This is a list of notable people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. This list is in alphabetical order by last name.

A

Johnny Ace John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s. He emerged as a prominent figure in postwar R&B an ...

(1929–1954) — rhythm and blues singer *

Mo Alexander Mo Alexander (born November 7, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He has been headlining in comedy clubs and festivals since the mid-1990s. He has released six comedy albums, including 2022's ''Mo ...

(born 1970) — comedian *

Heather Armstrong Heather Brooke Armstrong (; July 19, 1975 – May 9, 2023) was an American blogger and internet personality from Salt Lake City, Utah, who began writing under the pseudonym Dooce. She was best known for her website ''dooce.com'', which peaked a ...

(1975–2023) — author and blogger,

Dooce Heather Brooke Armstrong (; July 19, 1975 – May 9, 2023) was an American blogger and internet personality from Salt Lake City, Utah, who began writing under the pseudonym Dooce. She was best known for her website ''dooce.com'', which peaked a ...

.com *

Kristin Armstrong Kristin Armstrong Savola (; born August 11, 1973) is a former professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, the winner of the women's individual time trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Before temporarily retiring to start a f ...

(born 1973) — professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist *

George Awsumb George Awsumb (20 July 1880 – 24 November 1959) was a prominent Norwegian-American architect in the first half of the 20th century. Awsumb defined architecture as "frozen music" designed for the "man on the street". He was influenced by his earl ...

(1880–1959) — Norwegian-American architect * Gwen Robinson Awsumb (1915–2003) — first woman elected to Memphis City Council *

Estelle Axton Estelle Axton (''née'' Stewart; September 11, 1918 – February 24, 2004) was an American record executive and co-founder of Stax Records, along with her brother Jim Stewart. Biography Born in Middleton, Tennessee, Estelle Stewart grew up o ...

(1918–2004) — co-founder of

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...

B

Julien Baker Julien Rose Baker (born 1995) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her music is noted for its moody quality and confessional lyrical style, as well as frank explorations of topics including Christianity, addiction, mental ...

(born 1995) — singer, songwriter, and guitarist * Michael A. Baker (born 1953) — astronaut *

Adrian Banks Adrian Gerard Banks (; born February 9, 1986) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for Northwest Mississippi Community College and Arkansa ...

(born 1986) —

American-Israeli Israeli Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent. The Israeli-American community, while predominantly Jewish, also includes various ethnic and religious minorities reflective of Israel's diverse demographics. This c ...

basketball player *

The Bar-Kays The Bar-Kays is an American funk band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including " Soul Finger" (US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 17, R&B number 3) in 1967, "Son of Shaft" (R&B number 10) in ...

(formed in 1966) — musicians *

Lloyd Barbee Lloyd Augustus Barbee (August 17, 1925 – December 29, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician who worked for civil rights. He led the effort to integrate the Milwaukee Public School system. He was a Democrat. Early life and education Born ...

(1925–2002) — Wisconsin legislator and civil rights activist *

Charles Barr Charles Barr (1903August 20, 1926), known as The Petting Party Bandit, was an American serial killer who attacked couples at lovers' lanes in Memphis, Tennessee, from January to May 1923, killing three and wounding one. For his crimes, he was con ...

(1903-1926) - serial killer known as “The Petting Party Bandit” *

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Barr ...

(1936–2014) — mayor of Washington, D.C. * Charles Bartliff (1886–1962) — soccer player and 1904 Olympian *

Daren Bates Daren Weston Bates (born November 27, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football linebacker and current assistant special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers foot ...

(born 1990) —

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 *

Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...

(born 1948) — Academy Award-winning actress * Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin (1913–1995) — poet *

Michael Beck Michael Beck (born February 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Swan in '' The Warriors'' (1979) as Sonny Malone in '' Xanadu'' (1980), and as Koda in '' Triumphs of a Man Called Horse'' (1983). Early life Beck was born ...

(born 1949) — actor, best known for '' The Warriors'' and '' Xanadu'' * Reginald Becton (born 1991) — basketball player who currently plays for

Yokohama B-Corsairs The are a Japanese professional basketball team that compete in the first division of the B.League. Following the team's establishment in 2010, they participated in the Eastern Conference of the bj league for five seasons and in 2013 became the ...

of the B. League * William Bedford (born 1963) — basketball player * Diane Meredith Belcher (born 1960) — concert organist, teacher, and church musician * Chris Bell (1951–1978) — musician * William Bell (born 1939) — singer * Charles T. Bernard (1927–2015) — businessman and Arkansas politician, died in Memphis in 2015 *

Big Scarr Alexander Woods (April 7, 2000 – December 22, 2022), better known by his stage name Big Scarr, was an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records in 2020, and released his single "SoIcyBoyz" (featuring ...

(2000-2022) — rapper *

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...

(formed in 1971) — rock band *

Big30 Rodney Lamont Wright Jr. (born December 28, 1999), better known by his stage name Big30 (stylized as BIG30), is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for his guest appearance on fellow Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty's 2021 ...

— rapper * Greg Bird — Major League Baseball first baseman *

Blac Youngsta Sammie Marquez Benson (born April 8, 1990), known professionally as Blac Youngsta, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He signed a recording contract with fellow Memphis-based rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group (CMG ...

(born 1990) — rapper; born Samuel Marquez Benson *

Tarik Black Tarik Bernard Black (; born November 22, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for LDLC ASVEL of the LNB Élite (LNB) and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He has previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets in ...

