List Of People From Hampton Roads, Virginia
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The following is a list of notable people who were born, raised, or closely associated with the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
metropolitan area.


Chesapeake

* James Anderson
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
linebacker and 88th overall pick in the
2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...
* Ed Beard (1939–2023) – 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 for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
* Dré Bly (b. 1977) – professional football player with the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
*
Randy Blythe David Randall Blythe (, born February 21, 1971) is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Lamb of God (band), Lamb of God and Burn The Priest. He has also performed guest vocals fo ...
(b. 1971) – vocalist and lyricist for
groove metal Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...
band
Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
*
Michael Copon Michael Copon (born Noevmber 13, 1982) is an American actor and producer. He is known for playing Felix Taggaro in the television series '' One Tree Hill'', Vin Keahi in the television series ''Beyond the Break'', and Lucas Kendall in ''Power ...
(b. 1982) – star of '' One Tree Hill'' and winner of VH1's '' But Can They Sing?'' * Chris Crocker (b. 1980) – professional football player with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
*
Michael Cuddyer Michael Brent Cuddyer (; born March 27, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets. He batted and threw right ...
(b. 1979) – professional baseball
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
* Ras-I Dowling
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
cornerback 2011–present *
Deon Dyer Deon Joseph Dyer (born October 2, 1977), nicknamed "Gunsmoke", is an American former professional football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He playe ...
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
running back 2003–2004 *
Kenny Easley Kenneth Mason Easley Jr. (born January 15, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons from 1981 to 1987. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and w ...
(b. 1959) – professional football player with the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
and Pro-Football Hall of Fame Member * Jeff Falk
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver *
DeAngelo Hall DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is an American professional football coach and former defensive back who most recently served as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). ...
(b. 1983) – professional football
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
*
Grant Holloway Stanley Grant Holloway (born November 19, 1997) is an American professional Hurdling, hurdler and Sprint (running), sprinter. He is a Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 110 metres hurdles, 110 meters ...
(b. 1997) – from Chesapeake (Grassfield High School) and University of Florida; won silver in the 2020 Olympics *
The Last Bison The Last Bison, formerly known as Bison, is an American indie folk band formed in Chesapeake, Virginia. The Last Bison originally dubbed their sound "mountaintop chamber music," combining elements of alternative indie-folk with classical sensibil ...
– indie folk group * Ashton Lewis (b. 1972) – NASCAR driver *
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
(b. 1970) – professional basketball player for the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
* Darren Perry (b. 1968) – football player with the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
*
Jay Pharoah Jared Antonio Farrow (born October 14, 1987), better known by his stage name Jay Pharoah, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2010 to 2016. In 2015, he was ...
(b. 1987) – actor, comedian, cast member of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' *
Chris Richardson Christopher Michael Richardson (born February 19, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. Personal life Richardson was born in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ...
(b. 1984) – ''
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 ...
'' season 5 top 5 finalist *
Ricky Rudd Richard Lee Rudd (born September 12, 1956), nicknamed "the Rooster", is an American former racing driver and racing team owner. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and former NASCAR Busch Series driver Jason Rudd. He retired in 2007 with 23 ...
(b. 1956) – professional NASCAR race car driver *
Josh Rupe Joshua Matthew Rupe (born August 18, 1982) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles. Career Chicago White Sox Rupe was ...
(b. 1982) – professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers *
Elton Sawyer Elton Everett Sawyer (born November 5, 1959) is an American former NASCAR driver. He is married to former NASCAR driver Patty Moise, and is the older brother of Roger Sawyer, who has also competed in NASCAR. Sawyer is currently the senior Vice P ...
(b. 1959) – NASCAR driver * Donald Spitz – controversial Christian anti-abortion activist * Eric Stanley (b. 1991) – violinist and composer *
Darryl Tapp Darryl Anthony Tapp (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional football coach and former defensive end who is the defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was sele ...
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
player and 63rd pick overall in the
2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...
* B. J. Upton (b. 1984) – professional baseball
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
for the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
; drafted #2 overall in 2002 *
Justin Upton Justin Irvin Upton (born August 25, 1987) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Nicknamed "J-Up", he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Los Angel ...
(b. 1987) – professional baseball player drafted #1 overall in 2005 by the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
*
Adrienne Warren Adrienne Warren is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical '' Bring It On'', and in 2016 received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performance in '' Shuffle Alo ...
(b. 1987) – professional singer, actress and dancer; portrayed Lorrell Robinson in the 2010 national tour of ''
Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
''; singer for
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill (producer), Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-pr ...
*
David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...
(b. 1982) – professional baseball starting third baseman for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...


Hampton

* Xavier Adibi – linebacker with the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
* Robert Banks – NFL defensive end *
Macey Brooks Barry Macey Brooks (born March 2, 1975) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He was also a co-owner and wide receivers coach for the Kane County ...
– wide receiver for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
and
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
* Elton Brown (b. 1982) – former professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals *
Ronald Curry Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San Fra ...
(b. 1979) – professional football player for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
*
DRAM Dram, DRAM, or drams may refer to: Technology and engineering * Dram (unit), a unit of mass and volume, and an informal name for a small amount of liquor, especially whisky or whiskey * Dynamic random-access memory, a type of electronic semicondu ...
(b. 1988) – musician *
Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...
(b. 1955) – popular country-rock musician and songwriter * Chris Ellis – practice team member for the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
* La'Keshia Frett – professional basketball player and coach * Shaun Gayle (b. 1962) – professional football player with the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
* Chris Hanburger (b. 1941) – popular
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
player in the 1970s *
Dwight Hollier Dwight Hollier (born April 21, 1969) is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. He was selected by the Dolphins in the fourth round of t ...
(b. 1969) – professional football player with the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
and the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
* Mike Husted (b. 1970) – former kicker for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
,
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
*
Weldon Irvine Weldon Jonathan Irvine Jr. (October 27, 1943 – April 9, 2002), also known as Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist, organist, and keyboardist. Biography Irvine, an African American, was born in Hampton, Virginia, on ...
(1943–2002) – musician *
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...
(b. 1975) – former professional basketball player *
John P. Jumper John Phillip Jumper (born February 4, 1945) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) General (United States), general, who served as 17th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, chief of staff of the United States Air Force from Septemb ...
(b. 1945) – former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force *
Todd Kelly Todd Evan Kelly (born 9 October 1979) is a retired Australian professional racing driver who competed in the Supercars Championship, Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. He is the older brother of fellow Supercars driver and former Bathurst ...
(b. 1970) – professional football player for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
,
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, and
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
*
Jerod Mayo Jerod Andrew Mayo Sr. (born February 23, 1986) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the New England Patriots. He also served as the head coach ...
(b. 1986) – professional football player with the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
drafted 10th overall in 2008 *
Francena McCorory Francena Lynette McCorory (born October 20, 1988) is a retired American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 meters. She was the 2011 World bronze medalist in the 400 meters and was a member of the gold medal-winning 20 ...
(b. 1988) – member of 2012 gold medal Olympic women's 4x400 team * Dwight Stephenson (b. 1957) – professional football player for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
and member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
*
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Di'allo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Rav ...
(b.1989) – NFL quarterback for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
*
Dwight White Dwight Lynn White (July 30, 1949 – June 6, 2008) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East ...
(1949–2008) – defensive end on the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
during their 1970s glory years *
Jimmy F. Williams James Franklin Williams Jr. (born March 8, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the V ...
(b. 1984) – professional football player with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
* Steve Wilson – jazz musician, alto and soprano saxophones, flute; composer * Antwoine Womack – drafted by
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in 2002 * Roy "Future Man" Wooten (b. 1957) – musician


