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
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804 notable people

0601 FILM

Seth Worley

Born 1984

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0602 MUSIC

Barry Mazor

-

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0603 BASEBALL

Charlie Petty

1866 - 1928

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0604 CHEMIST

Jack E. Dixon

Born 1943

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0605 WRESTLER

JT Southern

Born 1964

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0606 BASEBALL

Bruce Petway

1885 - 1941

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0607 LAWYER

Seth Walker Norman

Born 1934

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0608 COACH

John Owsley Manier

1887 - 1956

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0609 POLITICIAN

William M. Bennett

1869 - 1930

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0610 LAWYER

Lucius E. Burch Jr.

1912 - 1996

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0611 VIOLIN

Kay George Roberts

Born 1950

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0612 BASEBALL

Claude Jonnard

1897 - 1959

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0613 FOOTBALL

Cooper Wallace

Born 1982

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0614 ARMY

Alfred E. Jackson

1807 - 1889

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0615 BOXER

Charles Hadley

Born 1846

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0616 ACTOR

Jessica Phillips (actress)

Born 1971

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0617 SUFFRAGETTE

Nellie Griswold Francis

1874 - 1969

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0618 WRITER

Shirley W. Smith

1875 - 1959

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0619 POLITICIAN

Barbara McConnell

1936 - 2016

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0620 SOLDIER

Andrew Jackson Sowell

1815 - 1883

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0621 BUSINESS

Whitefoord Russell Cole

1874 - 1934

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0622 FILM

David Hennings

Born 1957

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0623 POLITICIAN

Jo Ann Sprague

Born 1931

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0624 POLITICIAN

James McBride (politician)

1802 - 1875

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0625 WRITER

Steven Womack

Born 1952

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0626 SECRETARY

Ferdinand E. Kuhn

1861 - 1930

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0627 BASKET

James Wiseman (basketball)

Born 2001

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0628 PLAYWRIGHT

Robert Turney

1900 - 1972

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0629 SONGWRITER

David Malloy

-

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0630 SCULPTOR

Alan LeQuire

Born 1955

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0631 FOOTBALL

Frank Pillow

Born 1965

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0632 SOLDIER

James Young (Arizona pioneer)

1844 - 1935

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0633 FIDDLER

Woody Paul

Born 1949

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0634 FOOTBALL

Reggie Grimes

Born 1976

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0635 BASKET

Desmond Cambridge

Born 1979

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0636 ACTOR

Olan Rogers

Born 1987

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0637 SINGER

Forrest O'Connor

Born 1988

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0638 BASEBALL

Lefty Sullivan

1916 - 1988

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0639 POLITICIAN

Robert Ewing (mayor)

1849 - 1932

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0640 FOOTBALL

Devin Wilson

Born 1990

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0641 FOOTBALL

Matt Marquess

Born 1986

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0642 SINGER

Kelleigh Bannen

Born 1981

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0643 FOOTBALL

Nate Simpson

Born 1954

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0644 FOOTBALL

Barry Turner (American football)

Born 1987

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0645 BUSINESS

William R. Frist

-

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0646 POLITICIAN

Felix Zollicoffer Wilson

1866 - 1950

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0647 FILM

Ben Achtenberg

Born 1943

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0648 SINGER

Jimmy Sweeney

1922 - 1992

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0649 FOOTBALL

Bubba Miller

Born 1973

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0650 PAINTER

Sarah Webb (painter)

Born 1948

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0651 ECOLOGIST

Richard Owen Currey

1816 - 1865

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0652 AUTHOR

Sarah Young (Schriftstellerin)

Born 1946

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0653 HISTORIAN

M. Norvel Young

1916 - 1998

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0654 WRESTLING

Saul Weingeroff

1916 - 1988

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0655 BASEBALL

Mike Gerber (baseball)

Born 1992

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0656 FIDDLER

Jim Wood (fiddler)

Born 1964

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0657 FOOTBALL

Johnny Martin (American football)

1916 - 1968

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0658 BASEBALL

Bill McTigue

1891 - 1920

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0659 LAWYER

Collins Denny Jr.