(born 1991) — basketball player *

James Blackwood James Webre Blackwood (August 4, 1919 – February 3, 2002) was an American gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers. He is the only person in any field of music to have been nomi ...

(1919–2002) — gospel singer, founding member of quartet The Blackwood Brothers *

Bobby "Blue" Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...

(1930–2013) — musician *

BlocBoy JB James Lee Baker (born May 19, 1996), known professionally as BlocBoy JB, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. Baker is best known for his 2018 single " Look Alive" (featuring Drake), which peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...

— rapper *

Elizabeth Bolden Elizabeth Bolden (née Jones; August 15, 1890 – December 11, 2006) was an American supercentenarian who, at the time of her death at age 116 years, 118 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the then- world's oldest living person.< ...

(1890–2006) — oldest person in the world during most of 2006 *

Charles Boyce Charles Boyce (born 1949 in Olive Branch, Mississippi), is an American cartoonist known for his syndicated comic panel ''Compu-toon''. Boyce is also known for creating the KeyPad Kid, a cartoon character used in public affairs awareness programs ...

(born 1949) — syndicated

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

Cory Branan Cory Dale Branan (born December 15, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter from Mississippi. Early life Branan was born in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, to parents Dallas Lee Branan, a jet mechanic at FedEx, and Peggy Branan (né ...

(born 1974) — singer/songwriter *

Craig Brewer Craig Houston Brewer (born December 6, 1971) is an American filmmaker. His 2005 movie '' Hustle & Flow'' won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original So ...

(born 1971) — film director *

Ben Browder Robert Benedict Browder (born December 11, 1962) is an American actor, writer and film director, known for his roles as John Crichton in '' Farscape'' and Cameron Mitchell in '' Stargate SG-1''. Early life Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Browder ...

(born 1962) — actor, best known for ''

Farscape ''Farscape'' is an Australian-American Science fiction on television, science fiction television series conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Hallmark Entertainment, originally for the Nine Network. It prem ...

'' and ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...

'' * Dave Brown (born 1946) — TV meteorologist, professional wrestling announcer * Joe Brown (born 1947) — politician *

Isaac Bruce Isaac Isidore Bruce (born November 10, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft aft ...

(born 1972) — former NFL player * Matt Brucker (born 2004) — soccer player * Antonio Burks (born 1980) — former basketball player *

Dorsey Burnette Dorsey William Burnett Jr. (December 28, 1932 – August 19, 1979) was an American early rockabilly singer. With his younger brother Johnny Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He is ...

(1932–1979) — rockabilly pioneer, singer-songwriter *

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny, his brother Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison, formed the band that became ...

(1934–1964) — rockabilly pioneer, singer-songwriter * Leonard Burton (born 1964) — NFL player * Mike Butler (1946–2018) — basketball player *

Derrick Byars Derrick JaVaughn Byars (born April 25, 1984) is an American entrepreneur and former professional basketball player. Collegiately, he played for Virginia, and later for Vanderbilt. He was drafted 42nd overall in the 2007 NBA draft. High school ...

(born 1984) — basketball player *

Latasha Byears Latasha Nashay Byears (born August 12, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for the Sacramento Monarchs, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, and Houston C ...

(born 1973) — basketball player

C

Herman Cain Herman Cain (December 13, 1945July 30, 2020) was an American businessman and Tea Party movement activist in the Republican Party. Cain graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He then earned a master's degree ...

(1945–2020) — businessman, talk show host, and candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination * Tyrone Calico (born 1980) — NFL player for the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...

(1939–2010) — actress known for ''

Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS between September 29, 1986 and May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomas ...

'' and ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...

'' * Lorenzo Carter (born 1995) — linebacker for 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 ...

Bob Caruthers Robert Lee Caruthers (January 5, 1864 – August 5, 1911), nicknamed "Parisian Bob", was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The sta ...

(1864–1911) —

Major League Baseball 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 *

Kellye Cash Kellye Cash-Sheppard (born February 2, 1965) is an American musician and beauty pageant titleholder. She won Miss America in 1987. Early life Cash was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Pageantry Cash was crowned Miss Tennessee 1986 and later Miss ...

(born 1965) —

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

1987 *

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws f ...

(born 1955) — singer-songwriter * Cy Casper (1912–1968) — NFL 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 ...

St. Louis Gunners The St. Louis Gunners were an independent professional football team based in St. Louis, Missouri, that played the last three games of the 1934 National Football League season, replacing the Cincinnati Reds on the league schedule after the Reds ...

, and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Dave Catching David Catching (born June 7, 1961) is an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a founding member of the California stoner rock bands earthlings? from 1993–present, and Queens of the Stone Age from 1996-2000, a former touring membe ...

(born 1961) — musician *

Alex Chilton William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950March 17, 2010) was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops ...

(1950–2010) — musician *

NLE Choppa Bryson LaShun Potts, (born November 1, 2002), known professionally as NLE Choppa (previously YNR Choppa), is an American rapper and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. He gained recognition with the release of his 2019 single " Shotta Flow", ...

— rapper * Robert Reed Church Sr. (1839–1912) — entrepreneur and philanthropist *

Mary Church Terrell Mary Terrell (born Mary Church; September 23, 1863 – July 24, 1954) was an American civil rights activist, journalist, teacher and one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She taught in the Latin Department at the M St ...

— civil and women's rights activist * Ian Clark (born 1991) — basketball player * Philip Claypool — musician *

Jack Clement Jack Henderson Clement (April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, record producer, film producer and music executive. He was producer and engineer for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in its early days, discovering ...

