List of people from Nashville, Tennessee

The following is a list of notable people who have lived in Nashville, Tennessee.

Native Nashvillians

People born in Nashville:

Name	Birth year	Notability	Reference
John Adams	1825	Brigadier General during the American Civil War	[1]
Duane Allman	1946	Guitarist and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band	[2]
Gregg Allman	1947	Singer, keyboardist and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band	[3]
Casey Atwood	1980	NASCAR driver	[4]
Frank Maxwell Andrews	1884	Important figure in U.S. military aviation	[5]
Alfred Bartles	1930	Composer of jazz/classical crossover music	[6]
Bill Belichick	1952	Football coach of 6-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots	[7]
Madison Smartt Bell	1957	Novelist	[8]
Julian Bond	1940	Civil rights activist	[9]
Robert Earl Bonney	1882	U.S. Navy Medal of Honor recipient, 1910	[10]
Linn Boyd	1800	Member of Congress from Kentucky and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives	[11]
Beverly Briley	1914	Mayor of Nashville, 1963–1975	[12]
David Briley	1964	Mayor of Nashville, 2018	[13]
Marvelyn Brown	1984	HIV/AIDS activist	[14]
Young Buck	1981	Rapper	[15]
Kitty Cheatham	1864	Singer and actress	[16]
Sara Ward Conley	1859	Artist	[17]
James Craig	1912	Actor	[18]
Miley Cyrus	1992	Actress and singer	[19][20]
Anne Dallas Dudley	1876	Women's suffrage activist	[21]
Thomas Fletcher	1817	Arkansas politician	[22]
Colin Ford	1996	Actor	[23]
Bill Frist	1952	Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader	[24]
John Gordy	1935	Tennessee Volunteers and Detroit Lions football player
Red Grooms	1937	Artist	[25]
Noodles Hahn	1879	Major League Baseball player	[26]
Bobby Hamilton	1957	NASCAR driver
Bobby Hebb	1938	R&B/soul songwriter, singer, musician known for the hit "Sunny"
Les Hunter	1942	Center of 1963 Loyola Ramblers basketball national championship team
Thomas Setzer Hutchison	1875	Military officer, police commissioner, civil reformer, author, inventor
Lillian Jackson	1919	All-American Girls Professional Baseball League founding member
Marion James	1934	Blues singer	[27]
Claude Jarman, Jr.	1934	Actor
Randall Jarrell	1914	Poet and writer
Jeff Jarrett	1967	Professional wrestler
Caleb Joseph	1986	Major League Baseball player
Lucille La Verne	1872	Actress	[28]
Margaret Landis	1890	Silent screen actress	[29]
Mary Louise Lester	1921	All-American Girls Professional Baseball League founding member
Kathy Liebert	1967	World Series of Poker bracelet winner
Beth Littleford	1968	Comedian and actress	[30]
Ron Mercer	1976	Professional basketball player
Tom Moran	1899	Football player	[31]
William Morrison	1860	Dentist, inventor of cotton candy
Alice Oates	1849	actress and pioneer of American musical theatre	[32]
Chord Overstreet	1989	Singer, songwriter, TV actor
Bettie Page	1923	Pin-up model	[33]
Keith Paskett	1964	Professional football player for Green Bay Packers	[34]
James B. Pearson	1920	U.S. Senator	[35]
Annie Potts	1952	Actress	[36][note 1]
Shelton Quarles	1971	Professional football player for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Emily J. Reynolds	1956	Former Secretary of the U.S. Senate	[37]
Robert Ryman	1930	Visual artist	[38]
Hillary Scott	1986	Singer-songwriter, member of country music trio Lady Antebellum
John Seigenthaler	1927	Journalist, writer, and political figure
Nate Simpson	1954	Football player
Ahmaad Smith	1983	Football player
Samuel Stritch	1887	First American member of the Roman Curia
Phillip Supernaw	1990	NFL player	[39]
Andrea True	1943	Pornstar and disco singer	[40]
Anthony Van Leer	1783	A prominent Iron works owner in Tennessee
Eric Volz	1979	Magazine publisher convicted of murder in Nicaragua
Lark Voorhies	1974	Television actress	[41]
Charlie Wade	1950	Football player
Chuck Wagner	1958	Actor	[42]
William Walker	1824	Journalist, adventurer, and briefly the President of Nicaragua	[43]
Kitty Wells	1919	Musician and singer, commonly referred to as the Queen of Country Music	[44]
Hank Williams III	1972	Singer and musician	[45]
Del Wood	1920	Ragtime, gospel, and country music pianist	[46]

Musicians and songwriters

Due to its status as a major hub of music production (especially country and gospel music), Nashville attracts a wide array of musicians, singers, and songwriters.