Newport News

*
Willie Armstead Willie Armstead (born April 10, 1952) is a former slotback and wide receiver who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Calgary Stampeders. He is a native of Newport News, Virginia, a 1971 graduate of Newport News H ...
(b. 1952) – former professional football player in the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
* Keith Atherton (b. 1959) – former pitcher for the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
and the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
*
Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer, comedian and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the ti ...
(1918–1990) – Tony Award-winning actress and singer * Antoine Bethea (b. 1984) – professional football
strong safety Safety (S), historically known as a safetyman, is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free sa ...
for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
*
Larry Bethea Larry Bethea (July 21, 1956 – April 24, 1987) was an American American football, football defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He was also a member of the Michigan Panthers and Houston ...
(1956–1987) – late professional football player for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
* Darryl Blackstock (b. 1983) – professional football player for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
*
Blind Blake Arthur Blake (1896 – December 1, 1934), known as Blind Blake, was an American blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He is known for recordings he made for Paramount Records between 1926 and 1932. Early life Little is known of Blake's life. ...
(1896–1934) – blues and ragtime musician (not officially confirmed he was born in Newport News) *
Robert Eugene Brashers Robert Eugene Brashers (March 13, 1958 – January 19, 1999) was an American serial killer and rapist who committed at least three murders from 1990 and 1998 in the states of South Carolina and Missouri. He committed suicide to avoid arrest for a ...
(1958-1999), serial killer * Aaron Brooks (b. 1976) – former professional football
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
; land developer *
Joyce Bulifant Joyce Collins Bulifant (born December 16, 1937) is an American actress and author. In addition to recurring roles on television, including ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' as Marie Slaughter, Bulifant is recognized for film roles in ''The Happiest ...
(b. 1937) – television actress *
Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was stationed at ...
(b. 1953) –
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
guitarist * Will Crutchfield (b. 1957) – opera conductor *
Scott Darling Scott Darling (born December 22, 1988) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes. Darling was selected by the ...
(b. 1988) – professional ice hockey goaltender for the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
* Ben Edwards (b. 1992) – football player *
Frankie Faison Frankie Russel Faison (born June 10, 1949) is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner, and, later, Commissioner, Ervin Burrell in the HBO series ''The Wire'', as Barney Matthews in the ''Hannibal Lecter'' franchise, and as Su ...
(b. 1949) – film actor *
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
(1917–1996) –
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
singer *
The Five Keys The Five Keys were an American rhythm and blues vocal group who were instrumental in shaping this genre in the 1950s. They were formed with the original name of Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, US, in the late 1940s, and initially con ...
– popular soul and doo-wop act in the 1950s; featuring Newport News locals Ripley Ingram, Bernie West, Dickie Threat and Rudy West * Earl R. Fox (1919–2012) – U.S. Navy and Coast Guard veteran; last American active servicemember from
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
*
Johnny Gilbert John Lewis Gilbert III (born July 13, 1928) is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from variou ...
(b. 1928) – announcer for the television quiz show ''
Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead g ...
'' *
Marques Hagans Marques Terrelle Hagans (born December 29, 1982) is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He is currently the wide receivers coach at Penn State. He played college football at Virginia and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the ...
(b. 1982) – NFL player *
Henry Jordan the Virginia Cavaliers Henry Wendell Jordan (January 26, 1935 – February 21, 1977) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns ...
(1935–1977) – former professional football player for the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
; member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
* Richard Kelly (b. 1975) – film director and writer; films include ''
Donnie Darko ''Donnie Darko'' is a 2001 American Science fiction film, science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly (filmmaker), Richard Kelly in his List of directorial debuts, directorial debut, and produced by Flower ...
'' and ''
Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called '' pips'' or ''dots'' ...
'' * Leroy Keyes (1947–2021) – professional football
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
* J. J. Lankes (1884–1960) –
woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...
artist, lived for many years in the
Hilton Village Hilton Village is a planned English-village-style neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia. Recognized as a pioneering development in urban planning, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was built between 191 ...
neighborhood * Kwamie Lassiter (1969-2019) – former football
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
for the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
* David Macklin (b. 1978) – professional football player for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
* Michael Maguire (b. 1955) –
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning actor *
Queen Esther Marrow Queen Esther Marrow (born February 12, 1941) is an American soul and gospel singer. Biography Queen Esther Marrow was born in Newport News, Virginia. She began her career at the age of 22, when her vocal gifts were discovered by Duke Ellington a ...
(b. 1941) – soul and gospel singer * Masego (b. 1993) – R&B and traphouse jazz artist * Lightfoot Solomon Michaux (1885–1969) – evangelist, early radio and television pioneer *
J. Clyde Morris James Clyde Morris (July 4, 1909 – September 21, 1987) was an American civic leader in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. His career spanned 32 years of public service. Morris served as the only city manager of the short-lived ...
(1909–1987) – first executive director of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel The Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel (CBBT, officially the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel) is a bridge–tunnel that crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay between Delmarva and Hampton Roads in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It ope ...
; former city manager of the
City of Warwick The City of Warwick was a Local government in Australia, local government area administering the regional centre of Warwick, Queensland, Warwick in the Darling Downs region of Queensland. The City covered an area of , and existed as a local gov ...
* Hazel R. O'Leary (b. 1937) – former
Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when P ...
under President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
and President of
Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...
*
Tommy Reamon Thomas Waverly Reamon Sr. (March 12, 1952 – May 22, 2025) was an American professional football player, actor, and educator in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. He played football as a running back in the National Football League (NFL), W ...
(b. 1952) – former pro football player and coach * Austin Roberts (b. 1945) – singer and songwriter *
Norm Snead Norman Bailey Snead (July 31, 1939 – January 14, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New ...
(1939–2024) – former professional football quarterback for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
*
Sonja Sohn Sonja Denise Plack (' Williams), known professionally as Sonja Sohn, (born May 9, 1964) is an American actress, filmmaker, and activist, best known for portraying Baltimore detective Kima Greggs in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' (2002–2008). Sh ...
(b. 1964) – actress, ''The Wire'', ''Body of Proof'' * Jon St. John (b. 1960) – voice actor and singer, best known as the voice of
Duke Nukem ''Duke Nukem'' is a video game series and media franchise created by the company Apogee Software Ltd. (now 3D Realms). The franchise follows the titular Duke Nukem as he battles against a military or extraterrestrial force. Originally a serie ...
*
William Styron William Clark Styron Jr. (June 11, 1925 – November 1, 2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work. Early life Styron was born in the Hilton Village historic district of Newport News, Virginia, the so ...
(1925–2006) – author of ''
The Confessions of Nat Turner ''The Confessions of Nat Turner'' is a 1968 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by American writer William Styron. Presented as a first-person narrative by historical figure Nat Turner, the novel concerns Nat Turner's Rebellion in Virginia in 1831. ...
'' and '' Sophie's Choice'' * Nick "The Goat" Thompson (b. 1981) – professional mixed martial arts fighter; Bodog Fight Welterweight Champion *
Mike Tomlin Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led t ...
(b. 1972) – head coach of the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
* Al Toon (b. 1963) – former professional football player for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
* Marcus Vick (b. 1984) – former NFL player, quarterback for
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
*
Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Norfolk State Spartans football, Norfolk State University. He played quarterback in the National F ...
(b. 1980) – NFL quarterback,
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
*
Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other ...
(b. 1964) – musician