— singer-songwriter, and record and film producer * Antonius Cleveland (born 1994) — basketball player in the

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

* Lashundra Trenyce Cobbin (born 1980) — ''

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 ...

'' contestant *

Steve Cohen Steve, Steven or Stephen Cohen may refer to: Sportspeople * Steve Cohen (gymnast) (born 1946), American Olympic gymnast * Steve Cohen (judoka) (born 1955), American judoka and Olympian * Steve Cohen (wrestler) (born 1963), South African wrestler be ...

(born 1949) — politician *

Olivia Cole Olivia Carlena Cole (November 26, 1942 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress, best known for her Emmy Awards, Emmy Award-winning role in the 1977 miniseries ''Roots (1977 miniseries), Roots''. Early life and education Cole was born in M ...

(1942–2018) — actress *

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

(born 1935) — musician *

Barron Collier Barron Gift Collier (March 23, 1873 – March 13, 1939) was an American advertising entrepreneur who became the largest private landowner and developer in Florida, as well as the owner of a chain of hotels, bus lines, several banks, newspapers, ...

(1873–1939) — businessman * Jazzie Collins (1958–2013) — African American trans woman activist and community organizer * John Cooper (born 1975) — musician, Skillet * Zack Cozart — baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels *

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

(1934–2009) — musician *

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...

(born 1941) — musician,

Booker T. and the M.G.'s Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental rock, instrumental, Rhythm and blues, R&B, and funk band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The band is considered influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul a ...

and

The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers (formally, The Fabulous Blues Brothers’ Show Band and Revue) are an American blues and soul music, soul revue band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who met and began collaborating as original cast ...

* Edward H. Crump (1874–1954) —

political boss In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of th ...

and

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 ...

Randy Culpepper Randy Lechard Culpepper Sr. (born May 16, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Gezira of the Egyptian Basketball Premier League. College career He played for the University of Texas El Paso Miners. He is in Conference US ...

(born 1989) — basketball player

D

* Chastity Daniels (born 1978) — musician * Janette Davis (1916–2005) — singer *

Rick Dees Rigdon Osmond Dees III (born March 14, 1950), best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show '' The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Coun ...

(born 1950) — radio personality * Nancy Denson — mayor of

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

Duke Deuce Patavious Lashun Isom (born May 1, 1992), better known by his stage name Duke Deuce, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee. Formerly signed to Quality Control Music, Isom is best known for his song "Crunk Ain't Dead", w ...

— rapper *

Eric Jerome Dickey Eric Jerome Dickey (July 7, 1961January 3, 2021) was an American author. He wrote several crime novels involving grifters, ex cons, and assassins, the latter novels having more diverse settings, moving from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom to t ...

(1961–2021) — author *

Jim Dickinson James Luther Dickinson (November 15, 1941 – August 15, 2009) was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the band Mud Boy and the Neutrons, based in Memphis, Tennessee. Biography Dickinson was born in Li ...

(1941–2009) — musician; producer *

Peter C. Doherty Peter Charles Doherty (born 15 October 1940) is an Australian immunologist and Nobel laureate. Doherty received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1995, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zink ...

(born 1940) — Nobel laureate; scientist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital *

Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...

(1971–2024) — actress known for ''

Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...

'' *

Young Dolph Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (July 27, 1985 – November 17, 2021), better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was an American rapper and record executive. He first garnered mainstream attention for his guest appearance on O.T. Genasis' 2015 sin ...

(1985–2021) — rapper (grew up in Memphis) *

Johnny Dowd Johnny Dowd (born John David Dowd; March 29, 1948, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic (in the sense of dark ...

(born 1948) — musician *

Drumma Boy Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Drumma Boy (or Drummer Boy), is an American record producer and rapper. Early life Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova, Tennessee, he was exposed to ...

(born 1983) —

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

music producer * William B. Dunavant (1932–2021) — businessman, CEO of Dunavant Enterprises *

Donald "Duck" Dunn Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax R ...

(1941–2012) — musician in the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

E

* Johanna Edwards (born 1978) — author *

William Eggleston William Eggleston, (born July 27, 1939) is an American photographer. He is widely credited with increasing recognition of color photography as a legitimate artistic medium. Eggleston's books include ''William Eggleston's Guide'' (1976) and ''The ...

(born 1939) — photographer *

Egypt Central Egypt Central is an American alternative metal band from Memphis, Tennessee. History Formation and debut album (2002–2010) Egypt Central was formed on October 2, 2002. Based in Memphis and named after one of its roads. They wrote and ...

(2002–2014) — band *

Eightball & MJG 8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album ''Comin' Out Hard''. They went on to release ''On the Outside Looking In'' (1 ...

(established in 1991) — musicians

F

Charlie Feathers Charles Arthur Feathers (June 12, 1932 – August 29, 1998) was an American musician most associated with the rockabilly scene of the 1950s. Although not initially recognized for his contributions to rockabilly, over time his presence would bec ...

— rockabilly musician, died here in 1998 *

Ben Ferguson Benjamin Grant Ferguson (born August 28, 1981) is an American cable television talk show host and a radio talk show host on 600WREC/Memphis, TN. His radio show originates from his home in Texas. His nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Ben F ...

— nationally syndicated

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

host *

Paul Finebaum Paul Finebaum (born July 26, 1955) is an American sports author, former columnist, and television-radio personality. His primary focus is sports in the Southeast United States. After Finebaum spent many years as a reporter, columnist, and spor ...

