36.1804° N, 86.7409° W

NASHVILLE

Most Famous People Born in Nashville, United States

Notable people
804
Peak decade
1980s
Median birth year
1941
Most distinctive
Songwriter 8.7×

Nashville's Songwriter bench is Music Row in one line of the file — the Bradley and RCA studios that built modern country and then absorbed Americana, gospel and contemporary Christian writing on top. The heavier-than-expected Baseball count is older, a holdover from the Nashville Vols of the Southern Association, while the Music and Singer lines run from the Grand Ole Opry's founding generation through the outlaw country and contemporary Americana eras.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Nashville during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 79 notable births.

What Nashville Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Nashville's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (80).

Nashville over-indexes on songwriter8.7× the global rate.

Nashville under-produces writer — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Football80
  2. Politician78
  3. Singer69
  4. Actor59
  5. Baseball58
  6. Basket38
  7. Lawyer37
  8. Music34
  1. Songwriter138.7×
  2. Baseball586.3×
  3. Coach95.4×
  4. Wrestler114.3×
  5. Singer694.1×
  6. Basket383.8×
  7. Music343.0×
  8. Lawyer372.6×
  1. Writer100.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Nashville's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

18001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All804
Sort By

804 notable people

0301 GUITAR

Billy Byrd

1920 - 2001

Preview
0302 SINGER

Russell Smith (singer)

1949 - 2019

Preview
0303 POLITICIAN

Edgar C. Ellis

1854 - 1947

Preview
0304 SUFFRAGETTE

Virginia Clay-Clopton

1825 - 1915

Preview
0305 PRIEST

David Choby

1947 - 2017

Preview
0306 BASEBALL

John J. Tigert

1882 - 1965

Preview
0307 SINGER

Jimmy Norman

1937 - 2011

Preview
0308 PHYSICIAN

Mildred T. Stahlman

Born 1922

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0309 ACTOR

Wyatt Nash

Born 1988

Preview
0310 POLITICIAN

Joseph Carlton Loser

1892 - 1984

Preview
0311 LAWYER

William Neville

1843 - 1909

Preview
0312 SONGWRITER

Natalie Hemby

Born 1977

Preview
0313 FILM

John D. Liu

Born 1953

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0314 OFFICER

William P. Lawrence

1930 - 2005

Preview
0315 CONSERVATIVE

Thomas J. Anderson

1910 - 2002

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0316 POLITICIAN

John Bennett Dawson

1798 - 1845

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0317 BASSIST

Roy Huskey Jr.

1956 - 1997

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0318 SINGER

Del Wood

1920 - 1989

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0319 PATHOLOGIST

Sophie Spitz

1910 - 1956

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0320 FOOTBALL

Wesley Johnson (American football)

Born 1991

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0321 COMPOSER

Matt Slocum

Born 1972

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0322 BASKET

Bill Ligon

Born 1952

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0323 GUITAR

Bill Harris (guitarist)

1925 - 1988

Preview
0324 LAWYER

Felix Grundy McConnell

1809 - 1846

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0325 MILITAR

William Henry Carroll

1810 - 1868

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0326 WRESTLER

Wolfie D

Born 1973

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0327 JOURNALIST

Mark Levine (journalist)

Born 1966

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0328 ACTOR

Mia Rose Frampton

Born 1996

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0329 SINGER

Elmo Tanner

1904 - 1990

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0330 FOOTBALL

Conor McDermott

Born 1992

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0331 POLITICIAN

David H. Simmons

Born 1952

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0332 CONDUCTOR

David P. Sartor

Born 1956

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0333 BASKET

David Vaughn Jr.

Born 1952

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0334 POLITICIAN

Richard Merrill Atkinson

1894 - 1947

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0335 SINGER

Dave Cloud

1956 - 2015

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0336 POLITICIAN

Washington Barrow

1807 - 1866

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0337 POLITICIAN

Beverly Briley

1914 - 1980

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0338 COMMANDER

John A. Wharton

1828 - 1865

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0339 LAWYER

Jane Branstetter Stranch

Born 1953

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0340 OFFICER

William Harding Carter

1851 - 1925

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0341 SINGER

Gary Jenkins

-

Preview
0342 WRITER

Carol S. Batey

Born 1955

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0343 BASEBALL

Charley Moran

1878 - 1949

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0344 ATTORNEY

Joseph W. Byrns Jr.