Norfolk

* Adam Anderson – driver of the Taz and Grave Digger Monster Trucks; son of Monster Truck driver *
Dennis Anderson Dennis Montague Anderson (born October 24, 1960) is an American former professional monster truck driver. He is the creator, team owner, and former driver of "Grave Digger (monster truck), Grave Digger" on the United States Hot Rod Association, ...
– driver of the Grave Digger Monster Truck in the
Monster Jam Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour operated by Feld Entertainment. The series began in 1992, and is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association. Events are primarily held in North America, with some addition ...
series * Mason Andrews (1919–2006) – physician who delivered America's first in vitro baby; visionary leader of Norfolk's late 20th century renaissance * Anhayla (b. 1988) – singer-songwriter *
Gordon Banks Gordon Banks (30 December 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional care ...
(b. 1955) – guitarist and music director for
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
* Al Barks (1936–2018) –
Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...
player * Gary "U.S." Bonds (b. 1939) – singer-songwriter *
Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was ...
(b. 1977) – professional football
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
* William Harvey Carney (1840–1908) – African-American soldier of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
;
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 for his part in the
54th Massachusetts Infantry The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantr ...
's assault on
Fort Wagner Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. Named for deceased Lt. Col. Thomas M. Wagner, it was the site of two American Civil War ba ...
, South Carolina *
Kam Chancellor Kameron Darnel Chancellor (born April 3, 1988), nicknamed "Bam Bam Kam", is an American former professional football safety who spent his entire nine-year career with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played colleg ...
(b. 1988) – professional football safety for the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
*
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
– saxophonist for
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
's E Street Band * Alex Cosmidis – Minor League baseball player and manager and Major League scout * William Couper (1853–1942) – sculptor * Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr. (1897–1981) –
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
;
Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...
;
Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the
College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...
; third President of the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
*
Keyshawn Davis Keyshawn Davis (born February 28, 1999) is an American professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight title from February to June 2025. As an amateur, Davis won silver medals at the 2019 Pan American Games, 2019 Wor ...
(b. 1999) – professional boxer * Mike D'Orso (b. 1953) – author, journalist * Charles "Lefty" Driesell (1931–2024) – basketball coach at
Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
, the
University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...
,
James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...
, and
Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is al ...
*
Rob Estes Rob Estes (born July 22, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Harry Wilson on the teen drama series '' 90210'', as Sgt. Chris Lorenzo on the crime drama series ''Silk Stalkings'', and as Kyle McBride on the primetime soap ...
(b. 1963) – actor *
Ryan Farish Ryan Farish is an American composer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his contributions to electronic music, mainly in the subgenres of downtempo electronica, chill-out, and dance music. Music career Born in Norf ...
(b. 1974) – music composer, artist, publisher, and record executive of Rytone Entertainment *
Florian-Ayala Fauna Florian-Ayala Fauna is an American artist, musician, poet, and music producer. Fauna is the main member of the post-industrial music project uncertain. Personal life Florian-Ayala Fauna was born in Norfolk, Virginia. At age 5, Fauna moved to B ...
– artist musician * Hank Foiles – from Norfolk, Major league All-Star in 1957; played for seven teams; finished his career in 1964 with the expansion Los Angeles Angels * William Fuller (b. 1962) – professional football
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
for the
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
,
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
and
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
*
Stephen Furst Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017) was an American actor, director and producer. After gaining attention with his featured role as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the comedy film '' National Lampoon's A ...
(1954–2017) – television actor *
Grant Gustin Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series ''The Flash'' (2014–2023) as part of the Arrowverse and as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series ''Gl ...
(b. 1990) – television actor *
Henry Howell Henry Evans Howell Jr. (September 5, 1920 – July 7, 1997), nicknamed "Howlin' Henry" Howell, was an American lawyer and politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A progressive populist and a member of the Democratic Party, he served in ...
(1920–1997) –
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held ...
* Lawrence "LoJo" Johnson (b. 1974) – Olympic pole vaulter, silver medalist in 2000 *
General Norman Johnson General Norman Johnson (May 23, 1941 – October 13, 2010) was an American R&B singer, frontman of the Chairmen of the Board, songwriter, and record producer. He usually performed as General Johnson, although sometimes (particularly early in ...
(1943-2010) – R&B musician *
Kishi Bashi Kaoru Dill-Ishibashi (born November 4, 1975), who performs as Kishi Bashi, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and Emmy-nominated award winning filmmaker currently based in Athens, Georgia. He was a founding member of Jupit ...
(b. 1975) –
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
violinist; solo musician; tour member of
Of Montreal of Montreal is an American indie pop band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontperson Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance between Barnes and a woman "of Montreal". The band is identified as part of the Elephant 6 collec ...
and
Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian Americans, Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City's Indie music scene, in ...
*
Naomi Long Madgett Naomi Long Madgett (July 5, 1923 – November 5, 2020) was an American poet and publisher. Originally a teacher, she later found fame with her award-winning poems and was also the founder and senior editor of Lotus Press, established in 1972, a p ...
(1923–2020) – poet * Mae
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band * Thomas W. Moss, Jr. (1928–2015) – Democratic Speaker of the
Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...
, 1992–2000 *
Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942), also known as Mr. Las Vegas, is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in ...
(b. 1942) – aka "Mr. Las Vegas"; singer and songwriter *
Tim Reid Timothy Lee Reid Sr. (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Br ...
(b. 1944) – television actor, director, and film executive *
Jodi Rell Mary Carolyn Rell (née Reavis; June 16, 1946 – November 20, 2024), known as M. Jodi Rell, was an American politician who served as the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 to 2011. Rell also had served as the state's 105th lieutenant gove ...
(b. 1946) – Republican
Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...
, 2004–2011 *
Joseph Jenkins Roberts Joseph Jenkins Roberts (March 15, 1809 – February 24, 1876) was an African-American merchant who emigrated to Liberia in 1829, where he became a politician. Elected as the first (1848–1856) and seventh (1872–1876) president of Liberi ...
(1809–1876) – first
President of Liberia The president of the Republic of Liberia is the head of state and government of Liberia. The president serves as the leader of the executive branch and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Prior to the independence of Liber ...
* Dave Robertson (1889–1970) – from Norfolk, two-time National League home run leader; hit .500 in 1917 World Series; hit .287 over nine seasons with the Giants, Cubs and Pirates; product of Norfolk Academy; played four sports at Wake Forest and NC State; managed the minor league Norfolk Tars for several years in the 1920s *
Larry Sabato Larry Joseph Sabato (; born August 7, 1952) is an American political scientist and political analyst. He is the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, where he is also the founder and director of the Center for ...
(b. 1952) – political pundit and professor at the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
*
Ed Schultz Edward Andrew Schultz (January 27, 1954 – July 5, 2018) was an American television and radio host, Pundit, political commentator, news anchor and sports broadcaster. He was the host of ''The Ed Show'', a weekday news talk program on MSN ...
(1954–2018) –
pundit A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...
and TV personality for
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
*
Deborah Shelton Deborah Shelton is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 1970. She is also known for her appearances on ''Dallas'' for three seasons, with a special guest return in 2013. Pageants In 1970, Shelton competed ...
(b. 1948) – actress;
Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. ...
1970, first runner-up in
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
contest *
John Wesley Shipp John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1955) is an American actor known for his various television roles. He played the lead Barry Allen on CBS's superhero series ''The Flash'' from 1990 to 1991, and Mitch Leery, the title character's father, on ...
(b. 1956) – television actor *
Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 19 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Vir ...
(b. 1963) – Pro Football Hall of Fame player for the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
* Joe Smith (b. 1975) – professional basketball player for the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
*
Keely Smith Dorothy Jacqueline Keely (March 9, 1928The reference work ''The Encyclopedia of Native Music: More Than a Century of Recordings from Wax Cylinder to the Internet'' gives Smith's date of birth as March 9, 1932. – December 16, 2017), professio ...
(1928–2017) – nightclub singer, wife and stage partner of
Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...
*
Margaret Sullavan Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 – January 1, 1960) was an American stage and film actress. She began her career onstage in 1929 with the University Players on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In 1933, she caught the attention of film direct ...
(1909–1960) – actress and wife of
Leland Hayward Leland Hayward (September 13, 1902 – March 18, 1971) was an American talent agent and theatrical producer. He was an agent to about 150 artists in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood, and produced the original Broadway theatre, Broadway st ...
* Chuck Swirsky
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
radio play-by-play announcer, previously with
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
*
Littleton Waller Tazewell Littleton Waller Tazewell (December 17, 1774May 6, 1860) was a Virginia lawyer, plantation owner, and politician who served as U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator and the 26th Governor of Virginia, as well as a member of the Virginia House of D ...
(1774–1860) –
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
and
Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...
* Antoine Thompson – cornerback with the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
*
Scott Travis Mark Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, and the supergroup Elegant Weapons. He was also a longtime member of ...
(b. 1961) – drummer for rock band
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
*
John Paul Vann John Paul Vann (born John Paul Tripp; July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well known for his role in the Vietnam War. Although separated from the military before the Vietna ...
(1924–1972) – U.S. soldier and civilian active in Vietnam *
Marc Vann Marc Vann (born August 23, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Conrad Ecklie in the CBS television series '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. He also had notable roles in ''Angel'' and ''Early Edition''. Vann was born in No ...
(b. 1954) – actor *
Brandon Vera Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977), or also known by his ring name as The Truth, is a Filipino and American retired mixed martial artist where he was the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Champion and the 2005 WEC Heavyweight Grand Prix Champ ...
(b. 1977) – mixed martial artist, currently signed to
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
*
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...
(1935–1971) – rock-a-billy artist recorded the hit " Be-Bop-a-Lula" * Ben Watson (b. 1980) – football player for the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
*
Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and R&B saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' ...
(b. 1945) – composer,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
saxophonist, and long-time touring member of
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
*
Joe Weatherly Joseph Herbert Weatherly (May 29, 1922 – January 19, 1964) was an American stock car racing driver. Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National Series championships i ...
(1922–1964) – NASCAR driver * Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker (b. 1964) –
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
; 1984 Olympic gold medalist, professional champion in four weight classes * Thomas Wilkins (b. 1954) – orchestra conductor, music director of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra *
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty (musical), The Full Mont ...
(b. 1973) – actor *
David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...
(b. 1982) – professional baseball player for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
David Wright: Bio & Stats
" ''
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
.'' Retrieved on March 15, 2007.