— television and radio sports-talk host *

Finesse2tymes Ricky Hampton (born June 10, 1992), known professionally as Finesse2tymes, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for his 2022 single " Back End," which entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He is noted for his "thunderous ...

— rapper * Marjorie Finlay — opera singer and television personality * Veronica Finn — pop singer of now-disbanded group

Innosense Innosense was an American girl group that were active from 1997 to 2003. History 1997–1999: Formation and "Wherever You Are" The band was managed by Lou Pearlman and Janet Lynn Harless (mother of Justin Timberlake). The original members were ...

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...

— professional

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

(adopted at six weeks; raised in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

) * Rey Flemings — music

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

* Avron Fogelman — former owner of

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

and various Memphis-based sports teams; namesake of southeastern leg of Interstate 240 *

Shelby Foote Shelby Dade Foote Jr. (November 17, 1916 – June 27, 2005) was an American writer, historian and journalist. Although he primarily viewed himself as a novelist, he is now best known for his authorship of ''The Civil War: A Narrative'', a three- ...

— author * George L. Forbes — Cleveland City Council President, President of the Cleveland

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

Clementine Ford Clementine Ford is an American actress known for her appearance as Molly Kroll on Showtime's ''The L Word''. In April 2009, she joined the cast of the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' in the role of Mackenzie Browning. She left the s ...

— actress *

Harold Ford Jr. Harold Eugene Ford Jr. (born May 11, 1970) is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997 to 2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party fro ...

— politician * Jacob Ford — NFL player, Tennessee Titans *

Abe Fortas Abraham Fortas (June 19, 1910 – April 5, 1982) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1965 to 1969. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Fortas graduated from Rho ...

— politician and

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

justice *

Cary Fowler Morgan Carrington "Cary" Fowler Jr. (born 1949) is an American agriculturalist who served as the U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security from 2022 to 2025. He was previously executive director of the Crop Trust. Fowler received the 2024 Worl ...

— agriculturalist, established the

Svalbard Global Seed Vault The Svalbard Global Seed Vault () is a secure backup facility for the world's crop diversity on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The Seed Vault provides long-term storage for duplicates of seeds fro ...

* Morgan Jon Fox — film director *

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

(1942–2018) — singer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame *

Frayser Boy Cedric Kelvin Coleman, professionally known by his stage name Frayser Boy, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He was formerly signed to Hypnotize Minds, the record label run by Three 6 Mafia founders DJ Paul and Juicy J, and had r ...

— Academy Award-winning rapper * Nelson Frazier Jr. —

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...

— Academy Award-winning actor * Judy Freudberg — writer * John Fry — music producer, engineer, founder of

Ardent Studios Ardent Studios is an American recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The studio was founded in the late 1950s by John King, Fred Smith, and John Fry. Over time, it has become a commercially successful recording studio. ...

G

* David Galloway — novelist, international art curator, journalist and academic *

Gangsta Boo Lola Chantrelle Mitchell (August 7, 1979 – January 1, 2023), better known as Gangsta Boo, was an American rapper. She rose to prominence as a member of Three 6 Mafia, which she joined at the age of 14; after releasing six albums, she left th ...

(1979–2023) — rapper * TM Garret — author, producer, filmmaker, radio personality, activist *

The Gentrys The Gentrys were an American band of the 1960s and early 1970s, best known for their 1965 hit " Keep On Dancing". A cover by the Bay City Rollers charted No. 9 in the UK in 1971. Follow-up singles charted outside of the Top 40: " Every Da ...

— 1960s rock band with Larry Raspberry and Larry Wall *

Cassietta George Cassietta George (January 23, 1929 – January 3, 1995) was an American gospel vocalist, and composer for many of the songs sung by The Caravans. George was a member of Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker's The Caravans, She later launched a succ ...

— gospel singer and composer *

David Gest David Alan Gest (May 11, 1953 – April 12, 2016) was an American producer and television personality. Gest founded the American Cinema Awards Foundation in 1983. He produced the television special '' Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebrati ...

— event and concert producer *

Lee Giles Clyde Lee Giles is an American computer scientist and is the Emeritus David Reese Professor at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at the Pennsylvania State University where he taught for 24 years. He was also Gra ...

— academic and computer scientist *

Key Glock Markeyvius LaShun Cathey (born August 3, 1997), known professionally as Key Glock, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. The cousin of late Memphis rapper Young Dolph, Cathey signed with his record label, Paper Route Empire, t ...

— rapper *

GloRilla Gloria Hallelujah Woods (born July 28, 1999), known professionally as GloRilla, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She first became known for her 2022 single " F.N.F. (Let's Go)" (with Hitkidd), which peaked wi ...

— rapper *

Ginnifer Goodwin Ginnifer Goodwin (born Jennifer Michelle Goodwin on May 22, 1978) is an American actress. She starred as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' (2006–2011), Mary Margaret Blanchard, Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the Am ...

— actress * Robert Gordon — filmmaker and writer *

Clare Grant Clare Grant is an American actress, model, and producer. She co-founded Team Unicorn, which has produced several web series and music video parodies including "Geek and Gamer Girls" and " All About That Base". She also appeared in 2023 comedy ho ...

— actress *

Al Green Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Tired of ...

— singer, musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame *

Larkin Grimm Larkin Grimm (born 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in New York City. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Early life and career At age 20 Grimm dropped out of Yale University and moved to Alaska, where she hiked and be ...

— folk singer *

Logan Guleff Logan Guleff (born July 23, 2002) is a television personality, cookbook author, entrepreneur, and owner of Logan's ''Underground Supper Club''. In 2014, he became the winner of the second season of the American reality cooking competition '' M ...

