# List of people from Birmingham, Alabama

This is a list of individuals who are natives of, or are notable in association with, the city of Birmingham, Alabama.

## Academia

* Monnie T. Cheves, Samford University professor; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960; died in Birmingham in 1988
* Frank Moore Cross, religious scholar
* Angela Davis, social activist and author
* Richard Nelson Frye, scholar of Iran and Central Asia
* Roland Frye, scholar
* Carol Garrison, ex-president of University of Alabama at Birmingham
* Zenkei Blanche Hartman, first abbess of the San Francisco Zen Center
* Freeman Hrabowski III, educator
* Herman H. Long, president of Talladega College and United Negro College Fund
* J. Gordon Melton, religious scholar
* Emil Wolfgang Menzel, Jr. Emeritus Professor in psychology
* Edward Taub, behavioral neuroscientist and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
* Julia Tutwiler, educator and social reformer

## Arts and literature

* Allen Barra, journalist, sportswriter
* John Beecher, activist poet
* Edgar Peters Bowron, art historian
* Joe David Brown, journalist, novelist
* Mark Childress, author
* Jon Coffelt, artist
* Clayton Colvin, artist
* Dennis Covington, journalist, writer
* George R. Ellis, author, art historian and director of Honolulu Academy of Arts
* Fannie Flagg, author
* Charles Gaines, novelist, screenwriter
* Charles Ghigna, poet, children's author
* Christopher Gilbert, poet
* Gail Godwin, novelist
* John Green, author
* Joe Hilley, novelist
* Caitlín R. Kiernan, novelist and paleontologist
* Kerry James Marshall, artist
* Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman
* Spider Martin, photojournalist
* Robert R. McCammon, novelist
* Kevin McGowin, novelist, reviewer
* Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
* Walker Percy, author
* Howell Raines, New York Times editor
* James Redfield, novelist
* John Rhoden, sculptor
* Sonia Sanchez, poet
* Rowland Scherman, Grammy-award-winning photographer
* Melissa Springer, photographer
* Ann Waldron, author
* Margaret Walker, poet and author
* Daniel Wallace, novelist
* Mary Ware (1828 –1915), poet, prose writer
* John Weld, newspaper reporter, writer, Hollywood stunt man
* Tobias Wolff, author

## Business and economics

* Cynthia Bathurst, animal rights activist, former mathematical analyst, founder/director of Safe Humane Chicago and Court Case Dog Program
* Ashton B. Collins, Sr., inventor, creator of Reddy Kilowatt
* Newton Collins, businessman and community builder
* Samuel DiPiazza, former chairman and chief executive officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers
* A. G. Gaston, African-American businessman
* Franklin Potts Glass, Sr., newspaper editor
* Jay Grinney, president and chief executive officer of HealthSouth Corporation
* John M. Harbert, billionaire and founder of Harbert Corporation
* Elmer Harris, chief executive officer of Alabama Power
* Ron Holt, CEO and founder of Two Maids & A Mop
* Charles Linn, founder of First National Bank of Birmingham (AmSouth Bancorporation)
* Don Logan, chief executive officer of Time Inc.; chairman of Warner Media; chief executive officer of Southern Progress, owner of Birmingham Barons baseball team
* Michael K. Powell, Federal Communications Commission chairman
* Rufus N. Rhodes, founder of Birmingham News
* Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation
* James Sloss, industrialist and founder of Sloss Furnaces
* Alvin Vogtle, chairman and CEO of Alabama Power and Southern Company
* Allen Harvey Woodward, industrialist and baseball team owner

## Entertainment

* Mary Anderson, actress
* R. G. Armstrong, actor (Pleasant Grove, Alabama)
* Mary Badham, juvenile actress
* Candace Bailey, actress
* Amber Benson, actress
* Anna Lee Carroll, actress
* Lynne Carver, actress
* Nell Carter, actress and singer
* Courteney Cox, actress (Mountain Brook, Alabama)
* Paul Finebaum, radio/TV personality
* Jordan Fisher, actor, singer, and dancer
* Fannie Flagg, author, actress
* Louise Fletcher, actress
* David F. Friedman, director and producer
* Lili Gentle, actress
* Betty Lou Gerson, actress
* Gladys Gillem, wrestler
* Walton Goggins, actor
* Hank Green, Internet personality, podcaster
* Alan Hunter, MTV VJ
* Tamisha Iman, drag queen
* Kate Jackson, actress
* David Jaffe, video game designer (God of War and Twisted Metal)
* Jasika Nicole, actress, illustrator
* Gail Patrick, actress, television producer
* Ibrehem Rahman, Survivor: Palau contestant
* Rick and Bubba, radio/TV personalities
* Wayne Rogers, actor
* Dorothy Sebastian, film actress
* Daniel Scheinert, music video and film director
* Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer, Alabama)
* Rickey Smiley, radio personality
* Trinity the Tuck, drag queen
* Roy Wood, Jr., comedian
* Byron York, conservative author and journalist
* Tom York, television personality
* Paula Hill, actress

