimmie Dale Gilmore Jimmie Dale Gilmore (born May 6, 1945) is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas. Life and career Gilmore is a native of the Texas Panhandle, having been born in Amarillo and raised in Lubbock, Texas. His ear ...

, country music singer *

Clyde Kenneth Harris Clyde Kenneth Harris (April 18, 1918 – March 2, 1958) was an American soldier and interior decorator. He served as one of the "Monuments Men" during World War II and later married a granddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Early life Harris was bor ...

, soldier and interior decorator *

Kimberly Willis Holt Kimberly Willis Holt is an American writer of children's books. She is best known for the novel ''When Zachary Beaver Came to Town'', which won the 1999 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature.Mitchell Hurwitz Mitchell Donald "Mitch" Hurwitz (born May 29, 1963) is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom ''Arrested Development'' as well as the co-creator of '' The Ellen Show''. He is ...

, TV writer *

Sterling Hyltin Sterling Hyltin is an American ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. Early life and training Hyltin was born in Amarillo, Texas. She wanted to be a figure skater, and would train before school started. However, H ...

, ballet dancer *

Carolyn Jones Carolyn Sue Jones (April 28, 1930 – August 3, 1983) was an American actress of television and film. She began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy Awa ...

, actress (''

The Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

'') *

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country hits " King of the Road", "Dang Me", and " England Swing ...

, country music singer *

Grady Nutt Grady Lee Nutt (September 2, 1934 – November 23, 1982) was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism and earned him the title of "The Prime Minister of H ...

, comedian (''

Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired from 1969 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. Reruns of the series were broadcast on ...

'') * Hayden Pedigo, musician *

John Rich John Rich (born January 7, 1974) is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After depa ...

, guitar player *

Eck Robertson Alexander Campbell "Eck" Robertson (born November 20, 1887, in Delaney, Arkansas, died February 15, 1975, in Borger, Texas) was an American fiddle player, mostly known for commercially recording the first country music songs in 1922 with Henry Gi ...

, musician * Ben Sargent, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist *

George Saunders George Saunders (born December 2, 1958) is an American writer of short stories, essays, novellas, children's books, and novels. His writing has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''Harper's'', ''McSweeney's'', and '' GQ''. He also contributed a we ...

, writer, winner of Macarthur Fellowship Genius Grant *

JD Souther John David Souther (November 2, 1945 – September 17, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was "a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters". Souther wrote and ...

, country rock singer * Terry LaVerne Stafford, songwriter *

Francie Swift Francie Swift (born 1969/1970) is an American actress best known for her role as Cynthia in ''Thoroughbreds'' and her recurring roles as Haylie Grimes on '' Outsiders'' and Anne Vanderbilt Archibald on ''Gossip Girl''. Life and career Swift was ...

, actress *

Jodi Thomas Jodi Thomas (born Amarillo, Texas) is the pen name of Jodi Koumalats, an American author of historical romance novels, most of which are set in Texas. In 2006, she was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Biography Jodi Thom ...

, author *

Paula Trickey Paula Trickey (born March 27, 1966) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Cory McNamara on the USA Network series '' Pacific Blue'' (1996–2000), and for her roles in a number of television films. Early life Trickey was born i ...

, actress ('' Pacific Blue'') *

Aaron Watson James Aaron Watson (born August 20, 1977) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1999, Watson has recorded several independent albums in his career. His 2015 album '' The Underdog'' reached No. 1 on Top Country Al ...

, country music singer *

Trent Willmon Trent Willmon (born March 6, 1973) is an American country music artist, songwriter, and producer. Active since 1998 as a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Willmon was signed to Columbia Records in 2004. He released two albums for the label (2 ...

, country music singer *

Jack Wrather John Devereaux Wrather Jr. (May 24, 1918 – November 12, 1984), was an entrepreneur and petroleum businessman who became a television producer and later diversified by investing in broadcast stations and resort properties. He is best known for p ...

, television director * M. K. Wren, mystery and science fiction writer

Business

* T. Boone Pickens, Jr., oilman and philanthropist

Law and government

* James R. Beverley, governor of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Teel Bivins Miles Teel Bivins (November 22, 1947 – October 26, 2009) was an American diplomat and politician. He served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member for the Texas Senate, District 31, 31st district of the Texas Senate, and als ...