• Roy Acuff – country singer and songwriter; co-founder (with Fred Rose) of the Acuff-Rose publishing house
• Trace Adkins – country music singer and songwriter
• Dean Alexander – country singer and songwriter
• Chet Atkins – country guitarist and record producer
• The Band Perry – country pop band
• Dave Barnes – acoustic singer and songwriter
• Greg Bates – country singer-songwriter
• David Berman – singer/songwriter of Silver Jews
• Beeb Birtles – former member of Little River Band
• Pat Boone (Charles Eugene Boone) – pop singer and actor
• Bully – rock band
• J. J. Cale – songwriter and musician, known for writing "After Midnight" and "Cocaine"
• Glen Campbell – pop and country musician, TV personality and actor, sang "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"
• Johnny Cash – country singer, songwriter and actor, known to his fans as "The Man in Black"
• June Carter Cash – country singer and songwriter, wife of Johnny Cash, and member of the A.P. Carter Family
• Desmond Child – hit rock/pop songwriter for Cher, Kiss, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, Bonnie Tyler, Bon Jovi, and others
• Cimorelli – YouTube girl group, originally from El Dorado Hills, California
• The Civil Wars – folk/Americana duo
• Kelly Clarkson – pop singer-songwriter, first winner of American Idol
• Patsy Cline – country singer and songwriter, first woman in Country Music Hall of Fame
• Kyle Cook – singer-songwriter of Matchbox Twenty
• Rita Coolidge – pop recording artist and songwriter
• Billy Cox – guitarist, last surviving member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Sheryl Crow – singer, songwriter, actress
• Billy Ray Cyrus – country singer, songwriter, and actor
• Miley Cyrus – country/pop singer, songwriter, star of Hannah Montana; daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus
• Steve Earle – country singer and songwriter
• Tommy Emmanuel – guitarist, native to Australia but lives in Nashville
• Zac Farro – drummer
• Fisk Jubilee Singers – African-American gospel choir
• Lester Flatt – bluegrass pioneer
• Béla Fleck – banjoist, lived in Nashville most of his young adulthood, originally from New York City
• Dan Fogelberg – singer-songwriter of diverse musical styles, top-selling musician of 1970s-80s
• Ben Folds – singer-songwriter, former frontman of Ben Folds Five
• Framing Hanley – alternative rock band
• Peter Frampton – English rock musician, producer, songwriter, lives in Nashville
• Kathy Lee Gifford - Television host, singer, songwriter, actress, and author
• Josh Gracin – country singer
• Amy Grant – singer and songwriter known for Christian themes
• Neal Morse – singer and songwiter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and progressive rock composer based in Nashville
• Emmylou Harris – country singer, songwriter, and musician
• Kerry Harvick – country singer, songwriter, cast member of the hit reality series Bad Girls Club
• Lil Hawthorne – music hall performer involved in bringing Dr. Crippen to justice
• Brandon Heath – Christian singer/songwriter
• Bobby Hebb – R&B/soul songwriter, musician, singer known for the song "Sunny"
• John Hiatt – songwriter and musician
• Faith Hill – country music singer
• Hot Chelle Rae – popular rock pop band
• Harlan Howard – Music Row songwriter
• David Hungate - Bassist for Toto, also recorded with several country artists.
• Alan Jackson – country singer and songwriter
• Waylon Jennings – country singer and guitarist
• Naomi Judd – mother-daughter (with Wynonna Judd) country music singer and songwriter
• Wynonna Judd – mother-daughter (with Naomi Judd) country music singer and songwriter