— ''

MasterChef Junior ''MasterChef Junior'' is an American cooking competition involving children from the ages of 8–13 that premiered on Fox on September 27, 2013. It is based on the format of the British series '' Junior MasterChef''. In October 2023, the seri ...

'' Season 2 winner * Gyft — rapper signed to

E1 Music MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...

, known for his single "They Just Don't Know"

H

Lucy Hale Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Awards, Gracie Award, a People's Choice Aw ...

— singer and actress *

Richard Halliburton Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900Declared death in absentia, presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writing, travel writer and adventurer who, among numerous journeys, swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowes ...

— explorer and author * George Hamilton — Golden Globe Award-winning actor * W.C. Handy — musician *

Anne Haney Anne Ryan Haney ( Thomas; March 4, 1934 – May 26, 2001) was an American character actress. She appeared in small supporting roles in around 50 film and television productions and was best known for her roles as Mrs. Sellner in '' Mrs. Doubtfire ...

— actress * Rebecca Hanover — (B.A. English/creative writing 2001), television writer, winner of

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

for ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'' *

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway (born July 18, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Hardaway played colle ...

— former NBA player, NCAA Basketball coach *

E. Hunter Harrison Ewing Hunter Harrison (November 7, 1944 – December 16, 2017) was a railway executive who was the CEO of Illinois Central Railroad (IC), Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), and CSX Corporation. He is known for introd ...

— CEO of

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

Jimmy Hart James Ray Hart (born January 1, 1944) is an American professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician. He is signed to WWE in a Legends deal. He is best known for his work in WWE when it was still known as the World Wrestling ...

— singer,

pro wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

personality *

Lori Harvey Lori Harvey (born January 13, 1997) is an American model, socialite, influencer and entrepreneur. She is the daughter of Marjorie Harvey (née Bridges) and the adoptive daughter of comedian Steve Harvey. She was signed to IMG Models Management a ...

— model *

Jon Hassell Jon Hassell (March 22, 1937 – June 26, 2021) was an American trumpet player and composer. He was best known for developing the concept of "Fourth World" music, which describes a "unified primitive/futurist sound" combining elements of various w ...

— musician *

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

— actor and

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning musician * Samuel Henderson – former slave and Catholic convert *

Austin Hollins Austin Hollins (born November 8, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for Karşıyaka Basket of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the University of Minnesota. Early life Hollins was born in Arizona ...

(born 1991) — basketball player for

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...

of the

Olivia Holt Olivia Hastings Holt (born August 5, 1997) is an American actress and singer. She starred in the Disney XD series ''Kickin' It'', List of Disney Channel original films, Disney Channel Original Movie ''Girl vs. Monster'', and the List of program ...

— singer and actress *

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he develo ...

—

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 ...

musician * Benjamin L. Hooks — civil rights activist and executive director of the NAACP * Julia Britton Hooks — musician and civil rights activist *

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chica ...

— blues musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Lewis C. Hudson — brigadier general in the Marine Corps,

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

recipient * John Hulse — college professor *

Andy Hummel John Andrew Hummel (January 26, 1951 – July 19, 2010) was an American bassist and singer-songwriter best known as the bass player of Big Star.

— musician *

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

— singer

I

* iLoveMemphis (real name Richard Colbert) — rapper, also known as iHeartMemphis *

Ingram Hill Ingram Hill is an American rock band from Memphis, Tennessee. As of , they have released five studio albums and two EPs. History Ingram Hill was formed in 2000 by Justin Moore (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Phil Bogard (lead guitar), Shea Sow ...

— band

J

Al Jackson Jr. Albert J. Jackson Jr. (November 27, 1935 – October 1, 1975) was an American drummer, producer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a group of session musicians who worked for Stax Records and produced their ...

— musician *

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), known by his ring name of Rampage Jackson, is an American rapper, former mixed martial artist, actor, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. During the course of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, J ...

—

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

fighter * Raji Jallepalli — Indian-born chef and restaurateur * Antonio D. James (born 1985) — filmmaker; producer *

Jimi Jamison Jimmy Wayne Jamison (August 23, 1951 – September 1, 2014) was an American singer. Best known as Jimi Jamison, he earned recognition as the frontman for the rock bands Target, Cobra, and Survivor from 1984 to 1988, performing the songs " Burni ...

— singer, songwriter *

Roland Janes Roland E. Janes (August 20, 1933 – October 18, 2013) was an American rockabilly guitarist and record producer, who was active at Sun Records between 1956 and 1963. Biography He was born in Brookings, Clay County, Arkansas, the second youngest i ...

— musician; producer *

Josh Jasper Joshua Norwood Jasper (born November 26, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He set the Tennessee state record for career high school field goals, with 44, and h ...

— All-American college football

placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...

John Wayles Jefferson John Wayles Jefferson (born John Wayles Hemings; May 8, 1835June 12, 1892), was an American businessman and Union Army officer in the American Civil War. He is believed to be a grandson of Thomas Jefferson; his paternal grandmother is Sarah (Sa ...

—

mixed-race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

grandson of

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

Sally Hemings Sarah "Sally" Hemings ( 1773 – 1835) was a Black people, black woman Slavery in the United States, enslaved to the third President of the United States Thomas Jefferson, inherited among many others from his father-in-law, John Wayles. Hemi ...

