# List of Belmont University alumni

Belmont University is a Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. The university was called Belmont College for Young Women from 1890 to 1913; Ward-Belmont College from 1913 to 1951, and Belmont College from 1951 to 1991. Following are some of its notable alumni.

## Business

* Damon T. Hininger, MBA, chief executive officer of the Corrections Corporation of America
* R. Milton Johnson, chairman and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America

## Entertainment

* McKinley Belcher III, actor
* Blair Fowler, former YouTuber and now interior designer
* Sean Hetherington, reality television producer and pundit
* DJ Qualls, actor
* Rachel Smith, Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002, Miss Tennessee USA 2007, and Miss USA 2007
* Tony Vincent, actor

## Literature and journalism

* Elizabeth P. Farrington, publisher of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Congressional Delegate
* H. L. Hix, poet and academic
* Michael Jackman, columnist, poet, essayist, fiction writer, and college professor
* Clare Boothe Luce, editor and playwright
* Masood Ashraf Raja, writer and associate professor University of North Texas
* Lila Acheson Wallace, co-founder of Reader's Digest
* Lisa Williams, poet

## Music

* Greg Bates, country music singer-songwriter
* Didi Benami, American Idol finalist
* Denver Bierman, bandleader and trumpet player with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
* Jimmy Bowen, record producer and former pop music performer
* Becca Bradley, CCM musician and cellist
* Logan Brill, singer/songwriter
* Celeste Buckingham, Slovak singer-songwriter and pop musician
* Sarah Buxton, country music artist
* Chuck Cannon, songwriter
* Steven Curtis Chapman, Grammy Award-winning Christian artist
* Brandy Clark, country music artist
* Travis Cottrell, Christian artist
* Cowboy Crush, country music band; all five members are alumnae
* Devin Dawson, country music artist
* Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, "big band" composed entirely of Belmont University alumni, was a finalist on The Next Great American Band
* Russell Dickerson, country music artist
* Melinda Doolittle, American Idol finalist
* Jace Everett, recording artist
* Sharon Gilchrist, bluegrass musician and singer
* Andrew Greer, singer-songwriter
* Ashley Gorley, songwriter and producer
* Ben Johnson, songwriter and producer
* Jake Goss, member of the three-piece alternative band LANY
* Mike Grayson, member of the Christian band Mikeschair
* Helen Hemphill, author
* Tyler Hubbard, half of country music group Florida Georgia Line
* Ashlyne Huff, singer-songwriter
* Jeff Irwin, musician
* Julienne Irwin, America's Got Talent finalist
* Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George, member of R&B group SWV, author, and Survivor: Tocantins contestant
* Brian Kelley, half of the country music group Florida Georgia Line
* Gordon Kennedy, co-writer of Eric Clapton's song "Change the World" and Grammy Award winner for 1996 Song of the Year in 1996 and 2006 Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2006
* Hannah Kerr, CCM Singer
* Katy Kirby, musician
* Paul Jason Klein, member of the three-piece alternative band LANY
* Levi Kreis, Tony Award-winning music artist
* Lara Landon, CCM recording artist
* Chase Lawrence, member of the alternative band Coin
* Jesse Lee, country music singer
* Jim Lill, country musician
* Liza Anne, musician
* Kimberley Locke, American Idol finalist, music star, and plus-size model
* Kelley Lovelace, songwriter
* Willie Mack, singer-songwriter
* Mary Virginia Martin, actress, singer and Broadway star
* Sandra McCracken, 1999, singer-songwriter.
* Joe Memmel, member of the alternative band Coin
* Moon Taxi, indie-alternative rock band; all five members are alumnae
* Grace Moore, operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film
* Ginny Owens, Christian music artist
* John Mark Painter, musician and songwriter, member of rock-and-roll duo Fleming and John
* Brad Paisley, country music artist
* Minnie Pearl (real name Sarah Cannon) of Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw fame; attended Belmont's predecessor, the Ward–Belmont School
* Jill Phillips, Christian music artist
* Les Priest, member of the three-piece alternative band LANY
* Julie Roberts, country music artist
* Frank Rogers, record producer
* Jake Wesley Rogers, musician
* Mackenzie Scott, performs as TORRES
* Harold "FYÜTCH" Simmons, rapper, singer, songwriter, producer
* Canaan Smith, country music singer-songwriter
* Todd Smith, Christian artist, lead singer of Selah
* Ric Steel, vocalist and instrumentalist
* Larry Stewart, country music artist, lead singer of Restless Heart
* Pam Tillis, country music artist
* Josh Turner, country music artist
* Troy Verges, songwriter
* Lee Ann Womack, country music artist
* Trisha Yearwood, country music artist
* Julianna Zobrist, Christian singer
* Ashley Cooke, country music artist

## Politics

* Diane Black, U.S. Representative from Tennessee
* Elizabeth P. Farrington, publisher of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Congressional Delegate
* Samuel Atta Mills, Member of Parliament (Ghana)

## Sports

* Ben Sheppard, American Basketball Player for the Indiana Pacers
* Jay Ayres, professional soccer player
* Matt Beaty, Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers
* Brian Baker, professional tennis player
* Kayla Braxton, WWE broadcaster
* Alysha Clark (born 1987), American-Israeli basketball player for the Israeli team Elitzur Ramla and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
* Ian Clark, NBA player
* Stu Grimson, former NHL enforcer
* J.J. Mann, professional basketball player
* Joshua McAdams, track and field athlete
* Nico Olsak, Argentinian-born American-Israeli soccer player who plays in the Israeli Premier League
* Ricardo Patton, head basketball coach at Central High School
* Alex Renfroe, professional basketball player
* J. P. Rodrigues, professional soccer player
* Evan Bradds, assistant basketball coach
* Dylan Windler, professional basketball player

## Other

* Jean MacArthur, supporter of the Metropolitan Opera and other charities, wife of U.S. Army General of the Army Douglas MacArthur