1903 - 1973

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0345 POLITICIAN

Everett J. Murphy

1852 - 1922

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0346 SINGER

Aubrie Sellers

Born 1991

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0347 JOURNALIST

Tim Cahill (writer)

Born 1944

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0348 BASKET

Wesley Bennett

1913 - 2002

Preview
0349 INVESTMENT

David A. Vise

Born 1960

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0350 SPORT

Robin Farina

Born 1977

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0351 DIPLOMAT

William Lindsay Scruggs

1836 - 1912

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0352 FOOTBALL

Antonio Richardson

Born 1992

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0353 GUITAR

Roy Wiggins

1926 - 1999

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0354 LAWYER

John Haden Wilson

1867 - 1946

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0355 WRESTLER

Ricky Morton

Born 1956

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0356 ACTRESS

Allison Alderson

Born 1977

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0357 BASEBALL

Johnny Beazley

1918 - 1990

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0358 FOOTBALL

Tim Dobbins

Born 1982

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0359 SINGER

Alyssa Bonagura

Born 1988

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0360 PUBLISHER

William R. Wilkerson

1890 - 1962

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0361 FOOTBALL

Dave Reavis

Born 1950

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0362 JOURNALIST

Christopher Dickey

1951 - 2020

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0363 FEMINIST

Anne Dallas Dudley

1876 - 1955

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0364 FOOTBALL

Ryan Carrethers

Born 1991

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0365 LAWYER

Perry Wallace

1948 - 2017

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0366 GOLF

Ted Rhodes

1913 - 1969

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0367 SINGER

Greg Bates

Born 1987

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0368 WRITER

Brian Mansfield

Born 1963

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0369 PLANTER

William Giles Harding

1808 - 1886

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0370 ENGINEER

David Crosthwait

1898 - 1976

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0371 PHOTOGRAPHER

Clint Grant

1916 - 2010

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0372 FOOTBALL

Lenny Lyles

1936 - 2011

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0373 MUSIC

Matt Friction

Born 1981

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0374 SPORT

Clay Travis

Born 1979

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0375 NOVELIST

Madison Jones

1925 - 2012

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0376 POLITICIAN

Monica Wehby

Born 1962

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0377 SINGER

Ruby Wright (country singer)

1939 - 2009

Preview
0378 BASEBALL

Fred Toney

1888 - 1953

Preview
0379 COMEDIAN

Emily Levine

Died 2019

Preview
0380 MATHEMATICIAN

D. M. Smith

1884 - 1962

Preview
0381 OFFICER

James Edwards Rains

1833 - 1862

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0382 SINGER

Kitty Cheatham

1864 - 1946

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0383 FOOTBALL

Kevin McDermott (American football)

Born 1990

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0384 TRUMPET

Willie Hightower

1889 - 1959

Preview
0385 MUSIC

Chris Feinstein

1967 - 2009

Preview
0386 CARDIOLOGIST

Antonio Gotto

Born 1935

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0387 SONGWRITER

Floyd Robinson (singer)

1932 - 2016

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0388 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Jim Ellis (computing)

1956 - 2001

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0389 COMPOSER

Lee Summers

Born 1958

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0390 LAWYER

Randal William McGavock

1826 - 1863

Preview
0391 FOOTBALL

Phillip Supernaw

Born 1990

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0392 ENTREPRENEUR

R. Milton Johnson

Born 1957

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0393 PSYCHOLOGIST

Carolyn Rovee-Collier

1942 - 2014

Preview
0394 MUSIC

Sweet Charles Sherrell

Born 1943

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0395 NASCAR

Gil Martin

Born 1960

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0396 SINGER

Ellie Holcomb

Born 1982

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0397 SCULPTOR

Nancy Cox-McCormack

1885 - 1967

Preview
0398 SINGER

Robin Lee Bruce

Born 1963

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0399 FOOTBALL

John Gordy

1935 - 2009

Preview
0400 FOOTBALL

Prince Charles Iworah

Born 1993

Preview
0401 BOXER

Jonathan Reid

Born 1972

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0402 LAWYER

James Collinsworth

1806 - 1838

Preview
0403 WRITER

Fredrick McKissack

1939 - 2013

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0404 FOOTBALL

Ahmaad Smith

Born 1983

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0405 ACTOR

Shonali Bhowmik

-

Preview
0406 FOOTBALL

James Stone (American football)

Born 1992

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0407 HISTORIAN

Charles Royster

1944 - 2020

Preview
0408 BROTHER

L. Gregory Jones

Born 1960

Preview
0409 MILITAR

Gladeon M. Barnes

1887 - 1961

Preview
0410 FOOTBALL

Jordan Miller (American football)

Born 1988

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0411 FOOTBALL

Chris Gaines (gridiron football)

Born 1965

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0412 DANCER

Bill Shannon

Born 1970

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0413 POLITICIAN

James Carroll Napier

1845 - 1940

Preview
0414 GOVERNMENT

Steve Goldstein (diplomat)