, United States Ambassador to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Beau Boulter Eldon Beau Boulter (born February 23, 1942) is an American politician. From 1985 to 1989, he served two terms as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 13th district of Texas. Biography Boulter w ...

, United States Congressman * James Nathan Browning, Texas lieutenant governor * Odell M. Conoley, USMC; Deputy Director for Operations, Plans, Policies and Operations Division, Staff of the Commander in Chief,

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territori ...

* Jake Ellzey, United States Congressman * Howard D. Graves, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, later Chancellor of Texas A & M system of universities *

John Marvin Jones John Marvin Jones (February 26, 1882 – March 4, 1976) was a United States representative from Texas and a Judge of the United States Court of Claims. Education and career Born on February 26, 1882, in Valley View, Cooke County, Texas, Jone ...

, United States Congressman and Chief Judge of the Court of Claims * Walter Thomas Price, IV, Amarillo attorney and Republican

nominee A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...

for the District 87 seat in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

Mary Lou Robinson Mary Lou Robinson (August 26, 1926 January 26, 2019) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Education and career Born on August 26, 1926, in Dodge City, Kansas, Robinson graduat ...

, United States federal judge *

Jasmine Taylor Jasmine Taylor is an American entrepreneur and personal finances influencer who shares her budgeting strategies, including cash stuffing, and sells branded budgeting supplies online. Early life and education Taylor was born and raised in Amarill ...

, businesswoman * Kel Seliger, mayor and Texas state senator

Sports

Rex Baxter Rex Bernice Baxter Jr. (born February 28, 1936) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour. Early life and amateur career Baxter is a native of Amarillo, Texas. Baxter won the U.S. Junior Amateur at Tu ...

, professional golfer and NCAA champion *

Trevor Brazile Trevor Brazile (born November 16, 1976) is a semi-retired American rodeo cowboy who competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and partners with a cowboy named Miles Baker. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2022 ...

, PRCA All Around Cowboy *

Brad Bryant Bradley Dub Bryant (born December 11, 1954) is an American professional golfer. Bryant was born in Amarillo, Texas, the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He moved with his family to Alamogordo, New Mexico during his youth. Bryant attended the ...

, professional golfer *

Paul Buentello Paul Anthony Buentello (born January 16, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1997 to 2017, Buentello competed in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Affliction, King of the Cage, Shark Fights, ACB, Lega ...

, mixed martial artist * Steve Butler, racecar driver * Ron Clinkscale, professional Canadian football player * Michael Cobbins (born 1992), basketball player for

Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa () is one of the biggest sports clubs in Israel and a part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football, Basketball, Weightl ...

of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Tucker Davidson, professional baseball player *

Bobby Duncum Jr. Bobby Edward Duncum Jr. (August 26, 1965 – January 24, 2000) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling as a member of the short-lived men's country music band, The West Texas Rednec ...

, professional wrestler *

Dory Funk Dorrance Wilhelm Funk (May 4, 1919 – June 3, 1973) was an American professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk, and was a promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion. Earl ...

, professional wrestler *

Dory Funk, Jr. Dorrance Earnest Funk (born February 3, 1941), known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. The son of Dory Funk (Dorrance Wilhelm Funk) and brother of Terry Funk, he was the promoter of the ...

, professional wrestler *

Terry Funk Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely considered one of the most influential and greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Funk was known for the longevity of his car ...

, professional wrestler *

Heath Herring Heath Herring (born March 2, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division. While perhaps best known for competing in PRIDE, he has also formerly competed for the UFC, K-1 and Rizin. Background ...

, mixed martial artist * Mike Hettinga, aka Mike Knox, professional wrestler *

Ziggy Hood Evander Ja Mel "Ziggy" Hood (born February 16, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and was selected by t ...

, professional football player * Heston Kjerstad, professional baseball player * Wildcat Monte (born Monte Deadwiley; 1905–1961), professional boxer *

Alex O'Brien Alex O'Brien (born ) is an American former doubles world No. 1 tennis player. He gained the top ranking in May 2000 and was ranked as high as world No. 30 in singles in June 1997. He won his only singles title at New Haven, Connecticut, in 199 ...