Portsmouth

* V. C. Andrews (1923–1986) – mystery and horror writer * Cleo Anthony (b. 1981) – American actor * James P. Berkeley (1907–1985) –
USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
general and expert in
Military communications Military communications or military signals involve all aspects of communications, or conveyance of information, by armed forces. Examples from '' Jane's Military Communications'' include text, audio, facsimile, tactical ground-based communica ...
*
Ken Bowersox Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox (born November 14, 1956) is a United States Navy officer and former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five Space Shuttle launches and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. When he launched on STS-73 ...
(b. 1956) – astronaut *
Marty Brennaman Franchester Martin Brennaman (born July 28, 1942) is an American former sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds on the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network. Known for his opini ...
(b. 1942) – sportscaster for the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
* Karen Briggs (b. 1963) – violinist *
Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...
(1928–2006) –
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
Award-winning singer and entertainer *
Bebe Buell Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell ( ; born July 14, 1953) is an American singer and former model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with Eileen Ford, ...
(b. 1953) – fashion model, famous groupie and mother of Liv Tyler * John T. Casteen III (b. 1943) – President of the University of Virginia, born in Portsmouth *
Mahlon Clark Mahlon Clark (March 7, 1923 – September 20, 2007) was an American musician who was a member of the Lawrence Welk orchestra from 1962 to 1968. His primary instrument was the clarinet. Biography Born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, Clark sta ...
(1923–2007) – musician * LaTasha Colander (b. 1976) – track and field sprint star, 2000 Olympic gold medalist (4 × 400 m) * Deborah Coleman (1956–2018), blues musician * Fanny Murdaugh Downing (1831–1894) – author and poet *
Archie Elliott Jr. Archie Elliot Jr. is an African-American retired judge and lawyer from Portsmouth, Virginia. He served as a judge in the Portsmouth General District Court from 1974 until 2006. Early life and education Elliott attended the historically black col ...
– African-American retired judge and lawyer *
Archie Elliott III The killing of Archie Elliott III, a black 24-year-old, occurred on June 18, 1993, in District Heights, Maryland. Police Officer Jason Leavitt spotted Elliott driving erratically and pulled him over on suspicion of driving under the influence. L ...
(1968–1993) – Black 24-year-old shot by police in District Heights, Maryland on June 18, 1993 * Jamin Elliott (b. 1979) – former NFL wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons *
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
(b. 1971) –
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
*
Perry Ellis Perry Edwin Ellis (March 3, 1940 – May 30, 1986) was an American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s. Ellis' influence on the fashion industry has been called "a huge turning point" because he in ...
(1940–1986) – fashion designer *
John Facenda John Thomas Ralph Augustine James Facenda ( ; August 8, 1913September 26, 1984) was an American broadcaster and sports announcer. He was a fixture on Philadelphia radio and television for decades, and achieved national fame as a narrator for N ...
(1913–1984) –
WCAU WCAU (channel 10) is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned and operated by the NBC television network through its NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jersey–licensed ...
news anchor from 1948 to 1973; known as the "voice of
NFL Films NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces advertisement film, commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentary film, documentaries ...
" until his death in 1984 *
Dorian Finney-Smith Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith (born May 4, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball, Virgini ...
– basketball player for the University of Florida and Dallas Mavericks * Clifton C. Garvin (1921–2016) – President and CEO of
Exxon Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the largest direct successor of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the modern company was form ...
*
Mordechai Gifter Mordechai Gifter (October 15, 1915 - January 18, 2001) was an American Haredi rabbi. He was the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland. He was a staunch opponent of Zionism. Gifter studied in yeshivas in Lithuania, and held seve ...
(1915–2001) – among the foremost American religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century *
Melvin Gregg Melvin Gregg is an American actor known for his roles as DeMarcus Tillman in Netflix's mockumentary series '' American Vandal'', Erick Scott in Steven Soderbergh's sports drama film '' High Flying Bird'', Drew 'Manboy' Miller on FX's crime drama ...
(1988–) – American actor and model * Chandler Harper (1914–2004) – golfer *
Ken Hatfield Kenneth Wahl Hatfield (born June 6, 1943) is an American former college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy (1979–1983), the University of Arkansas (1984–1989), Clemson Unive ...
– classical guitarist * James W. Holley III (1926–2012) – politician, first African-American mayor of any city in the Hampton Roads region (Portsmouth) * W. Nathaniel "Nat" Howell (1939–2020) – State Dept. Foreign Service officer, former Ambassador to
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
; professor emeritus, the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
*
Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American musician and record producer. Alongside childhood friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in 1992, with whom he has produced numerous hit records for variou ...
(b. 1974) – musician and producer in the
Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...
and
N.E.R.D. N.E.R.D. (a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) was an American rock and hip-hop band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1994. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists ...
* Ben L. Jones (b. 1941) – actor and politician * T. J. Jordan (b. 1986) – basketball player *
Jillian Kesner-Graver Jillian Kesner-Graver (August 9, 1949 – December 5, 2007), credited onscreen as Jillian Kesner, was an American actress and historian who worked with her husband, Gary Graver, to preserve the work and legacy of director Orson Welles. She was b ...
(1949–2007) – actress * Jack T. Kirby (1938–2009) – historian of the southern United States, awarded the
Bancroft Prize The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948, with a bequest from Frederic Bancroft, in his memory and that of his brother, d ...
for his 2006 book ''Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South'' * Erik S. Kristensen (1972–2005) – US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander and highest decorated SEAL to be killed in
Operation Red Wings Operation Red Wings (often incorrectly referred to as ''Operation Redwing'' or ''Operation Red Wing''), informally referred to as the Battle of Abbas Ghar, was a joint military operation conducted by the United States in the Pech District ...
*
Rita Lavelle Rita Marie Lavelle (born September 8, 1947) is a United States and California State Republican political figure. In 1984, Lavelle was convicted on federal charges of perjury related to an investigation into misuse of the United States Environmen ...
(b. 1947) – assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency *
Louise Lucas Lillie Louise Lucas ( Boone; born January 22, 1944) is an American politician serving as a Virginia state senator, representing the 18th District in the southeast region of the state since 1992. Democrats won a majority of seats in the 2019 Vir ...
(b. 1944) – Virginia State Senator, and the first woman and first African-American to hold the position of President pro tempore of the Virginia Senate * Nathan McCall (1955–) – African-American author who grew up in the Cavalier Manor section of Portsmouth, Virginia * Kenneth R. Melvin (b. 1952) – former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, lawyer, and current jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia *
LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt (born June 27, 1986) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Summer Olympics, Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 ...
(b. 1986) – 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter * Pete Mikolajewski (b. 1943) – football player * Johnny E. Morrison – jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia * George "Shadow" Morton (1941–2013) – record producer and songwriter * James Murphy (1967–) –
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
guitarist, member of the bands
Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
,
Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
,
Obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...
and Disincarnate * Bismarck Myrick (b. 1940) – U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a ...
, U.S. Ambassador to
Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...
*
Wendell Cushing Neville Wendell Cushing Neville (May 12, 1870 – July 8, 1930) was a major general of the Marine Corps as well as a Medal of Honor recipient and the 14th Commandant of the Marine Corps between 1929 and 1930. Military career Neville was born in Po ...
(1870–1930) – 14th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps *
Tommy Newsom Thomas Penn Newsom (February 25, 1929 – April 28, 2007) was a saxophone player in the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', for which he later became assistant director. Newsom was frequently the band's substitute dir ...
(1929–2007) – musician featured in
Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...
's ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'' band with
Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) ...
*
Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–2023) as adult ...
(b. 1969) – comedian and television actor *
Ace Parker Clarence McKay "Ace" Parker (May 17, 1912 – November 6, 2013) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played professional football as a quarterback, tailback and safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Brooklyn ...
(1912–2013) –
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
quarterback; also played baseball with the
Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...
* John L. Porter (1813–1893) – President of the first City Council, a naval constructor for United States Navy and the Confederate States Navy. * Dave Robertson (1889–1970), MLB outfielder 1912–22, played in World Series for
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
; born in Portsmouth *
William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series ''Wiseguy (TV series), Wiseguy'', the soap operas ''A ...
(b. 1950) – actor * Bill Schneider (b. 1944) – political commentator for
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
* Don Scott (b. 1965) – lawyer, Democratic politician, Navy veteran, and the first Black Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates * Dave Smith (1942–) – poet, novelist * Lon Solomon – Christian pastor and evangelist * Dorin Spivey – NBA World and NABA Lightweight Boxing Champion * William Spong Jr. (1920–1997) – lawyer, Democratic politician, United States Senator for the state of Virginia. * Brenda Spry – jurist for the Third Circuit of Virginia *
Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainme ...
(b. 1964) – actress, comedian, and comedy writer * Ted Thomas, Sr. (1935–2020) –
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
preacher and pastor of the New Community Temple
Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...
; General board member of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. denomination * Clif Tinker (1956–) – San Antonio, Texas-based commercial artist *
Adrienne Warren Adrienne Warren is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical '' Bring It On'', and in 2016 received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performance in '' Shuffle Alo ...
(1987–) – Broadway singer and actress *
Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ca ...
(b. 1957) – musician, founding member and bassist of SST hardcore punk band
Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Min ...
; current bassist for recently reunited 60s band
The Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
*
Khadijah Whittington Khadijah Ameenah Whittington (born August 5, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the CSM Satu Mare of the Liga Națională. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School (where she was a teammate of T. J. Jordan), Whit ...
(1986–) – professional basketball player for the CSM Satu Mare of the Liga Națională *
Nicole Wray Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1979, also known as Lady Wray, is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1998 debut single " Make It Hot" was certified gold. In the 2010s, she began pursuing a more traditional soul sound, first as part of the d ...
(b. 1980) –
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
and protégé of
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...