Born 1951

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0415 BASEBALL

Roy Cullenbine

1913 - 1991

Preview
0416 POLITICIAN

Chip Saltsman

Born 1968

Preview
0417 OFFICER

Paul Rand Dixon

1913 - 1996

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0418 PROFESSOR

E. Inman Fox

1934 - 2008

Preview
0419 MUSIC

Dmitri Matheny

Born 1965

Preview
0420 TEACHER

Samuel Hollingsworth Stout

1822 - 1903

Preview
0421 ANATOMIST

George E. Coghill

1872 - 1941

Preview
0422 NOVELIST

Ronald Kelly

Born 1959

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0423 NASCAR

Bobby Hamilton Jr.

Born 1978

Preview
0424 FOOTBALL

Orleans Darkwa

Born 1992

Preview
0425 SWIMMER

Ashley Whitney

Born 1979

Preview
0426 COACH

W. C. Gorden

1930 - 2020

Preview
0427 BASKET

Oliver Kuhn

1898 - 1968

Preview
0428 PSYCHIATRIST

Dan Blazer

Born 1944

Preview
0429 JUDGE

Gilbert S. Merritt Jr.

Born 1936

Preview
0430 POLITICIAN

Jere Baxter

1852 - 1904

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0431 COMPOSER

Nicole Taylor Hart

Born 1968

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0432 BASEBALL

Charles M. Murphy (coach)

1913 - 1999

Preview
0433 EPISCOPAL

Joseph P. Sneed

1804 - 1881

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0434 MUSIC

Roman White

-

Preview
0435 DELEGATE

Sterling C. Robertson

1785 - 1842

Preview
0436 FOOTBALL

Boots Donnelly

Born 1942

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0437 NOVELIST

Caroline Randall Williams

Born 1987

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0438 SCREENWRITER

Larry Brody

Born 1944

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0439 MARTIAL ART

Luke Sanders

Born 1985

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0440 FOOTBALL

J. J. Arrington

Born 1983

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0441 SPRINT

Delano Meriwether

Born 1943

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0442 MISSIONARY

Katie Davis (missionary)

Born 1989

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0443 SOLDIER

Paul Richard Averitt

1923 - 2001

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0444 SCULPTOR

Juan Logan

Born 1946

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0445 MUSIC

Jeff Cease

Born 1967

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0446 FOOTBALL

Tom Moran (blocking back)

1899 - 1933

Preview
0447 LAWYER

Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr.

Born 1956

Preview
0448 BASEBALL

Wayne Garland

Born 1950

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0449 RUNNER

Missy Kane

Born 1955

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0450 MISSIONARY

Virginia E. Walker Broughton

1856 - 1934

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0451 POLITICIAN

Felix Robertson

1781 - 1865

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0452 ACTOR

Henry Thomas Harrison

1832 - 1923

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0453 BASS

Phillip Hill

Born 1972

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0454 BUSINESS

William K. Warren Sr.

1897 - 1990

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0455 MILITAR

John W. Overton

1894 - 1918

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0456 PRODUCER

Ted Jarrett

1925 - 2009

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0457 FOOTBALL

Patrick Turner

Born 1987

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0458 DRIVER

Red Farmer

Born 1928

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0459 MINISTER

Merrimon Cuninggim

1911 - 1995

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0460 BOXER

Jerome Coffee

Born 1958

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0461 LIEUTENANT

Alvan Cullom Gillem Jr.

