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.

Through the Decades

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.

  1. Football140
  2. Basket91
  3. Actor69
  4. Singer68
  5. Politician67
  6. Music61
  7. Baseball57
  8. Lawyer25
  1. Rapper1716.4×
  2. Basket917.6×
  3. Songwriter137.4×
  4. Baseball575.3×
  5. Music614.5×
  6. Pianist114.3×
  7. Singer683.5×
  8. Lawyer251.5×
  1. Politician670.6×
  2. Writer200.7×

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.

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
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950 notable people

0901 BASKET

Regina Street

Born 1962

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0902 ENTREPRENEUR

Granville Semmes

1927 - 2012

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0903 VICTIM

Chirag Odhav

Born 1992

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0904 PHYSICIST

Clint Sprott

Born 1942

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0905 CREATIV

Sarah Brannon

Born 1997

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0906 ASTROPHYSICIST

Henry "Trae" Winter

Born 1972

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0907 SPORT

Joe Marelle

Born 1951

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0908 SINGER

Janice Bulluck

-

Preview
0909 TRADE UNION

William Lucy (labor leader)

Born 1933

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0910 POLITICIAN

Holly Rehder

Born 1969

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0911 BASEBALL

Guido Grilli

Born 1939

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0912 POLITICIAN

Lloyd McCuiston

Born 1918

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0913 ACADEMIC

J. Barry Mason

Born 1941

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0914 POLITICIAN

E. William Henry

Born 1929

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0915 BASKET

Frank Mahan

-

Preview
0916 MANAGER

Tony Guntharp

Born 1969

Preview
0917 FOOTBALL

Eric Fairs

Born 1964

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0918 FOOTBALL

Larry Creson

1906 - 1972

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0919 FOOTBALL

Bob Gude

1918 - 1998

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0920 FOOTBALL

Rushen Jones

Born 1980

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0921 FOOTBALL

Carlos Armour

Born 1986

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0922 FOOTBALL

Charles Greenhill

1964 - 1983

Preview
0923 FOOTBALL

Shawn Bayes

Born 1987

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0924 CHOREOGRAPHER

Arthur L. Hall

1934 - 2000

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0925 BASKET

Pierre Wooten

Born 1980

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0926 MARINE

Dennis M. Hedlund

Born 1947

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0927 ACTOR

Kid Memphis

Born 1971

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0928 OFFICER

Joseph Williams Vance Jr.

1918 - 1942

Preview
0929 FOOTBALL

Ed Withers

1926 - 1975

Preview
0930 INSTRUMENTALIST

James L. Harris

Died 70

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0931 FOOTBALL

Bill Mallory (American football, born 1901)

1901 - 1945

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0932 BUSINESS

Fred Jones Jr.

Born 1948

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0933 LAWYER

John Donelson Martin Sr.

1883 - 1962

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0934 FOOTBALL

Montrell Craft

Born 1987

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0935 MEDIA

Margaret Cogswell

-

Preview
0936 BASKET

Willie Atwood

Born 1994

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0937 MISSING

Robert Smith (Medal of Honor)

1847 - 1930

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0938 POLITICIAN

Bob Hawks (Tennessee politician)

Born 1926

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0939 OPERA

Nancy Tatum

Born 1931

Preview
0940 BASEBALL

Bick Campbell

1898 - 1967

Preview
0941 PERFORMER

Lou Wills Hildreth

1928 - 2019

Preview
0942 POLITICIAN

Shea Flinn

Born 1973

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0943 POLITICIAN

Curtis S. Person Jr.

1934 - 2020

Preview
0944 POLITICIAN

George E. Young

-

Preview
0945 HISTORIAN

Bobby Lovett

-

Preview
0946 PLAYER

Brittany Tillman

Born 1989

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0947 POLITICIAN

E. C. Tully

-

Preview
0948 BASKET

Caleb Brown

Born 1989

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0949 MISSING

Frances F. Threadgill

1867 - 1941

Preview
0950 POLITICIAN

Harper Brewer Jr.

Born 1937

Preview