### Music

* Inez Andrews, gospel singer
* Barry Beckett, pianist and record producer
* Adolphus Bell, electric blues musician, best known as a one-man band
* Benny Benjamin, drummer
* Samm Bennett, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
* Bo Bice, singer, American Idol runner-up (Helena, Alabama)
* Helvetia Boswell, singer with The Boswell Sisters
* Piney Brown, R&B and blues singer-songwriter
* Oteil Burbridge, bassist
* Dorothy Love Coates, gospel singer
* J.R. Cobb, songwriter and guitarist
* Sam Dees, soul music singer
* Diana DeGarmo, American Idol 3rd season runner-up
* Big Joe Duskin, blues pianist
* Dennis Edwards, soul music singer
* Erra, progressive metalcore band
* Al Gallodoro, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist
* Gucci Mane, rapper
* Hardrock Gunter, rockabilly pioneer
* Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist and bandleader
* Emmylou Harris, singer
* Erskine Hawkins, composer, trumpeter and bandleader
* Haywood Henry, jazz saxophonist / clarinetist
* Taylor Hicks, soul music singer, American Idol winner
* Odetta Holmes, folk singer
* Jo Jones, jazz drummer
* Bill Justis, musician
* Eddie Kendricks, soul music singer
* William King, singer, founding member of The Commodores
* Baker Knight, songwriter and bandleader
* Sammy Lowe, jazz trumpeter and arranger
* Rebecca Luker, Broadway singer, actress
* Hugh Martin, songwriter and film composer
* Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Southern rock/metalcore band
* Johnny O'Neal, jazz pianist
* Avery Parrish, composer and jazz pianist
* Hank Penny, Western swing musician
* Ray Reach, jazz vocalist and pianist
* St. Paul and The Broken Bones, neo soul band
* Dan Sartain, rock musician
* Johnny Smith, jazz guitarist
* Ruben Studdard, singer, American Idol winner
* Sun Ra, jazz composer and bandleader
* Maria Taylor, singer
* Through the Sparks, indie rock band
* Verbena, indie rock band
* Virgos Merlot, hard rock band
* Wild Sweet Orange, indie rock band
* Paul Williams, soul singer
* Tammy Wynette, country singer
* YBN Nahmir (Nick Simmons), rap/hip hop artist
* Jerry Yester, singer

## Government, law and politics

* Arthur Alber, Los Angeles City Council member, 1927–29
* John Amari, District 10 Circuit Court judge, former member of both houses of the Alabama State Legislature
* Douglas Arant, attorney and co-founder of Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings
* Richard Arrington, first African-American mayor of Birmingham
* B. B. Comer, former governor of Alabama
* Eugene "Bull" Connor, former Commissioner of Public Safety
* Hugh Culverhouse, lawyer and owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Russell McWhortor Cunningham, Governor of Alabama
* Mike Fair, Oklahoma state legislator
* John Grenier, Republican politician in Alabama
* Art Hanes, mayor of Birmingham
* Gil Hill, Detroit, Michigan city council president and actor
* Perry O. Hooper, Sr., 27th chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; born in Birmingham in 1925; resided in adult life in Montgomery
* Bernard Kincaid, mayor of Birmingham
* Michael Landsberry, Marine and math teacher
* Raymond Lee Lathan, Wisconsin state legislator
* Chris McNair, Alabama state legislator and businessman
* Bert Nettles, lawyer in Birmingham; Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from Mobile (1969-1974)
* Charles Redding Pitt, chairman of Alabama Democratic Party
* Cecil F. Poole, federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit
* Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State
* George G. Siebels, Jr., first Republican to serve as mayor of Birmingham (1967-1975)
* Luther Strange, Attorney General of Alabama 2011-2017 and former Senator of Alabama, born in Birmingham
* Margaret Tutwiler, diplomat
* Robert S. Vance, chairman of Democratic Party, plaintiff's lawyer, federal judge United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

### United States Senate

* Hugo Black (1927–1937), also Supreme Court Justice (1937–1971)
* B. B. Comer (1920), also Governor of Alabama (1907–1911)
* Joseph Forney Johnston (1907–1913)
* Doug Jones (2018–2021)
* Richard Shelby (1987–2023)
* Luther Strange (2017–2018)
* Oscar W. Underwood (1915–1927)
* Francis S. White (1914–1915)