, colonel in the Union Army, cotton broker in Memphis after the Civil War *

Michael Jeter Michael Jeter (; August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his career on stage and screen, Jeter played diverse characters. He won a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He portrayed Herman Stiles on the sitcom '' Eve ...

— actor *

Ashley Jones Ashley Aubra Jones (born September 3, 1976) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in soap operas as Megan Dennison on ''The Young and the Restless'' and as Bridget Forrester on ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. She also portrayed t ...

— actress *

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artis ...

— musician * Leslie Jones — actress known for ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''Ghostbusters'' * Mary Harris "Mother" Jones — prominent labor and community organizer * Mary Jane Richardson Jones — abolitionist and activist * Rich Jones (born 1946) — basketball player * Shaw Jones (born 1969) – actor *

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...

— rapper *

Rob Jungklas Rob Jungklas is an American, Memphis, Tennessee-based musician, singer and songwriter. Jungklas worked in the Memphis-based music circuit for 15 years before signing a deal with Manhattan Records and releasing the album ''Closer to the Flame'' ...

— musician

K

K. Michelle Kimberly Michelle Pate (born March 4, 1982) is an American Country, Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, and television personality. She was a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series ''Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'' during its first two sea ...

— musician * Florence Kahn — early

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

actress and wife of

Max Beerbohm Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (24 August 1872 – 20 May 1956) was an English essayist, Parody, parodist and Caricature, caricaturist under the signature Max. He first became known in the 1890s as a dandy and a humorist. He was the theatre crit ...

The Kat Stacy Lee Carter (born September 29, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestling valet and professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in the World Wrestling Federation from August 1999 to February 2001 under the ring names ...

— professional wrestler * Makky Kaylor — professional songwriter, recording artist, entertainer, and radio personality *

Tay Keith Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, known professionally as Tay Keith, is an American record producer. He is best known for co-producing Travis Scott's 2018 single "Sicko Mode", which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as well as Drake's " Nonsto ...

— record producer *

George "Machine Gun" Kelly Machine Gun Kelly most often refers to: * Machine Gun Kelly (gangster) (1900–1954), Prohibition era American gangster * Machine Gun Kelly (musician) (born 1990), American actor and musician Machine Gun Kelly may also refer to: * ''Machine-Gun K ...

—

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

-era bank robber and kidnapper *

Larry Kenon Muhsin Kenon (born Larry Joe Kenon, December 13, 1952), is an American former professional basketball player, known in his playing career as Larry Kenon. A 6'9" forward who had a productive career in both the American Basketball Association ( ...

— basketball player, led Memphis State to 1973 NCAA title game * Carlton W. Kent — Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps *

— rapper, cousin to

Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...

— blues musician *

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

— blues musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Betty Klepper — scientist *

Francis M. Kneeland Francis M. Kneeland (born 1873) was an American physician. She was one of the first African Americans, African American women doctors working in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, where she had a practice located on Beale Street. Biography Kneeland wa ...

— early African American physician who located her practice on

Beale Street Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, ...

L

Snooky Lanson Roy Landman (March 27, 1914 – July 2, 1990),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 159. better known as Snooky Lanson, was an Am ...

— singer and television personality *

Chuck Lanza Charles Louis Lanza (born September 20, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a center for two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Steelers in the third ...

—

player *

Brian Lawler Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher and Grand M ...

—

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federati ...

— professional wrestler * Arthur Lee (1945–2006) — singer-songwriter * Fannie Lewis — Cleveland Ohio's longest serving councilwoman *

Furry Lewis Walter E. "Furry" Lewis (March 6, 1893 or 1899 – September 14, 1981) was an American country blues guitarist and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of the earliest of the blues musicians active in the 1920s to be brought out of ...

— blues musician *

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

— musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Eddie Lightfoot — minstrel dancer *

Alan Lightman Alan Paige Lightman (born November 28, 1948) is an American physicist, writer, and social entrepreneur. He has served on the faculties of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is currently a professor of the pra ...

— novelist and

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

Lil Wyte Patrick Dhane Lanshaw (born October 6, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wyte, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. Lanshaw is a member of the rap collective Hypnotize Minds and owner of the independent label Wyte Music. Ea ...

—

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 ...

Booker Little Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961)
– accessed June 2010 was an American

— musician * Charles Lloyd — musician *

London on da Track London Tyler Holmes (born March 27, 1991), known professionally as London on da Track, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, and has also produced songs for Koda ...

— record producer *

Lord T & Eloise Lord T & Eloise are a crunk rap group from Memphis, Tennessee. Lord T dresses as an 18th-century aristocrat, while Eloise wears a tuxedo and sported a "24-karat" gold skin. The self-proclaimed "intergalactic time travelers" and "horsemen of the ...

— musicians * Andre Lott — football player *

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...

— singer-songwriter, drummer *

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

— musician *

Herb Lusk Herbert H. Lusk (February 19, 1953 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978, hav ...

—

player and clergyman

M

* Jim Mabry —

Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Arkansas Razorbacks, Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...

All-American *

Bill Madlock Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. (born January 12, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987. Madlock is notable for being a four-time National League ...

(born 1951) — Major League Baseball player *

Terry Manning Terry Don Manning (December 29, 1947 – March 25, 2025) was an American recording engineer, record producer, musician and photographer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, the ...

— music producer, photographer *

The Mar-Keys The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for Stax Records, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound. Career ...

— musicians * Nick Marable —

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

who competed for USA's national team *

Wink Martindale Winston Conrad "Wink" Martindale (December 4, 1933 – April 15, 2025) was an American disc jockey, radio personality, game show host and television producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he was known for his outgoing and jovial demeanor and ...