Suffolk

*
James Avery James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Judge Michael Conover on ''L.A. Law'', Steve Yeager in '' The Brady Bunch M ...
(1955–2013) – actor best known for his portrayal of Philip Banks on the TV sitcom ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...
'' * Johnnie Barnes (b. 1968) – graduate of
Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missiona ...
; former football player for the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
and the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
*
Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...
(1925–1999) –
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
guitarist * Mills Edwin Godwin, Jr. (1914–1999) – two time
Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...
*
Joe S. Lawrie Joe S. Lawrie (February 14, 1914 – February 25, 2009) was a career officer in the United States Army. He served from 1937 to 1967 and attained the rank of major general. A veteran of World War II and Operation Power Pack, Lawrie's commands incl ...
(1914–2009) – U.S. Army major general * Brandon Lowe (b. 1994) – Major league Baseball player *
Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
(b. 1991) – hip-hop music producer; produced tracks on
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
's ''
Teflon Don John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 ( , ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American '' mafioso'' and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambino ...
'',
Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2009 single "O Let's Do It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and led him to ...
's ''
Flockaveli ''Flockaveli'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Waka Flocka Flame. It was released through 1017 Brick Squad, Asylum, and Warner Bros. Records on October 5, 2010. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name ...
'',
Slim Thug Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1979), better known by his stage name Slim Thug, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his guest performance alongside Paul Wall on Mike Jones' 2004 single "Still Tippin'". The followi ...
's '' Tha Thug Show'', and Kanye West and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
's ''
Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated ...
'' * Joe Maphis (1921–1986) –
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer and songwriter *
Mike Tomlin Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led t ...
(b. 1972) - Football coach for the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
* Terrence Warren (b. 1969) – former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player and All-American sprinter at
Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missiona ...