1899 - 1964

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0660 BUSINESS

Charles A. Elcan

Born 1965

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0661 EDITOR

Edward M. Yerger

Died 1875

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0662 FOOTBALL

Todd Cooley

Born 1975

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0663 MILITAR

Thomas Setzer Hutchison

1875 - 1936

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0664 ACTOR

Harrison Hunter

1870 - 1923

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0665 BASEBALL

Chuck Meriwether

1956 - 2019

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0666 BASEBALL

Jim Kirby (baseball)

1923 - 2009

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0667 SPORT

Brian Collins (basketball)

Born 1984

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0668 SINGER

Georgia Gordon Taylor

1855 - 1913

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0669 COACH

Charles Winter Wood

1869 - 1953

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0670 PRODUCER

Michael Knox (record producer)

-

Preview
0671 BASEBALL

Johnny Gill (baseball)

1905 - 1984

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0672 LAWYER

Andree Layton Roaf

1941 - 2009

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0673 FOOTBALL

Bernard Wilson (American football)

Born 1970

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0674 BASEBALL

Steve Liddle

Born 1959

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0675 FOOTBALL

James Reese (American football)

Born 1968

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0676 BASEBALL

Lillian Jackson

1919 - 2003

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0677 ATHLETIC

Tommy Haynes

Born 1952

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0678 BANK

Rogers Caldwell

1890 - 1968

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0679 BASEBALL

Jim Pruett

1917 - 2003

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0680 LIBRARIAN

Mary Frances Isom

1865 - 1920

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0681 DESIGNER

Jane Davis Doggett

Born 1929

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0682 ACADEMIC

Raleigh Morgan, Jr.

1916 - 1998

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0683 LAWYER

Barbara Olschner

-

Preview
0684 FOOTBALL

Hord Boensch

1893 - 1924

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0685 BASEBALL

Byrd Douglas

1894 - 1965

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0686 SINGER

Kelli Williams (musician)

Born 1978

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0687 SONGWRITER

Marion James

1934 - 2015

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0688 SINGER

Suzi Ragsdale

Born 1964

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0689 DIPLOMAT

S. Fitzgerald Haney

Born 1969

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0690 FOOTBALL

Houston Oldham

Born 1990

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0691 FOOTBALL

Alf Sharpe

1902 - 1981

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0692 MEDICAL

Earl Swensson

Born 1930

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0693 BASEBALL

Tiny Graham

1892 - 1962

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0694 FARMER

Thomas K. Gibson

1811 - 1900

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0695 SOCIALITE

Antoinette Polk

1847 - 1919

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0696 BASEBALL

Ray Hamrick

1921 - 2009

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0697 FILM

Jeff Wyatt Wilson

-

Preview
0698 BASEBALL

Dan Leahy (baseball)

1870 - 1903

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0699 SONGWRITER

Billy Crain

Born 1954

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0700 ARCHITECT

Marc Thorpe

Born 1978

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0701 BANK

Marshall Orme Wilson

1860 - 1926

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0702 SINGER

Ann McCrary

Born 1950

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0703 LAWYER

Samuel R. Lowery

1832 - 1900

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0704 FOOTBALL

Marcus Buggs

Born 1985

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0705 BASEBALL

Newt Fisher

1871 - 1947

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0706 BASEBALL

Henry Kimbro

1912 - 1999

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0707 MISSING

William B. Robertson

1893 - 1943

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0708 BASEBALL

Thomas Kain

1907 - 1971

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0709 PRODUCER

David B. Eskind

1909 - 1992

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0710 SINGER

Paul Sikes

Born 1982

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0711 LAWYER

Stephen Dillard

Born 1969

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0712 MILITAR

Lytle Brown

1872 - 1951

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0713 FILM

Roman Dent

Born 1988

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0714 FOOTBALL

Jimmy Armistead

1905 - 1984

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0715 FOOTBALL

Irish Graham

1883 - 1940

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0716 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Barbara Tsakirgis

1950 - 2019

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0717 STAR

DeAndre Kpana-Quamoh

1998 - 2016

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0718 BASEBALL

Bubber Jonnard

1897 - 1977

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0719 SECRETARY

Emily J. Reynolds

Born 1956

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0720 FILMMAKER

Nina Gamble Kennedy

Born 1960

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0721 FOOTBALL

Louis Hasslock

1888 - 1974

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0722 FOOTBALL

Santonio Beard

-

Preview
0723 ARCHITECT

George D. Waller

1883 - 1969

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0724 POLITICIAN

Charles P. Fahey

1862 - 1915

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0725 ACADEMIC

Alexander Green Fite

1892 - 1962

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0726 SINGER

Dean Alexander

-

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0727 PLAYWRIGHT

Sidney Mttron Hirsch

1884 - 1962

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0728 SONGWRITER

Don Wayne (songwriter)

1933 - 2011

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0729 RADIO

Herb Hake

1903 - 1980

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0730 POLITICIAN

John Meredith Bass

1804 - 1878

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0731 GOLF

Holly Finale' Finley

-

Preview
0732 FOOTBALL

Alfred T. Adams

1898 - 1982

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0733 OFFICER

Joel Allen Battle

1811 - 1872

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0734 ARCHAEOLOGIST

William Meacham

-

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0735 PHYSICIAN

Hugh Jackson Morgan

1893 - 1961

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0736 BASKET

Mack Daughtry

Born 1947

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0737 POLITICIAN

Ellen Harley

Born 1946

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0738 ACTOR

Dan Albert

1891 - 1919

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0739 MILITAR

Hugh Mott

1920 - 2005

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0740 FLYING ACE

Victor Herbert Strahm

1895 - 1957

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0741 BUSINESS

Brownlee O. Currey Jr.