— radio and television personality *

Ryan Masson Ryan Masson is an American actor who appeared in the films The Last Stop in Yuma County, ''The Last Stop in Yuma County'' (2023), ''Proximity (2020 film), Proximity'' (2020), and several television shows including The Last of Us season 2, season ...

– actor *

Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (October 16, 1941 – February 16, 2023) was an American professional baseball catcher, television sports commentator, and singer. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1959 to 1980 for four teams, spending almost ...

— professional baseball player and broadcaster *

Hilton McConnico Joseph Hilton McConnico (13 May 1943 – 29 January 2018) was a designer and artist who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived and worked in Paris, France, from 1965. Biography A self-taught fashion designer, Hilton McConnico officially launch ...

— designer and artist *

Kenneth D. McKellar Kenneth Douglas McKellar (January 29, 1869 – October 25, 1957) was an American politician from Tennessee who served as a United States Representative from 1911 until 1917 and as a United States Senator from 1917 until 1953. A Democrat, he ser ...

— long-serving

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 ...

The Memphis Horns The Memphis Horns was an American horn section, made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. The duo consisted of Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor saxophone. An "offshoot of the Mar-Keys", they continued to work to ...

— musicians * Matthew Melton — musician *

Memphis Minnie Lizzie Douglas (June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973), better known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose recording career lasted for over three decades. She recorded around 200 songs, some of the best known being " ...

— blues singer *

Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

— musician *

Shaun Micheel Shaun Carl Micheel (born January 5, 1969) is an American professional golfer who is best known for his surprise victory at the 2003 PGA Championship. Career Micheel was born in Orlando, Florida. He attended Christian Brothers High School in Mem ...

— professional golfer *

Cary Middlecoff Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated ...

— professional golfer, Masters and U.S. Open champion *

Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...

— professional hockey player * Lola Mitchell — musician * Willie Mitchell — musician and music producer *

Chips Moman Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums li ...

— music producer *

Moneybagg Yo DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper known for his melodic trap and Southern hip hop music style. White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, ...

(born 1991) — rapper * Sputnik Monroe — professional wrestler *

Lecrae Moore Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979) is an American Christian rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and recording producer and executive. Since having begun his career in 2004, he has released ten studio albums and four mixtapes as a solo a ...

— musician and music executive *

Scotty Moore Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. Rock critic ...

— guitarist *

Allen B. Morgan Jr. Allen Benners Morgan Jr. is an American business man who was among the founders and served as chairman and CEO of regional brokerage firm Morgan Keegan & Company, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm is now owned by Raymond James Financial. Early ...

— businessman, founded Morgan Keegan *

Haley Morris-Cafiero Haley Morris-Cafiero (born 1976) is an American photographer, Associate Professor of Photography and Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Memphis College of Art. Her series "Wait Watchers", in which she photographs the reactions of ...

— photographer *

Wendy Moten Wendy Moten (born November 22, 1964) is an American jazz singer. Born in Memphis and based in Nashville, Moten has had a successful career in music, including several major-label solo records, some international hit songs, and a second career ...

— singer * Steven J. Mulroy — District Attorney General, law professor * David W. Mullins Jr. — former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve * Charlie Musselwhite — blues musician * Zach Myers — lead guitarist for rock band Shinedown

N

* Elise Neal (born 1966) — actress * Hal Needham (1931–2013) — stuntman, film director, actor and writer * Pat Neely, Pat and Gina Neely — celebrity chefs on Food Network * Johnny Neumann (1950–2019) — basketball player and coach * Phineas Newborn Jr. (1931–1989) — jazz musician * Nights Like These — Victory Records metalcore band

O

* Michael Oher — NFL player, subject of ''The Blind Side (film), The Blind Side'' * Roy Orbison — singer

P

* Woody Paige (born 1946) — sportswriter, panelist on ESPN's ''Around the Horn'' * Hermes Pan (1909–1990) — dancer and choreographer * Cindy Parlow Cone (born 1978) — athlete * Chris Parnell (born 1967) — actor, known for ''Saturday Night Live'' * Gilbert E. Patterson (1939–2007) — bishop of Church of God in Christ * DJ Paul — rapper * Ann Peebles (born 1947) — singer * Paul Penczner (1916–2010) — Hungarian-born artist * Art Pennington (1923–2017) — all-star negro league baseball player * Carl Perkins (1932–1998) — musician * Luther Perkins (1928–1968) — musician * Elliot Perry (born 1969) — professional basketball player * Dewey Phillips (1926–1968) — early rock 'n' roll disc jockey * Sam Phillips (1923–2003) — founder of Sun Records * Marguerite Piazza (1920–2012) — opera singer * Danny Pittman (born 1958) — athlete * David Porter (musician), David Porter (born 1941) — musician * Elvis Presley (1935–1977) — singer and actor * Lisa Marie Presley (1968–2023) — singer-songwriter; child of singer and actor Elvis Presley * Project Pat (born 1973) —

* Tommy Prothro (1920–1995) — football coach, UCLA and Los Angeles Rams * Missi Pyle (born 1972) — actress and singer