1888 - 1973

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0462 SISTER

Carson Boren

1824 - 1912

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0463 KILLED

Larcena Pennington Page

1837 - 1913

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0464 LAWYER

Bernard Fensterwald

1921 - 1991

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0465 SINGER

Natalie LaRue

Born 1983

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0466 SONGWRITER

Hank Fort

1914 - 1973

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0467 THEORIST

Louis T. Wells

Born 1937

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0468 MUSIC

Jimmy Elledge

1943 - 2012

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0469 PHYSICIST

Elizabeth Riddle Graves

1916 - 1972

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0470 ENTREPRENEUR

Larry Schmittou

Born 1940

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0471 COACH

Vaulx Carter

1863 - 1930

Preview
0472 ART HISTORIAN

William B. Jordan

1940 - 2018

Preview
0473 BASKET

W. A. Cunningham

1886 - 1958

Preview
0474 PHYSICIAN

Alvin P. Shapiro

1920 - 1998

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0475 SINGER

Freddie North

Born 1939

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0476 POLITICIAN

Sherry Jones

-

Preview
0477 FOOTBALL

Avion Black

Born 1977

Preview
0478 LAWYER

Thomas Aquinas Higgins

1932 - 2018

Preview
0479 SPORT

Brandon Curry

Born 1982

Preview
0480 FOOTBALL

DeWayne Dotson

Born 1971

Preview
0481 SCULPTOR

Belle Kinney Scholz

1890 - 1959

Preview
0482 POLITICIAN

Jason Powell

Born 1978

Preview
0483 POLITICIAN

Gayle Harrell

Born 1943

Preview
0484 DRUMMER

Willie Ackerman

1939 - 2012

Preview
0485 LAWYER

Thomas Jennings Bailey

1867 - 1963

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0486 SONGWRITER

Jess Cates

Born 1976

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0487 FOOTBALL

Vic Shealy

Born 1961

Preview
0488 OFFICER

George Washington Gift

1833 - 1879

Preview
0489 ACTOR

Jay Wilkison

Born 1978

Preview
0490 ILLUSTRATOR

Thomas B. Allen (painter)

1928 - 2004

Preview
0491 POLITICIAN

Dan Liljenquist

Born 1974

Preview
0492 COACH

Jenks Gillem

1890 - 1951

Preview
0493 PRODUCER

Amerigo Gazaway

Born 1985

Preview
0494 FOOTBALL

Damion Cook

1979 - 2015

Preview
0495 WRESTLER

Lollipop (wrestler)

Born 1979

Preview
0496 FARMER

Mark R. Cockrill

1788 - 1872

Preview
0497 FOOTBALL

Bum Day

1898 - 1988

Preview
0498 SINGER

Neal Matthews Jr.

1929 - 2000

Preview
0499 PAINTER

Mayna Treanor Avent

1868 - 1959

Preview
0500 BASEBALL

Bob Tillman

1937 - 2000

Preview
0501 STATESMAN

John Austin Wharton (1806–38)

1806 - 1838

Preview
0502 PHILOLOGIST

Campbell Bonner

1876 - 1954

Preview
0503 ACTOR

Braison Cyrus

Born 1994

Preview
0504 BASEBALL

Lefty Davis

1875 - 1919

Preview
0505 BASEBALL

Clyde McCullough

1917 - 1982

Preview
0506 FOOTBALL

Ezzrett Anderson

1920 - 2017

Preview
0507 BASKET

Ndidi Madu

Born 1989

Preview
0508 FOOTBALL

Austin Denney

1944 - 2009

Preview
0509 FOOTBALL

Zach Rogers

Born 1990

Preview
0510 POLITICIAN

Thomas Menees

1823 - 1905

Preview
0511 POLITICIAN

Jack Tate (politician)

Born 1967

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0512 POLITICIAN

Larry Teague

Born 1958

Preview
0513 LAWYER

William L. Campbell Jr.

Born 1969

Preview
0514 FILM

Kim Planert

Born 1973

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0515 ARCHITECT

Isaac S. Taylor

1850 - 1917

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0516 OFFICER

William Ruthven Smith

1868 - 1941

Preview
0517 BASEBALL

Tom Bolton (baseball)

Born 1962

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0518 BASKET

Odell Bradley

Born 1981

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0519 SONGWRITER

John Scott Sherrill

-

Preview
0520 JOURNALIST

James G. Stahlman

1893 - 1976

Preview
0521 SINGER

Connie Eaton

1950 - 1999

Preview
0522 LAWYER

Leslie Johnson (councilwoman)

-

Preview
0523 FILM

Michael D'Anna

Born 1972

Preview
0524 SCREENWRITER

Leonora Ainsworth

1894 - 1985

Preview
0525 LIBRARIAN

Catherine Allen Latimer

1896 - 1948

Preview
0526 BASEBALL

Foster Castleman

Born 1931

Preview
0527 COACH

Garland Morrow

1899 - 1987

Preview
0528 DIPLOMAT

Guilford Dudley (ambassador)

1907 - 2002

Preview
0529 BASKET

Will Wade (basketball)

Born 1982

Preview
0530 CARICATURIST

Kerry G. Johnson

Born 1966

Preview
0531 FOOTBALL

Marquez Pope

Born 1970

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0532 POLITICIAN

Harold Love

Born 1972

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0533 BUSINESS

David K. Wilson

1919 - 2007

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0534 BASEBALL

Jim Zapp

1924 - 2016

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0535 ACTOR

Jeremy D. Howard

-

Preview
0536 ACTOR

Jeremy Childs

-

Preview
0537 FOOTBALL

Lucius E. Burch

1874 - 1959

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0538 MUSIC

Johnny T. Talley

Born 1924

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0539 LAWYER

Cheri Beasley

Born 1966

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0540 ENGINEER

Jesse Russell

Born 1948

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0541 COACH

Kenneth Pettiford

Born 1950

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0542 NASCAR

David Sisco

1937 - 2016

Preview
0543 POLITICIAN

Thomas Fletcher (American politician, born 1817)