Died 2020

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0742 SPORT

Nicolás Carvacho

Born 1997

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0743 FOOTBALL

Will Metzger

1890 - 1951

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0744 POLITICIAN

Hal Harper

Born 1948

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0745 FOOTBALL

Alonzo Carroll

1894 - 1962

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0746 POLITICIAN

Cynthia Jenkins

1924 - 2001

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0747 FOOTBALL

Willie Geny

1913 - 1999

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0748 BASKET

Z. Mason

Born 1991

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0749 BASKET

Phil Jones (basketball)

Born 1985

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0750 BASEBALL

Mary Louise Lester

Born 1921

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0751 FOOTBALL

Larry Hayes (American football)

1935 - 2017

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0752 FOOTBALL

Vernon Sharp

1906 - 1991

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0753 COACH

Buddy Hackman

1906 - 1987

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0754 SINGER

Pearl Butler

1927 - 1988

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0755 NOVELIST

Susan Gregg Gilmore

Born 1961

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0756 POLITICIAN

Henry D. Lindsley

1872 - 1938

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0757 POLITICIAN

John Boyd (Texas politician)

1796 - 1873

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0758 JUDGE

Scovel Richardson

1912 - 1982

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0759 GOVERNOR

Levi L. Rowland

1831 - 1908

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0760 MUSIC

Joshua C.S.

Born 1984

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0761 JOCKEY

Roscoe Troxler

1883 - 1976

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0762 POLITICIAN

Jane Myron

Died 2020

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0763 MUSIC

Mark Warner (guitarist)

-

Preview
0764 INVESTMENT

Thomas B. Walker Jr.

1923 - 2016

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0765 FOOTBALL

Preston Brown (wide receiver)

Born 1958

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0766 ARCHITECT

Donald W. Southgate

1887 - 1953

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0767 LAWYER

Andrew S. Herron

1823 - 1882

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0768 PROFESSOR

Margaret Cuninggim

Died 1986

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0769 GENETICIST

Darrel Waggoner

Born 1966

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0770 MISSING

Melvin Black

Born 1936

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0771 CIVIL RIGHTS

Newell Houston Ensley

1852 - 1888

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0772 ACTOR

Lucy Knoch

1923 - 1990

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0773 ARTS

Mark Thomas Ketterson

Born 1955

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0774 LAWYER

Mizell Wilson

1897 - 1968

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0775 FOOTBALL

Kye Stewart

Born 1985

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0776 SINGER

Savannah Conley

Born 1997

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0777 FARMER

Powhatan Gordon

1802 - 1879

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0778 MUSIC

Frances W. Preston

1928 - 2012

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0779 FOOTBALL

Lee Nalley

1925 - 2003

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0780 MUSIC

Ray Batts

1925 - 2015

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0781 BASEBALL

Mickey Kreitner

1922 - 2003

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0782 FOOTBALL

Keith Paskett

Born 1964

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0783 BASEBALL

Joe Hewitt (baseball)

1885 - 1948

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0784 POLITICIAN

Naomi C. Matusow

Born 1938

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0785 BUSINESS

James Cowdon Bradford Sr.

1892 - 1981

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0786 LAWYER

George Barrett

1927 - 2014

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0787 BUSINESS

John Sloan (businessman)

1906 - 1988

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0788 WRITER

Josephine E. Keating

1838 - 1908

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0789 SKATER

Jenna Pittman Bracone

Born 1978

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0790 SINGER

Lillian Offitt

1937 - 2020

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0791 NOVELIST

Ittie Kinney Reno

1862 - 1941

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0792 POLITICIAN

James W. McHenry

1864 - 1931

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0793 FOOTBALL

Eric Joyce (American football)

Born 1978

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0794 POLITICIAN

C. Robb Robinson

1922 - 2006

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0795 SINGER

Estella Louise Mann

1871 - 1947

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0796 BASEBALL

Butch McCord

1925 - 2011

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0797 AUTHOR

Ann W. Nally

1926 - 2007

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0798 BASEBALL

Haywood Rose

1870 - 1947

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0799 PITCHER

Harry Hyde (baseball)

Born 1869

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0800 BASEBALL

Frank Butler (Negro leagues)

1872 - 1899

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0801 EISENBAHN

William Johnson Harahan

1867 - 1937

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0802 POLITICIAN

Clare Woolwine

-

Preview
0803 MAYOR

Claiborne Hooper Phillips

1847 - 1886

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0804 ACTOR

Alice Oates

1849 - 1881

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