35.2064° N, 90.0889° W
MEMPHIS
Most Famous People Born in Memphis, United States
- Notable people
- 950
- Peak decade
- 1940s
- Median birth year
- 1953
- Most distinctive
- Rapper 16.4×
The 7.4× songwriter over-index is Stax and Sun Studio in one number — the city where Aretha Franklin was born and Elvis is buried still disproportionately manufactures the people who write American pop. The 16.4× rapper multiplier is a newer chapter, Three 6 Mafia and a generation of Memphis horror-rap running through the same neighborhoods that taught Morgan Freeman his accent.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Memphis during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 127 notable births.
What Memphis Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Memphis's biggest profession — 15% of all notables (140).
Memphis over-indexes on rapper — 16.4× the global rate.
Memphis under-produces politician — only 0.6× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Memphis's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Music
- Film & TV
- Politics & Law
- Writing
- Science
- Other
- Field: Music Clear ×
Donald "Duck" Dunn
1941 - 2012
Koko Taylor
1928 - 2009
Junior Wells
1934 - 1998
Johnny Ace
1929 - 1954
Bill Black
1926 - 1965
Citizen Cope
Born 1968
Jazze Pha
Born 1974
Bobby Whitlock
Born 1948
George Coleman
Born 1935
DJ Paul
Born 1977
Sonny Criss
1927 - 1977
David Porter (musician)
Born 1941
Eric Gales
Born 1974
Dave Catching
Born 1961
Eden Atwood
Born 1969
John Kahn
1947 - 1996
Jamil Nasser
1932 - 2010
Andrew Love (musician)
1941 - 2012
Louis Smith (musician)
1931 - 2016
Eddie Bond
1933 - 2013
Marvin Stamm
Born 1939
Frank Strozier
Born 1937
Charly McClain
Born 1956
Lewie Steinberg
1933 - 2016
Frank Lowe
1943 - 2003
Garnett Brown
Born 1936
Bruce Bouillet
Born 1965
Zach Myers
Born 1983
Jimmy Crawford (drummer)
1910 - 1980
Luther Tucker
1936 - 1993
Richard "Pistol" Allen
1932 - 2002
Tony Reedus
1959 - 2008
Bruce Crump
1957 - 2015
Red Saunders (musician)
1912 - 1981
Jimmy Van Eaton
Born 1937
Chris Woods (musician)
1925 - 1985
Bill Cunningham (musician)
Born 1950
Larry Lee (musician)
1943 - 2007
Moses Allen (musician)
1907 - 1983
Bill Mobley
Born 1953
James Alexander (musician)
Born 1949
Mwata Bowden
Born 1947
Vaneese Thomas
Born 1959
Evans Bradshaw
1933 - 1978
Fred Robinson (musician)
1901 - 1984
Johnny Williams (bassist)
1908 - 1998
Rozelle Claxton
1913 - 1995
Syd Butler
Born 1972
Dywane Thomas Jr.
Born 1990
Howard Grimes
Born 1941
John Overton Williams
1905 - 1996
Red Mack (musician)
1912 - 1993
Stephan Crump
Born 1972
Johnny Bernero
1931 - 2001
Salim Washington
Born 1958
Al Williams
Born 1919
Emerson Able
1931 - 2015
Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell
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Mae Wheeler
1934 - 2011
Andy Goodrich
1928 - 2008
Greg Roberson
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