List of people from Bakersfield, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of notable people from Bakersfield, California. In order to be included, subjects need to have an article and clear connection to the city.
Notable people
Arts
Designers
- Marc Davis - animator and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, born in Bakersfield[1][2]
- Poy Gum Lee - architect, died in Bakersfield[3]
Visual artists
- Greg Colson - visual artist[4][5]
- Tyrus Wong - calligrapher, artist, animator, married in 1937 in Bakersfield[6][7][8]
Business, entrepreneurs
- Ric Drasin - designer of Gold's Gym and World Gym logos, retired professional wrestler, actor, author[9][10]
Crime
- Vincent Brothers - convicted murderer; shot and stabbed five members of his family to death[11][12]
- Rodolfo Cadena - Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, one of the founders of the Mexican Mafia, basis of character played by Edward James Olmos in the film American Me
- Steven David Catlin - serial killer on California’s death row for the murders of his adoptive mother and one of his wives; also killed another wife, for which he received a sentence of life without parole
Entertainment
Film, television, actors, models
- Ana Lily Amirpour - filmmaker, director, writer[13][14]
- Noah Beery - actor
- Robert Beltran - actor[15][16]
- Justin Berry - former teenage webcam pornographer and public speaker[17][18][19]
- Kelli Garner - actress[20][21]
- Frank Gifford - television sportscaster, college and professional football player[22][23]
- Justin Gordon - actor, producer, artist[24][25]
- Fay Helm - actress
- Brian Hooks - actor, Soul Plane, Three Strike
- Nathan Jung - actor, martial artist, stunt coordinator[26][27]
- Dalene Kurtis - model, former Playboy Playmate of the Year
- Joanne Linville - actress[28][29]
- Guy Madison - actor[30][31]
- Wayne Mallory - actor
- Roger Mathey - theatrical director, actor, playwright, producer
- Derek Mears - actor and stuntman
- Michelle St. John - actress, singer, director, producer
- Sigrid Valdis - actress[32]
- Anjelika Washington - actress, Stargirl, Tall Girl[33]
Musicians
- David Benoit - jazz pianist[34][35]
- Jo Ann Castle - pianist, The Lawrence Welk Show[36]
- Brandon Cruz - punk musician and former child actor[37][38]
- Merle Haggard - singer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee[39][40]
- Michael Lockwood - guitarist and music producer
- Kareem Lopez - musician
- Mary Osborne - jazz guitarist[41][42]
- Buck Owens - singer, musician Country Music Hall of Fame inductee[43][44]
- Gregory Porter - singer[45][46]
- Gloria Roe - composer, pianist and singer[47]
- Sheléa - singer-songwriter[48][49]
- Lawrence Tibbett - baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera[50][51]
- Grant Whitson - drummer for Arlington[52]
Bands
- Adema - rock band (Dave DeRoo, Kris Kohls, Mark Chavez, Mike Ransom)[53][54]
- Burning Image - deathrock band (Moe Adame, Tony Bonanno, Paul Burch, Anthony Leyva)[55][56]
- The Def Dames - female rap duo, hip hop musicians
- Korn - Grammy Award-winning metal band[57][58]
Government, law, politics
- Leonard L. Alvarado - Medal of Honor recipient, specialist 4th Class, United States Army - Republic of Vietnam 1969[71][72]
- General Edward Fitzgerald Beale - superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada (1850s), surveyor general of California and Nevada (1860s), U.S. ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1870s), founder of Tejon Ranch
- Vince Fong - California congressman, former California state assemblyman[73]
- Harvey Hall - mayor of Bakersfield (2001–2016)[74][75]
- Kevin McCarthy - California congressman, House Republican leader, 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives[76][77]
- Joe Neguse - U.S. representative for Colorado[78]
- Erik Paulsen - Minnesota congressman[79][80]
- Walter W. Stiern - California Democratic state senator[81][82]
- Earl Warren - chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, former governor of California[83][84]
Science, medicine, academia
- Hans Einstein - world's foremost authority on Valley Fever[85][86]
- Carver Mead - pioneer in the field of VLSI design, inventor of the concept of neuromorphic computing
Sports
Olympics
- Kamren Larsen - Pan American Games gold medalist BMX racing at 2023 Pan American Games[87][88]
- Jake Varner - Olympic gold medalist wrestler at 2012 London Games[89][90]
- Gabe Woodward - Olympic bronze medalist 4 × 100 relay at 2004 Athens Games[91][92]
Baseball
- Larry Barnes - California Angels first baseman
- Corbin Burnes - Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher[93][94]
- Johnny Callison - Philadelphia Phillies right fielder[95][96]
- Phil Dumatrait - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, first-round draft pick[97][98]
- Jack Hiatt - catcher
- Leon Lee - Nippon Professional Baseball player and manager
- Colby Lewis - Texas Rangers pitcher, first-round draft pick[99][100]
- William "Buckshot" May - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher[101][102]
- Brent Morel - Chicago White Sox third baseman
- Kurt Miller - pitcher for Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs[103]
- Steve Ontiveros - infielder for San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs
- Dave Rader - catcher
- Rick Sawyer - pitcher for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres[104][105]
- Todd Walker - second baseman
- Bruce Walton - pitcher for Montreal Expos, pitching coach for Toronto Blue Jays[106][107]
- Allan Winans - pitcher[108][109]
- Jake Woods - Seattle Mariners pitcher[110][111]
Basketball