Virginia Beach

*
Corey Ashe Corey Alan Ashe (born March 14, 1986) is an American former professional soccer player. He played 10 seasons in Major League Soccer, mostly with the Houston Dynamo, but also with Orlando City SC and Columbus Crew SC. Originally a wide midfiel ...
(b. 1986) – soccer player * Clara Byrd Baker, (1886-1979) – educator * Adam Ballou (b. 1992) – cerebral palsy soccer player and
Paralympian The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...
*
Wade Barrett Stuart Alexander Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English acting, actor and former professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Wade Barrett as a color commentator on the ''WWE Sma ...
(b. 1976) – soccer player *
Felicia Barton Felicia Diana Barton (born March 6, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her appearance on the eighth season of ''American Idol'' in 2009. Since 2013, she has joined Warner-Chappell Music and Pulse Recording as a songwrit ...
(b. 1982) – semi-finalist on ''
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 ...
'' *
Kharlton Belmar Kharlton Belmar (born December 1, 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Charlotte Independence in USL League One. Born in the United States, he plays for the Grenada national team. Career College and amateur Belmar spent ...
(b. 1992) – soccer player * Kelli Barrett, actress * Eric Bird (b. 1993) – soccer player *
Rudy Boesch Rudolph Ernst Boesch ( ; January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL, and two-time competitor on the reality competition show ''Survivor''. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Boesch enlisted in the United States ...
(1928–2019) – retired
Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
and contestant on ''
Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...
'' *
Jamelle Bouie Jamelle Antoine Bouie (; born April 12, 1987) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times''. He was formerly chief political correspondent for ''Slate''. In 2019, writing in the ''Columbia Journalism Review'', David Uberti called Bouie "o ...
(b. 1987) – journalist, ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' columnist, and political analyst * Bill Bray (b. 1983) – MLB player * Travis Brent (b. 1992) – soccer player and coach *
Jon Busch Jon Busch (born August 18, 1976) is an American professional soccer coach and former player, who played as a goalkeeper. Busch is currently the goalkeeping coach for USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. He is best remembered for hi ...
(b. 1976) – Hampton Roads Mariner; Major League Soccer *
Curtis Bush Curtis Bush (born June 27, 1962 ) is an American world champion kickboxer who competed in the welterweight, super-welterweight, light-middleweight and middleweight divisions. A tall Southpaw possessing dangerous spinning back kicks and spinn ...
(b. 1962) – kickboxer *
Rebecca Cardon Rebecca Lynn Cardon (born June 10, 1975) is a film and television actress, personal trainer, and product spokesperson. Cardon appeared on several reality-TV shows — and in 2013 she self-published the book ''Breakups Blow! A Guided Workbo ...
, actress, personal trainer and spokesperson *
Gabby Douglas Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and the 2015 World all-around silver medalist. She was a member of the gold-winning teams at both the ...
(b. 1995) – Olympic gymnastics gold medalist *
D.J. Dozier William Henry "D.J." Dozier Jr. (born September 21, 1965) is an American former professional National Football League (NFL) running back and Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played five seasons with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Det ...
(b. 1965) – football / baseball from Virginia Beach; Penn State All-American, first-round NFL draft 14th pick by
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
who was also drafted by major league baseball by the Detroit Tigers in the 18th round in 1983 (459th overall) * Jason Dubois (b. 1979) – MLB player * Genesis the Greykid (real name Russell McGee Jr.) – artist, creative, poet, writer *
Percy Harvin William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, who won the BCS National Champ ...
(b. 1988) –
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player * Devon Hall, played college basketball for the
Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic Coast C ...
, professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Istanbul of the
Basketbol Süper Ligi The Basketball Super League (; TBSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replaced the former Turkish Bas ...
*
Michael Hearst Michael Marcus Hearst (born December 27, 1972) is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and producer. He is best known for his solo albums ''Songs For Ice Cream Trucks'', ''Songs For Unusual Creatures'', ''Songs For Fearful Flyers'', ''Songs ...
(b. 1972) – author, musician, and composer *
Angela Hucles Angela Khalia Hucles Mangano (; born July 5, 1978) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player who is currently the president of women's soccer for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was ...
(b. 1978) – sports executive and former professional soccer player *
Daniel Hudson Daniel Claiborne Hudson (born March 9, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2009 to 2024. Hudson was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2008 M ...
(b. 1987) – MLB player * Jay Hoffman (b. 1951) – coached Hampton Roads Mariners; played professionally in the Canadian National Soccer League *
Bubba Jenkins Bubba Jenkins (born February 5, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. He currently competes in the featherweight division. He has also notably competed for Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Berkut, Professiona ...
(b. 1988) – NCAA wrestling national champion and
MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
fighter *
Roy Lassiter Roy Lee Lassiter (born March 9, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player. who played as a forward. He played the first few years of his professional career in Costa Rica. He returned to the United States to play in Major League ...
(b. 1969) – Hampton Roads Mariner; Major League Soccer; USA National Team * B. J. Leiderman (b. 1956) – composer of themes for
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
shows *
Marc Leishman Marc A. Leishman (born 24 October 1983) is an Australian professional golfer. He has won six times on the PGA Tour. In 2009 he won the Rookie of the Year award on the PGA Tour, the first Australian to win the award. Career Leishman was born i ...
(b. 1983) – professional golfer * Darin Lewis (b. 1976) – Hampton Roads Mariner; MLS New York MetroStars *
EJ Manuel Erik Rodriguez "EJ" Manuel Jr. (born March 19, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, leading them to an A ...
(b. 1990) – NFL quarterback for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
* Evan Marriott – actor in ''
Joe Millionaire ''Joe Millionaire'' is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on January 6, 2003, and concluded with the finale of its second season on November 24, 2003. Both seasons followed ...
'' * Kára McCullough, winner of
Miss USA 2017 Miss USA 2017 was the 66th edition of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada, on May 14, 2017. Deshauna Barber of the District of Columbia crowned her successor Kára McCullough, also of the District ...
, finished top ten in
Miss Universe 2017 Miss Universe 2017 was the 66th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on 26 November 2017. At the end of the event, Iris Mittenaere of France crowned Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa as Miss Unive ...