• Kesha – pop singer
• Kings of Leon – rock musicians
• Robert Knight – R&B singer best known for the hit "Everlasting Love"
• Kris Kristofferson – country songwriter, singer, and actor
• Lady Antebellum – country music trio group
• Brenda Lee – pop singer, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
• Little Big Town – country music group
• Little Richard – rock musician
• Kimberley Locke – pop and R&B singer
• Liam Lynch – musician and co-creator of the television show Sifl and Olly
• Loretta Lynn – country singer and songwriter
• Barbara Mandrell – country singer and songwriter
• Chris Marion – member of classic rock's Little River Band
• Martina McBride – singer and songwriter
• Tim McGraw – country music singer, songwriter and actor
• Reba McEntire – country music singer and actress
• Roger Miller – country singer and songwriter, known for "King of the Road"
• Dave Mustaine – lead musician for heavy metal band Megadeth
• Willie Nelson – guitarist and country singer, member of the outlaw country movement
• Aaron Neville – soul singer and member of the Neville Brothers; displaced from his native New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina
• The New Schematics – indie rock band
• John Oates – hit rock and soul recording artist from duo Hall & Oates has homes in Colorado and Nashville
• Roy Orbison – singer and songwriter, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, known for "Pretty Woman"
• Brad Paisley – country singer, songwriter
• Paramore – rock musicians
• Dolly Parton – country singer, songwriter, and actress
• Johnny Paycheck – country singer
• Wayne Perry – country singer-songwriter and producer
• Kellie Pickler – country music singer and songwriter
• Millard Powers – member of Counting Crows, musician, songwriter, producer, engineer
• Rascal Flatts – country music trio
• Tex Ritter – singing cowboy
• Earl Scruggs – bluegrass banjo player
• Ed Sheeran - English singer, songwriter, producer, actor
• Blake Shelton – country singer, judge on TV series The Voice
• Mandisa – Christian music artist
• Michael W. Smith – Christian music artist
• Soccer Mommy – indie rock back fronted by Sophie Allison
• Edwin Starr – '70s funk singer
• Chris Stapleton – award-winning country/bluegrass/rock musician
• Starlito – rapper
• Marty Stuart – country/bluegrass musician; host of his own show on RFD-TV
• Donna Summer – disco and R&B singer
• Taylor Swift – one of the world's top-selling pop singer-songwriters
• Jamie Teachenor – multi-platinum country singer and songwriter
• Poppy – pop singer and songwriter
• Thompson Square – country music duo
• Ernest Tubb – singer and songwriter, one of the pioneers of country music
• Shania Twain – country music singer and songwriter
• Steven Tyler – lead singer/songwriter of rock band Aerosmith
• Keith Urban – country music superstar, married to Nicole Kidman
• Townes Van Zandt – folk music singer-songwriter
• Gillian Welch – contemporary "alt-country" songwriter and singer
• Kitty Wells – singer and musician from country music's early days
• Matt Wertz – acoustic singer and songwriter
• Dottie West – country singer and songwriter
• Jack White – guitarist and lead vocalist of The White Stripes
• Hayley Williams – musician, songwriter, lyricist
• Allen Woody – bassist for the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule
• Victor Wooten – virtuoso electric bass guitar player
• Tammy Wynette – country singer and songwriter, known for "Stand By Your Man"
• Dwight Yoakam – country musician, songwriter and actor
• Taylor York – musician, songwriter, lyricist
• Young Buck – rapper and member of G-Unit