Q

* Lisa Quinn (born 1967) — actress, author, designer

R

* Michael Ramirez (born 1961) — Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist * Jay Reatard (1980–2010) — musician * Otis Redding — musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Kennedy J. Reed (1944–2023) — theoretical atomic physicist * Brent Renaud (1971–2011) — journalist and writer * Charlie Rich — Grammy Award-winning musician * Austin Riley — MLB player * Loren Roberts — professional golfer * Russell Roberts (economist), Russell Roberts — economist * Claire Robinson — television host, author and cook * Kali Rocha (born 1971) — actress * Arabella Page Rodman — civic leader * Adrian Rogers — former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church and president of the Southern Baptist Convention * Joe Russell (backgammon), Joe Russell — former world backgammon champion * Lance Russell —

announcer

S

Stella Stevens Hugh OBrian GE Theater 1961

* Saliva (band), Saliva — musical group * Sam and Dave (Sam Moore and David Prater) — musicians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Sam the Sham — musician, leader of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs * William Sanderson — actor known for ''Newhart'' and ''Blade Runner'' * J. Peter Sartain — Archbishop of Seattle * Clarence Saunders (grocer), Clarence Saunders — founder of the world's first self-service supermarket, Piggly Wiggly * Jerry Schilling — associate of Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys * Dan Schneider (TV producer), Dan Schneider — actor * Josey Scott — musician * Will Shade — musician * Gwen Shamblin — author and founder of the Weigh Down Workshop and Remnant Fellowship Church * Paul Shanklin — personality on Rush Limbaugh's radio program * Cybill Shepherd — actress known for ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' and ''Cybill'' * Pooh Shiesty (born 1999) — rapper * George Sherrill — MLB player * Lee Shippey — journalist * Hampton Sides — author * McKinley Singleton — National Basketball Association, NBA player, New York Knicks * Arthur Smith (American football, born 1982), Arthur Smith — head coach of the

* Bingo Smith (born 1946) — basketball player * Frederick W. Smith, Fred Smith — founder and chairman of FedEx * Lane Smith — actor known for ''My Cousin Vinny'' and ''The Final Days'' * George W. Snedecor (1881–1974) — mathematician and statistician * Bobby Sowell — musician * Speech (rapper), Speech (born 1968) — rapper * Ben Spies (born 1984) — motorcycle road racer * Marvin Stamm — musician * Kay Starr — singer * Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — NASCAR driver * Jody Stephens — musician * Andrew Stevens — actor and producer * Stella Stevens — Golden Globe Award-winning actress * Jim Stewart (music), Jim Stewart — record producer and co-founder of

* Frank Stokes (musician), Frank Stokes — blues musician * Jarnell Stokes (born 1994) — basketball player *Tyler Stone (basketball), Tyler Stone (born 1991) — basketball player in the

* Lewis Ossie Swingler — editor of ''Memphis World'', editor and publisher of ''Tri-State Defender''

T

* Gary Talley — musician and singer of The Box Tops Carla Thomas

* Cliff Taylor (American football), Cliff Taylor — football player * Raymond Taylor — catcher in Negro league baseball * Lloyd Thaxton — television personality * Adonis Thomas (born 1993) — basketball player in the

* Carla Thomas — musician and daughter of Rufus Thomas * Danny Thomas — entertainer, actor and founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital * Rufus Thomas — musician * Fred Thompson — actor and

(alumnus of the University of Memphis) * Harry Thompson (American football), Harry Thompson — football player * Linda Thompson (actress), Linda Thompson — songwriter and actress * Three 6 Mafia — Academy Award-winning Rap music, rap musicians * Justin Timberlake — Grammy Award-winning musician, actor and record producer * Don Trip — rapper * Leigh Anne Tuohy — businesswoman and interior designer * Ike Turner — Grammy Award-winning musician

V

* Guillaume de Van (1906–1949) — Franco–American musicologist * Marcia Van Dresser (1877–1937) — operatic soprano, recitalist and actress * Andrew VanWyngarden — musician of psychedelic rock group MGMT * Alexey Vermeulen (born 1994) — cyclist

W

* Barbara Jo Walker (1926–2000), Miss America 1947 * Sam Walton (American football), Sam Walton — football player * Teddy Walton — composer, producer, writer and DJ * Garrett Wang — actor * Anita Ward — singer and schoolteacher; 1979 number one Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 single "Ring My Bell" * Thomas Waterson — police officer who captured Machine Gun Kelly (gangster), Machine Gun Kelly in a Memphis raid in 1933 * Luke J. Weathers (1920–2011) — former U.S. Army Air Force officer and member of Tuskegee Airmen * Ida B. Wells — civil rights advocate and women's rights advocate * Junior Wells — musician * David West (baseball), David West — baseball player * Red West — actor * Kirk Whalum — musician * Maurice White — musician, lead singer of Earth, Wind & Fire * Reggie White — NFL player; began his career with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL * Bobby Whitlock — musician, keyboardist in Derek and the Dominos * Snootie Wild — rapper * John Shelton Wilder — politician * Elliot Williams — NBA player * LaNell Williams — physicist and virologist * Lou Williams, Louis Williams — National Basketball Association, NBA player * Tennessee Williams — playwright * Kemmons Wilson — businessman, founder of Holiday Inn * Mike Wilson (basketball), Mike Wilson — NBA player * Jesse Winchester — singer-songwriter * Francis Winkler — NFL player * Ernest Withers — photojournalist * Lorenzen Wright — NBA player

Y

* Roy Yeager — musician * Yo Gotti (born 1981) — rapper; born Mario Mims * Thaddeus Young — NBA player (grew up in Memphis) *

(1985–2021) — rapper/philanthropist; born: Adolph Robert Thornton Jr.

References

{{Memphis, Tennessee People from Memphis, Tennessee, * Lists of people from Tennessee, Memphis Lists of American people by populated place, Memphis, Tennessee