*
Bob McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, academic administrator, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Republica ...
(b. 1954) – former Governor of Virginia * Shane McFaul (b. 1986) – Hampton Roads Mariner; Republic of Ireland U21 * Ryan McGinness (b. 1972) – artist *
Jason Miyares Jason Stuart Miyares (born February 11, 1976) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 48th Attorney General of Virginia since 2022. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in ...
, Attorney General of Virginia *
Darryl Monroe Darryl Monroe Jr. (born January 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Changwon LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League (KBL). A power forward/ center, he played college basketball for Central Florida CC and George Maso ...
(b. 1986) – professional basketball player, 2016
Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP The Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP, or Israeli Basketball Super League MVP, is an annual basketball award that is presented to the most valuable player in a given season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier level ...
* Guy Morgan (b. 1960), former NBA player * Shawn Morimando (b. 1992) – MLB player *
Lenda Murray Lenda Murray (born 22 February 1962) is an American professional female bodybuilding champion. Early life and education Murray was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Darcelious and Louvelle Murray. She began participating in or ...
(b. 1962) – IFBB professional bodybuilder * Jamia Nash (b. 1996) – singer, actress *
Juice Newton Juice Newton (born Judith Kay Newton; February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 198 ...
(b. 1952) – singer, songwriter * Derrick Nnadi (b. 1996) – NFL defensive tackle * Sean Poppen, MLB player * Scott Presler, conservative activist *
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
(b. 1977) – rapper * Neil Ramírez (b. 1989) – MLB player * J.R. Reid (b. 1968) –
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player * Mark Reynolds (b. 1983) – third baseman/first baseman for the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
from Virginia Beach; drafted in 2004 by the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
in the 16th round (476th overall) *
Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter credited with the creation of the R&B and hip-hop fusion genre, new jack swing. Musical artists who utilized Riley's production and songwri ...
, music producer *
Pat Robertson Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (March 22, 1930 – June 8, 2023) was an American Media proprietor, media mogul, Televangelism, televangelist, political commentator, presidential candidate, and charismatic movement, charismatic minister. Rober ...
(1930–2023) – television preacher *
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
(b. 1965) – 10x All-Star, NBA MVP, 2x NBA Champion, 2x Olympic gold medalist, member of
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
, briefly grew up in Virginia Beach * Aaron Rouse (b. 1984) –
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player *
Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1980s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play ''This Is Our Youth'' (1996) and drama film ''You Can Count on Me'' (2000) ...
(b. 1967) – Oscar-nominated actor; raised in Virginia Beach *
Todd Schnitt Todd Andrew Schnitt (born January 24, 1966), known professionally as Todd Schnitt and MJ Kelli, is an American radio DJ and was previously a conservative talk radio host. Beginning in October 2020, he began hosting the "MJ Morning Show" on "Q10 ...
(b. 1966) – radio personality * Herbert Scott (b. 1953) – Kellam High School,
Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Richmond, Virginia. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...
,
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
offensive lineman in NFL for 10 seasons, 3× Pro Bowl, 2× First-team All-Pro, winner of Super Bowl XII *
Rhea Seehorn Deborah Rhea Seehorn ( ; born May 12, 1972) is an American actress and director. She is best known for playing Kim Wexler in AMC legal crime drama series ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022), for which she was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
(b. 1972) – actress known for role as Kim Wexler in ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
'' * Julie Shiflet (b. 1972) – professional
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
player * Scott Sizemore (b. 1985) –
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player * Chris Taylor (b. 1990) –
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player * Ian Thomas (b. 1987) – MLB player * Shamarko Thomas (b. 1991) –
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
safety and 111th pick overall in the
2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
; starred at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach *
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
(b. 1972) – music producer *
Lil Tracy Jazz Ishmael Butler (born October 3, 1995), professionally known as Lil Tracy, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Butler was also known under the name Yung Bruh during the beginning of his career. Tracy is best known for his collabor ...
(b. 1995) – rapper, singer and songwriter *
Kendra Todd Kendra Todd (born April 6, 1978) is a real estate broker based in Seattle, Washington. In 2005, she was the winner of season 3 of NBC's '' The Apprentice''. She was the first female candidate, and the youngest, to be hired on the U.S. ''Apprenti ...
, real estate broker, winner of '' The Apprentice'' * Turnover – indie rock band *
Travis Wall Travis Michael Wall (born September 16, 1987) is an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer specializing in contemporary and jazz dance styles. He rose to international attention in 2006 as a competitor on the second season of the Fox ...
(b. 1987) – choreographer and contestant on ''
So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
'' *
Matthew E. White Matthew E. White (born August 14, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and arranger. He has worked as a collaborator, producer, and arranger for acts including Bedouine, Natalie Prass, Cocoon, Foxygen, Justin Vernon, Hiss Golden ...
(b. 1982) – songwriter and producer * Elizabeth Williams (b. 1993), played college basketball at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, WNBA player for
Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Dream compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded for the ...
* Mark Williams, played college basketball for
Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the N ...
, NBA player for
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
* Matt Williams (b. 1971) – MLB player *
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
(b. 1973) – rapper, singer, record producer, composer and fashion designer * Glenn Yates Jr. (1927–2022) – architect and Virginia state legislator * Hunter Yeany (b. 2005) – racing driver *
Glenn Youngkin Glenn Allen Youngkin (born December 9, 1966) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 74th governor of Virginia since 2022. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he spent 25 years at the Private equi ...
(b. 1966) – elected governor of Virginia in 2021 *
Ryan Zimmerman Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball infielder who spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Washington Nationals. Zimmerman graduated from Floyd E. Kellam High S ...
(b. 1984) –
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player