Political figures

Al Gore

National

• Edward Carmack – former U.S. Senator, newspaper editor and attorney
• Bill Frist – former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
• Al Gore, Jr. – former U.S. Vice President and Senator; recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
• Andrew Jackson – former U.S. President
• Andrew Johnson – former U.S. President and Vice President
• John Lewis – civil rights leader, U.S. Congressman (GA 5th Dist.), and former SNCC chairman
• James K. Polk – former U.S. President
• Fred Thompson – former U.S. Senator and actor

Local

• Megan Barry – first female mayor of Nashville; first female mayor of Nashville to resign office
• Phil Bredesen – mayor of Nashville 1991–99, governor of Tennessee 2003–2011
• Karl Dean – former mayor of Nashville
• John Jay Hooker – attorney, perennial candidate, and political gadfly
• Diane Neighbors – vice mayor of Nashville 2007-2015

See also: List of mayors of Nashville, Tennessee

Other Nashvillians

• Mookie Betts – baseball player
• William N. Bilbo – attorney, lobbyist for passage of the 13th Amendment, ending slavery
• Connie Britton – actress, stars in ABC's Nashville
• Richard Henry Boyd – founder and head of the National Baptist Publishing Board
• Virginia E. Walker Broughton – African American author and Baptist missionary[47][48][49]
• Mary R. Calvert (1884–1974) – astronomical computer and astrophotographer
• Tracy Caulkins – three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer
• Mike Curb – founder of Curb Records, former Lieutenant Governor of California
• Ted Danson - Actor and Producer
• George A. Dickel – liquor distributor
• Rachel DiPillo – actress, currently stars in NBC's Chicago Med
• Doug the Pug – famous dog
• Greg Downs – Flannery O'Connor Award-winning short story writer
• James T. Draper, Jr. – president of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1982–1984; president of Nashville-based LifeWay Christian Resources, 1991–2006
• William Driver – nicknamed the U.S. flag "Old Glory"
• Natalia Dyer – actress
• Tony Earley – novelist and short story writer
• Ralph Emery – country music disc jockey and television host
• Joseph Fuisz – American attorney, inventor, and entrepreneur of Slovenian descent. He works predominantly in the pharmaceutical industry as the founder of Fuisz Pharma LLC.
• Richard Fuisz – American physician, inventor, and entrepreneur, with connections to the United States military and intelligence community.
• Eddie George – Heisman Trophy winner, four-time Pro Bowl NFL running back, businessman and professional actor
• Kathie Lee Gifford - Television personality and former star of NBC's "Today" show
• Tipper Gore – Second Lady of the United States 1993–2001
• Sonny Gray – Major League Baseball pitcher
• Francis Guess – Nashville businessman and member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1983–1989)[50]
• Phil Harris – comedian, actor, singer, and jazz musician
• Adam Hooker – 2008 Slamball League MVP and starting stopper for Champion Slashers
• Jesse James – notorious outlaw and bank robber
• Ashley Judd – actress and political activist
• Demetria Kalodimos – Emmy Award-winning anchor for WSMV-TV
• Nicole Kidman – actress
• Karen Kingsbury – novelist
• Andy Kirby – NASCAR driver
• Harmony Korine – filmmaker and artist
• Rachel Korine – actress and photographer, married to Harmony Korine
• Jessica Kresa – professional wrestler, known as ODB
• Amelia Laskey – ornithologist[51]
• James Lawson – civil rights leader and Methodist minister
• Alan LeQuire – sculptor
• Sondra Locke – Oscar-nominated actress from Shelbyville, TN lived briefly in Nashville
• Z. Alexander Looby – lawyer active in the American Civil Rights Movement
• Dan May – civic leader
• Patrick McCauley – journalist, lived in Nashville from 1954 to 1959, edited Southern School News[52]
• Jon Meacham – Pulitzer Prize-winning author; former Newsweek editor
• Fred Meyer – treasurer of Aladdin Industries in Nashville, pre-1971; chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, 1988–1994; president of Tyler Corporation in Dallas, 1983–1986; native of suburban Chicago[53]
• Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, fka Carlos Leon Bledsoe – committed the 2009 jihadi Little Rock military recruiting office shooting[54][55][56]
• Diane Nash – civil rights leader
• Ann Patchett – novelist
• Minnie Pearl (Sarah Cannon) – country comedian who appeared frequently on the Grand Ole Opry
• Dave Ramsey – talk radio host and author
• Grantland Rice – sportswriter
• Herb Rich (1928–2008), 2x All-Pro NFL football player
• Wilma Rudolph – track star and Olympic gold medalist
• Fred Russell – sportswriter
• T. M. Schleier – early photographer
• John Seigenthaler, Jr. – MSNBC news anchor; son of John Seigenthaler, Sr.
• Ronal W. Serpas – Chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, 2004–2010[57]
• Dinah Shore – singer, actress, and television personality
• Azariah Southworth – former host of a Christian television show; LGBT rights advocate[58][59]
• Richard Speight, Jr. – actor
• Mary Steenburgen - actress, songwriter wife of Ted Danson
• Martin Strel – long-distance swimmer, Big River Man and actor from Slovenia
• Frank Sutton – actor, played Sergeant Carter on the hit TV series Gomer Pyle USMC
• Austin Swift – actor, brother of Taylor Swift
• Niki Taylor – supermodel and TV presenter
• Preston Taylor – minister, businessperson, philanthropist
• Adair Tishler – actress
• Marcia Trimble – victim of an infamous child murder case
• Jim Varney – actor, known for his character Ernest P. Worrell
• Robert Penn Warren – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet
• Dawn Wells – actress, Gilligan's Island
• William Wilkerson – founder of Flamingo Las Vegas hotel, Ciro's nightclub
• Tennessee Williams - foremost playwright of 20th century drama, lived briefly in Nashville
• Oprah Winfrey – talk show host and entrepreneur
• Reese Witherspoon – Academy Award-winning actress
• Evan Rachel Wood – actress, musician, and star of TV series Westworld

See also

• List of people from Tennessee

Notes

1. Some sources list Potts' birthplace as Franklin, Kentucky, rather than Nashville.

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