, professional tennis player *

Barry Orton Randal Berry Orton (May 28, 1958 – March 19, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was a son of professional wrestler Bob Orton, brother of professional wrestler Bob Orton Jr., and uncle of professional wrestler Randy Orto ...

, professional wrestler *

Ryan Palmer Ryan Hunter Palmer (born September 19, 1976) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life and amateur career Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Palmer graduated from Amarillo High School in 1995. He played colleg ...

, professional golfer *

Cody Pfister Cody Pfister (born August 7, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, Shark Fights, King of the Cage, and the Resurrection Fig ...

, mixed martial artist *

Bum Phillips Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips Jr. (September 29, 1923 – October 18, 2013) was an American football coach at the high school, college and professional levels. He served as head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers fro ...

, professional football coach * Chris Romero, professional wrestler * Mark Romero, professional wrestler *

Ricky Romero Ricardo Romero Jr. (born November 6, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays. Prep career After spending three years at Garfield High School, Romero graduate ...

, professional wrestler * Steven Romero, professional wrestler *

Hurles Scales Hurles Scales Jr. is an American former professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the 14th round (355th overall) of the 1973 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, but he did not see action on the ...

, professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player *

Mike Scroggins Mike Scroggins (born March 12, 1964) is a left-handed professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), having joined in 1989. He resides in Amarillo, TX.Profile at www.pba.co/ref> He has won eight PBA Tour ...

, professional bowler *

Brandon Slay Brandon Douglas Slay (born October 14, 1975) is an American former freestyle wrestler. He won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Slay also helped found Dallas Dynamite wrestling club in Dallas, ...

, gold-medal Olympic wrestler *

Amarillo Slim Thomas Austin Preston Jr. (December 31, 1928 – April 29, 2012), known as Amarillo Slim, was an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets. He won the 1972 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and was indu ...

, professional poker player *

Evan Tanner Evan Lloyd Tanner (February 11, 1971 – September 5, 2008) was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight Champion and was the first American to win the Pancrase Neo-Blood tournament in Tokyo, ...

, professional mixed martial artist * William Thomas, professional football player *

Devonte Upson Zwencyl DeVonte Upson (born March 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for PAOK of the Greek Basketball League (GBL). He plays the center position. He played college basketball for Trinidad State College and Southeastern Louisi ...

(born 1993), basketball player in the

* Ken Vinyard, professional football player *

Erik Watts Erik Watts (born December 19, 1967) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation in the 1990s. He is the son of wrestler Bill Watts. ...

, professional wrestler *

Gene Wiley Gene Wiley (born November 12, 1937) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He attended Carver High School in Amarillo, Texas and Wichita State University. He was drafted in 1962 with the ...

, professional basketball player

Others

* Charles Albright, serial killer * George Hendricks Beverley, U.S. Air Force general *

Grady Booch Grady Booch (born February 27, 1955) is an American software engineer, best known for developing the Unified Modeling Language (UML) with Ivar Jacobson and James Rumbaugh. He is recognized internationally for his innovative work in software archit ...

, software engineer * Thomas E. Creek, U.S. Marine Corps

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient *

Brittany Holberg Brittany Marlowe Holberg (born January 1, 1973) is an American woman on death row in the U.S. state of Texas. On Friday, March 27, 1998, Holberg was convicted of the November 1996 robbery, torture and murder of 80-year-old A. B. Towery Sr. in his ...

, convicted murderer who was sentenced to death row *

Rick Husband Richard Douglas Husband (July 12, 1957 – February 1, 2003) was an American astronaut and fighter pilot. He traveled into space twice: as pilot of STS-96 and commander of STS-107. Husband and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed whe ...

, astronaut *

Paul Lockhart Paul Scott "Paco" Lockhart (born April 28, 1956) is an American aerospace engineer, retired United States Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut, a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions. Early life and education Lockhart, born April 28, 1956, and ...

, astronaut * Leroy Matthiesen, local Catholic bishop {{Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo