List of people from Greensboro, North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in or are closely associated with Greensboro, North Carolina and have an article on Wikipedia.
- Ethan Albright, NFL Pro Bowl long snapper, played for University of North Carolina and NFL's Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins[1]
- Elreta Alexander-Ralston, judge and attorney[2]
- Keenan Allen, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers[3]
- Robert Sylvester Alston, serial killer who raped and murdered at least 4 women from 1991 to 1993[4]
- Tom Alston, former Major League Baseball first baseman and first African-American to play for the St. Louis Cardinals[5]
- Samuel E. Anderson, United States Air Force four-star general; commanded Fifth Air Force during the Korean War[6]
- Clarence Avant, entertainment industry executive[7]
- Patrick Bailey, catcher for the San Francisco Giants[8]
- Fantasia Barrino, winner of American Idol season three and Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, briefly lived in Greensboro and is from nearby High Point
- Thomas Berry, ecology spokesman[9]
- Rex M. Best, Emmy Award-winning writer for the CBS daytime dramas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful
- Jake Bloss, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Jeff Bostic, NFL offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins[10]
- Joe Bostic, NFL offensive lineman for the St. Louis (later Arizona) Cardinals[11]
- Alan Branson, politician[12]
- Michael Brooks, NFL defensive back[13]
- Hal "Skinny" Brown, MLB pitcher, member of Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame[14]
- Tony Brown, record producer[15]
- Joseph M. Bryan, businessman and philanthropist, lived in Greensboro until his death in 1995
- Kathleen Price Bryan, philanthropist, was born and lived in Greensboro
- Frances Webb Bumpass, newspaper publisher[16]
- Lamont Burns, NFL offensive lineman[17]
- Sharon Raiford Bush, American television's first African-American female weather anchor of primetime news, in 1975 at WGPR-TV, the US's first black-owned-and-operated television station[18]
- Gianluca Busio, soccer player[19]
- Andy Cabic, of indie folk band Vetiver; lived in Greensboro while a member of indie-rock band The Raymond Brake[20]
- Jonathan Campbell, soccer player[21]
- Orson Scott Card, author, journalist and professor; several of his books, including Ender's Game and Shadow Puppets, feature settings in and around Greensboro[22]
- Jimmy Carpenter, electric blues saxophonist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer[23]
- Eugene Chadbourne, composer and musician[24]
- Spencer Chamberlain, lead vocalist of the band Underoath, was raised in Greensboro
- Joey Cheek, Olympic gold medal speed skater[25]
- Howard Coble, former member of U.S. House of Representatives (6th District, N.C.)[26]
- Levi Coffin, Quaker educator and abolitionist[27]
- Tarik Cohen, NFL player, attended North Carolina A&T State University[28]
- Billy "Crash" Craddock, country music singer, born and lives near Greensboro[29]
- Chris Daughtry, American Idol contestant
- Jeff Davis, NFL player for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and member of Clemson's 1981 national championship team; attended Dudley High School
- Rick Dees, radio personality; graduated from Grimsley High School[30]
- Louis DeJoy, US postmaster and major Republican Party benefactor[31]
- Marques Douglas, NFL player[32]
- James Lamont DuBose, executive television and film producer,[33] BET[34]
- Eric Ebron, NFL tight end; attended Ben L. Smith High School[35]
- Donna Edmondson, 1987 Playboy Playmate of the year[36]
- Vince Evans, NFL quarterback and 1977 Rose Bowl most valuable player[37]
F–J
- Barry Farber, radio talk show host, author and language-learning enthusiast; born in Greensboro, and graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (see Grimsley High School)[38]
- Tal Farlow, pioneering jazz guitarist[39]
- Rick Ferrell, MLB catcher 1929–47, eight-time All-Star, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Wes Ferrell, MLB pitcher 1927–41, two-time All-Star[40]
- Henry Flynt (b. 1940), philosopher, avant-garde musician, anti-art activist and exhibited artist often associated with Conceptual Art, Fluxus and Nihilism[41]
- Charles Foster, Olympic track hurdler[42]
- Inez and Charlie Foxx, rhythm-and-blues and soul duo known for the 1963 hit "Mockingbird"[43]
- Golda Fried, novelist and poet
- Elissa Minet Fuchs, ballerina and ballet mistress[44]
- Peter Paul Fuchs, composer and conductor[45]
- Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company
- Rhiannon Giddens, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops[46]
- Edwin Forbes Glenn, United States Army officer[47]
- Eugene Godsoe, American former competition swimmer, who specialized in backstroke and butterfly events
- Adam Green, cognitive neuroscientist
- Leah Naomi Green, poet and essayist
- Dino Hackett, NFL linebacker; jersey number retired by Appalachian State[48]
- Joey Hackett, NFL tight end[49]
- Kay Hagan, former U.S. senator[50]
- PJ Hairston, played college basketball for North Carolina Tar Heels, 26th pick in the 2014 NBA draft by Charlotte Hornets, now plays for Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League[51]
- Karly Hartzman, singer-songwriter and musician with Wednesday[52]
- Brendan Haywood, NBA player for Dallas Mavericks, attended Dudley High School[53]
- O. Henry, short story writer
- John Henson, NBA player for the Cleveland Cavaliers[54]
- David Hickman, last American soldier killed in the Iraq War[55]
- Matt Hill, electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
- Terrence Holt, NFL safety, played for NC State and Detroit Lions; born in nearby Gibsonville along with his brother Torry Holt
- Lauren Holt, former Saturday Night Live cast member
- Torry Holt, wide receiver for NC State and All-Pro for the St. Louis Rams; born in nearby Gibsonville and attended Eastern Guilford High School
- Lindsey Hopkins Jr., businessman, banker, investor, and sportsman
- Lou Hudson, NBA All-Star[56]
- Chanita Hughes-Halbert, psychologist and medical researcher[57]
- Jim Hunt, former 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina[58]
- John Inman, professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour[59]
- John Isner, professional tennis player[60]
- Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist, minister, politician, attended and graduated from North Carolina A&T University[61]
- Randall Jarrell, nationally acclaimed poet, professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro until his death in 1965; buried near Guilford College campus[62]
- Haywood Jeffires, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver for Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints, coach of a Texas semi-pro team[63]
- Ken Jeong, actor, grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated from Page High School; starred in NBC sitcom Community[64]
- Dr. Frank Jobe, orthopedic surgeon, invented UCL reconstruction known as Tommy John surgery[65]
- Robert Elijah Jones, early African American bishop in the Methodist Church[66]
K–O
- Paris Kea, All-American basketball player at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, WNBA player for the Indiana Fever[67]
- Richard M. Kenan, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives[68]
- J. William Kime, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard[69]
- Debra Lee, chief executive officer of BET[70]
- John Anthony Lennon (b. 1950), composer[71]
- Janet Lilly, dancer, choreographer and professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro[72]
- Caroline Lind, Olympic rower and two-time gold medalist in the women's eight event[73]
- Ann Livermore, former executive vice president at Hewlett-Packard[74]
- Frank Lucas, infamous heroin dealer, subject of American Gangster film starring Denzel Washington
- Loretta Lynch, attorney general of the United States[75]
- Dolley Madison, First Lady and wife of President James Madison[76]
- Carolyn Maloney (née Carolyn Jane Bosher, born 1946), politician serving as U.S. representative[77]
- Danny Manning, All-America basketball player for the University of Kansas and NBA star, attended Page High School in Greensboro[78]
- Kathy Manning, U.S. representative[79]
- Doug Marlette, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist[80]
- Margaret Maron, author of award-winning mystery novels[81]
- Joyce Martin Dixon, businesswoman and philanthropist[82]
- Jack F. Matlock, Jr., U.S. ambassador to U.S.S.R., 1987–1991[83]
- Maryhelen Mayfield, ballet dancer and former artistic and executive director of Greensboro Ballet, lived in Greensboro
- Bob McAdoo, NBA All-Star, college basketball All-American, and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame[84]
- Franklin McCain, one of The Greensboro Four, African-American student from North Carolina A&T State University who in 1960 started the first civil rights sit-in; action eventually led to lunch counters and restaurants being desegregated throughout the Southern United States; attended Dudley[85]
- Courtney McClellan, interdisciplinary artist[86]
- Adrian McDonnell, conductor living in France
- Mark McGuinn, country music artist[87]
- Joseph McNeil, one of the Greensboro Four, male African-American student from North Carolina A&T State University who in 1960 started the first civil rights sit-in; action eventually led to lunch counters and restaurants being desegregated throughout the Southern US[88]
- Beth Mitchell, competitive shag dancer
- Jason Miyares, 48th attorney general of Virginia[89]
- John Motley Morehead, 29th governor of North Carolina[90]
- Emmanuel Moseley, NFL cornerback[91]
- Cedric Mullins, MLB player for the Baltimore Orioles[92]
- Edward R. Murrow, World War II CBS radio broadcaster and award-winning television journalist; born outside Greensboro[93]
- Fred "Curly" Neal, basketball player, Harlem Globetrotters[94]
- Ed Nelson, actor who played Dr. Michael Rossi on Peyton Place, spent last years in Greensboro and died there in 2014[95]
P–T
- Michael Parker, novelist[96]
- Clara J. Peck, public health nurse and hospital matron
- Ronald Perelman, billionaire investor[97]
- Garry Peterson, longtime drummer for the Guess Who
- Carl Pettersson, Swedish PGA Tour player, graduated from Grimsley High School[98]
- Theo Pinson, NBA player for the Brooklyn Nets[99]
- Eddie Pope, soccer player for Real Salt Lake and the US National Soccer Team[100]
- Millard Powers, musician, songwriter, record producer, and Grammy-nominated recording engineer; member of Counting Crows[101]
- George Preddy, World War II fighter ace[102]
- Ethel Clay Price, nurse and socialite[103]
- Julian Price, insurance executive[103]
- Ricky Proehl, NFL player[104]
- Morgan Radford, journalist and reporter for NBC News and MSNBC[105]
- D.J. Reader, NFL defensive tackle[106]
- Eddie Robinson, Major League Soccer (MLS) player[107]
- Mark Robinson, 35th lieutenant governor of North Carolina[108]
- Lee Rouson, NFL running back, attended Page High School
- Ryan Wesley Routh, suspected attempted assassin of Donald Trump
- Virginia Ragsdale, mathematician and creator of the Ragsdale conjecture
- Ski Beatz, music producer[109]
- Charlie Sanders, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, NFL tight end for Detroit Lions, attended Dudley High School[110]
- H.T. Kirby-Smith, author and poet
- Graham Sharp, musician[111]
- Nicholas Sparks, author
- Josephine Sprott (1867–1952), President, Woman's Christian Temperance Union of South Carolina[112]
- Wilbur Daniel Steele, author, playwright, Provincetown Players
- Stanley Tanger, founder of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers[113]
- Edwin Teague, Olympic sports shooter[114]
- Sonny Terry, blues musician (1911–1986)[115]
- Whitney Way Thore, star of TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life[116]
- Bill Tudor, founder of Tudor's Biscuit World[117]