- Nikki Blue - New York Liberty guard (WNBA)[112][113]
- Fred Boyd - NBA player[114][115]
- Chris Childs - ABA/NBA guard (1989–2003; New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors)
- Erica McCall - WNBA player
- J. R. Sakuragi (formerly J.R. Henderson) - player for Memphis Grizzlies[116][117]
- Lonnie Shelton - Seattle SuperSonics all-star[118][119]
- Robert Swift - Tokyo Apache (Japan) center[120][121]
- Tyrone Wallace - Los Angeles Clippers guard[122][123]
Football
- Mike Ariey - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers
- Jon Baker - NFL and CFL player
- Krys Barnes - linebacker for Arizona Cardinals
- Theo Bell - wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, earned Super Bowl rings in 1979 and 1980
- Steve Boadway - NFL player
- Jeff Buckey - starting offensive lineman for Miami Dolphins
- Vern Burke - tight end for San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons
- David Carr - quarterback, first overall selection in 2002 NFL draft (Houston Texans), won Super Bowl with New York Giants
- Derek Carr - quarterback for New Orleans Saints, Mountain West Conference Player of the Year for Fresno State
- Frank Gifford - Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, broadcaster
- Cory Hall - safety for Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington Redskins
- Joe Hawley - center for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- A.J. Jefferson - free safety for Arizona Cardinals
- Cody Kessler - quarterback for Cleveland Browns and USC Trojans
- Rodney Leisle - defensive tackle for New Orleans Saints, member of 2009 Super Bowl-winning team
- Jordan Love - quarterback for the Green Bay Packers
- Bob McCaffrey - center for USC Trojans and Green Bay Packers
- Brent McClanahan - running back for Minnesota Vikings
- Ray Mansfield - center for Pittsburgh Steelers
- Brock Marion - Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl player
- Jerry Marion - wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, father of Brock
- Ryan Mathews - running back for Philadelphia Eagles and former Fresno State All-American
- Aaron Merz - offensive lineman for University of California and Buffalo Bills
- Stephen Neal - lineman for New England Patriots, Super Bowl champion, NCAA wrestling champion, world gold medalist, Olympian
- Mark Nichols - wide receiver for Detroit Lions
- Jared Norris - NFL player
- Larry Parker - wide receiver for USC Trojans and Kansas City Chiefs
- Joey Porter - All-Pro and Pro Bowl outside linebacker, member of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion team in 2006
- Rocky Rasley - guard for Detroit Lions
- D. J. Reed - free safety for New York Jets
- Randy Rich - defensive back for Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns
- Greg Robinson - defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos, University of Michigan
- Ken Ruettgers - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers
- Colton Schmidt - punter for Buffalo Bills
- Rashaan Shehee - running back for Kansas City Chiefs
- L. J. Shelton - offensive tackle for Arizona Cardinals
- Jeff Siemon - Pro Bowl linebacker for Minnesota Vikings, inducted to College Football Hall of Fame in 2006
- Kevin Smith - tight end for UCLA, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers
- Jeremy Staat - defensive lineman for Pittsburgh Steelers, United States Marine
- Jason Stewart - defensive tackle for Indianapolis Colts in 1994
- Michael Stewart - safety for Miami Dolphins
- John Tarver - running back for New England Patriots in 1970s
- Leonard Williams - defensive lineman for Seattle Seahawks
- Dick Witcher - wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- Louis Wright - All-Pro defensive back for Denver Broncos, member of 1970s NFL all-decade team
- Rodney Wright - wide receiver for Fresno State and Buffalo Bills
Motorsports
- Kevin Harvick - NASCAR driver, 2007 Daytona 500 winner and 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion[124][125]
- Casey Mears - NASCAR driver[126][127]
- Rick Mears - 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner[128][129]
- Roger Mears - Baja 1000 winner
- Blaine Perkins - NASCAR driver
- Ryan Reed - NASCAR driver[130][131]
- Bruce Sarver - NHRA champion[132][133]
- George Snider - 22-time competitor, Indianapolis 500[134][135]
Boxing
- Ruben Castillo - WBO and NABO lightweight champion, WBC featherweight and super featherweight contender[136]
- Michael Dallas, Jr. - Golden Gloves silver medalist, light welterweight contender[137][138]
- Jack Johnson - first African-American heavyweight champion, member of World Boxing Hall of Fame
- Jerry Quarry - national Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight professional boxer, fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
- Mike Quarry - light-heavyweight professional boxer[139][140]
Track & field
- Lonnie Spurrier - middle-distance runner, Olympian (1956), set world's record in the half-mile run in 1955[141][142]
Soccer
- Quincy Amarikwa - forward[143][144]
- Esteban Arias - defender[145][146][147]
- Cami Privett - former NWSL soccer player for the Houston Dash[148][149]
Mixed martial arts
- Josh Hokit - mixed martial artist
Writers, poets, journalists
- Mary Hunter Austin (1868–1934) - writer of prose, married in Bakersfield[150][151]
- Frank Bidart - poet
- James Chapman - novelist and publisher
- Robert Duncan - poet (lived in Bakersfield 1927–32)
- Georgie Starbuck Galbraith - writer of light verse[152]
- Gerald Haslam - author[153][154]
- Amber Hollibaugh - writer, filmmaker, activist and organizer[155][156]
- Lawrence Kimble - Hollywood screenwriter