Williamsburg

*
Jimmy Fortune Jimmy Fortune (born March 11, 1955) is an American country music singer from Nelson County, Virginia. Fortune sang tenor for The Statler Brothers for 21 years, and wrote the song " Elizabeth" for the group. When the Statler Brothers disbanded, h ...
(b. 1955) – vocalist with the
Statler Brothers The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening ...
*
Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, folk music, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock music, rock, heartland r ...
(b. 1954) – singer and songwriter *
Linda Lavin Linda Lavin (; October 15, 1937 – December 29, 2024) was an American actress and singer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she received several awards including three Drama Desk Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Obie Awards, and a T ...
(b. 1937) – actress *
Seven Mary Three Seven Mary Three (occasionally abbreviated to 7 Mary 3 or 7M3) is an American rock band. They released seven studio albums and one live album, and are best known for their hit single " Cumbersome". Career Formation Seven Mary Three formed in ...
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band *
Canaan Smith Canaan Lee Smith (born August 24, 1982) is an American country music singer and songwriter signed with Round Here Records, an independent label started by Florida Georgia Line. He has released two albums, ''Bronco (Canaan Smith album), Bronco'' ...
(b. 1984) – country music artist *
Ron Springs Ronald Edward Springs (November 4, 1956 – May 12, 2011) was an American professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Ohio State Universi ...
(b. 1956) – running back for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
and the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
* Shawn Springs (b. 1975) – football player for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
*
Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed "L.T.", is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New York Giants. He is almost universally regard ...
(b. 1959) – former professional football player for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
; professional wrestler; member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
*
George Wythe George Wythe (; 1726 – June 8, 1806) was an American academic, scholar, and judge who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The first of the seven Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, signatories of the ...
(1726–1806) – first professor of law at
William and Mary William and Mary often refers to: * The joint reign of William III of England (II of Scotland) and Mary II of England (and Scotland) * William and Mary style, a furniture design common from 1700 to 1725 named for the couple William and Mary may al ...
; taught future presidents
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
and
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American Founding Father of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He was the last Founding Father to serve as presiden ...
, and future Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...
; signer of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...


York County

* Terry Kirby (b. 1970) – professional football player for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
and
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
*
Wayne Kirby Wayne Leonard Kirby (born January 22, 1964) is an American former professional baseball right fielder and former coach. He was the outfield/base-running coordinator for the Texas Rangers from 2006 through 2010. From 2011 through 2018, Kirby was ...
(b. 1964) – Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians * Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738–1789) – signer of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
*
Bryan Randall Bryan Jemar Randall (born August 16, 1983) is an American former professional football quarterback. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Randall was als ...
(b. 1983) – 2005 ACC Football Player of the Year *
Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh drummer, who is perhaps best known for playing for Manfred Mann's Earth Band from its inception in 1971 to 1978 on eight albums, and AC/DC, for which he drummed from 1989 to ...
(b. 1971) – professional football player for the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:people from Hampton Roads, Virginia
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria ** Hampton railway station, Melbour ...
Hampton Roads