1817 - 1880

Preview
0544 FOOTBALL

Charlie Wade (American football)

Born 1950

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0545 CHEF

Carla Hall

Born 1964

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0546 FOOTBALL

DeWitt Weaver

1912 - 1998

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0547 LAWYER

John Jay Hooker

1930 - 2016

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0548 PAINTER

Alonzo C. Webb

1888 - 1975

Preview
0549 FOOTBALL

Ellery Huntington Jr.

1893 - 1987

Preview
0550 POLITICIAN

Larry Jent

Born 1951

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0551 SONGWRITER

Patrick Wimberly

Born 1983

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0552 SINGER

Kippi Brannon

Born 1966

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0553 ACTOR

Brentley Gore

Born 1974

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0554 MUSIC

Pat Cupp

Born 1938

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0555 FOOTBALL

Bob Reynolds (American football, born 1939)

1939 - 1996

Preview
0556 POLITICIAN

Jennie M. Forehand

Born 1935

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0557 FOOTBALL

Cecil Grigg

1891 - 1968

Preview
0558 LAWYER

Ferdinand Lee Barnett (Chicago)

1859 - 1936

Preview
0559 FOOTBALL

Ken Johnson (defensive end, born 1955)

Born 1955

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0560 LAWYER

Samuel Snowden Hayes

1820 - 1880

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0561 FOOTBALL

Jeff Powell (American football)

Born 1963

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0562 BASEBALL

Bobby Joe Edmonds

Born 1964

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0563 BASEBALL

George Archie

1914 - 2001

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0564 MILITAR

John Donelson Martin

1830 - 1862

Preview
0565 BUSINESS

Thomas F. Frist III

Born 1968

Preview
0566 ARTIST

Boyfriend (rapper)

Born 1988

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0567 HORNIST

Reggie Grisham

-

Preview
0568 BASS

Evan Bass

Born 1982

Preview
0569 POLITICIAN

Thomas Jefferson Foster

1809 - 1887

Preview
0570 SPORT

John Noel (sport shooter)

1888 - 1939

Preview
0571 DRUMMER

Harry Stinson (musician)

-

Preview
0572 NASCAR

Boyd Adams

-

Preview
0573 TECHNICIAN

James Shaw Jr.

Born 1988

Preview
0574 BASEBALL

Charlie Harding

1891 - 1971

Preview
0575 FOOTBALL

Jeff Gooch

Born 1974

Preview
0576 WRESTLER

Reno Riggins

Born 1967

Preview
0577 SINGER

Morgane Stapleton

-

Preview
0578 BASKET

Corey Allen (cestista)

Born 1971

Preview
0579 BUSINESS

Amy Hood

Born 1971

Preview
0580 BASKET

Khallid Hart

Born 1994

Preview
0581 OLYMPIC

Roy E. Steckel

1887 - 1950

Preview
0582 POLITICIAN

Charles Meier

Born 2013

Preview
0583 MISSING

Bruce McLarty

Born 1957

Preview
0584 PAINTER

Effie Anderson Smith

1869 - 1955

Preview
0585 BIOGRAPHER

Marvelyn Brown

Born 1984

Preview
0586 SONGWRITER

Ned Evett

Born 1967

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0587 MILITAR

Alexander William Campbell

1828 - 1893

Preview
0588 SINGER

Tucker Beathard

Born 1990

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0589 MUSIC

Roy Orbison Jr.

Born 1970

Preview
0590 ARCHITECT

R. F. Graf

1863 - 1940

Preview
0591 SPORT

Hamilton Love

1875 - 1922

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0592 COMPOSER

Jason Lehning

Born 1972

Preview
0593 BASEBALL

Michael Coleman (baseball)

Born 1975

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0594 FOOTBALL

Phil Connell

1874 - 1932

Preview
0595 WRESTLER

Debbie Combs

Born 1959

Preview
0596 PLAYWRIGHT

Joseph Bradford (playwright)

1843 - 1886

Preview
0597 NAVAL

Frank Peak Akers

1901 - 1988

Preview
0598 SONGWRITER

Zach Crowell

-

Preview
0599 BASEBALL

Joe Burke (infielder)

1867 - 1940

Preview
0600 BASEBALL

Bob Fisher (baseball)

1886 - 1963

Preview