### United States House of Representatives

* Truman H. Aldrich (Alabama's 8th congressional district, 1896)
* Spencer Bachus (6th District, 1993–2015)
* John H. Bankhead (6th District, 1887–1907)
* Laurie C. Battle (9th District, 1947–1955)
* Sydney J. Bowie
* John H. Buchanan, Jr. (6th District, 1965–1981)
* Reuben Chapman (6th District, 1843–1847)
* Newton Nash Clements (6th District, 1880–1881)
* Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb (6th District, 1847–1861)
* Artur Davis (7th District, 1982–1992)
* Edward deGraffenried (6th District, 1949–1953)
* William Henry Denson (7th District, 1893–1895)
* Jack Edwards (1st District, 1965–1985)
* Ben Erdreich (6th District, 1983–1993)
* Claude Harris, Jr. (7th District, 1987–1993)
* Thomas Haughey (6th District, 1867–1869)
* Goldsmith W. Hewitt (6th District, 1876–1879, 1881–1885)
* Earl F. Hilliard (7th District, 1993–2003)
* Richmond P. Hobson (6th District, 1907–1915)
* George Huddleston (9th District, 1913–1935)
* George Huddleston, Jr. (9th District, 1955–1963)
* Pete Jarman (6th District, 1937–1949)
* Burwell Boykin Lewis (6th District, 1879–1880)
* Elaine Luria (VA 2nd District, 2019–2023), and former United States Navy Commander
* John Mason Martin (6th District, 1885–1887)
* John P. Newsome (9th District, 1943–1945)
* William B. Oliver (6th District, 1915–1937)
* Luther Patrick (9th District, 1935–1943, 1945–1947)
* Armistead I. Selden, Jr. (6th District, 1953–1965)
* Terri Sewell (7th district, 2011–present)
* Richard Shelby (7th District, 1979–1987)
* William Crawford Sherrod (6th District, 1869–1871)
* Joseph Humphrey Sloss (6th District, 1871–1875)
* Albert L. Smith, Jr. (6th District, 1981–1983)
* Jesse F. Stallings
* Louis Washington Turpin (9th District, 1893–1895)
* Oscar W. Underwood (8th District, 1895–1896; 9th District 1897–1915)

## Math, science, and technology

* Mary Anderson, inventor of windshield wipers
* Andrew Jackson Beard, inventor of automatic railcar coupling
* Edward M. Burgess, chemist and inventor of the Burgess reagent
* Lawrence J. DeLucas, biophysical engineer; Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut
* Annie Easley, mathematician and rocket scientist
* Clyde Foster, scientist and mathematician
* E. O. Wilson, entomologist and author

## Medicine

* James Andrews, orthopedic specialist
* Tinsley Harrison, editor of first five editions of Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine, dean of UAB School of Medicine
* Alan Heldman, interventional cardiologist and pioneer of the drug eluting stent
* John W. Kirklin, heart surgeon
* Larry Lemak, orthopedic surgeon, owner of the Lemak Group
* Albert Pacifico, heart surgeon
* Michael Saag, AIDS researcher
* Luther Leonidas Terry, Surgeon General of the United States

## Sports

* Mario Addison, NFL player
* Mike Anderson, University of Arkansas men's basketball coach
* Jay Barker, football player, college and pro quarterback
* Charles Barkley, basketball player, Hall of Famer and TV personality (Leeds, Alabama)
* Gene Bartow, basketball coach and athletic director for University of Alabama at Birmingham
* Bruce Benedict, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Cornelius Bennett, NFL Pro-Bowler
* Devin Benton, soccer player
* Eric Bledsoe, basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans
* Neil Bonnett, born in Birmingham, Hall of Fame NASCAR driver, TV personality
* Th-resa Bostick, born in Birmingham, IFBB professional bodybuilder
* Lyman Bostock, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Bobby Bowden, football coach
* Debbie Bramwell-Washington, IFBB professional bodybuilder
* Levert Carr, football player
* Bubba Church, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Jared Cook, born in Birmingham, football player, tight end
* Ted Cook, football player
* Jerricho Cotchery, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
* Ed Daniel (born 1990), basketball player who plays for Israeli team Maccabi Ashdod
* Karlos Dansby, football player
* Marcell Dareus, football player for Buffalo Bills
* A. J. Davis, NFL player
* Mike Davis, UAB basketball coach
* Spud Davis, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Tom Drake, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Vonetta Flowers, bobsledder, Olympic gold medalist
* Vince Gibson, football coach
* Harry Gilmer, football player
* Alex Grammas, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Hubie Green, professional golfer
* Jerry Hairston, Sr., born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Samuel H. Hairston, baseball player
* Darrin Hancock, NBA player
* Trey Hardee, NCAA Division I track and field collegiate heptathlon and decathlon record holder, Olympian
* Walt Harris, MMA fighter
* Chandler Hoffman, born in Birmingham, United Soccer League player
* Bobby Humphrey, football player, Alabama and NFL
* Tina Hutchinson (born 1964/1965), basketball player
* Bo Jackson, 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, multi-sport athlete
* Ron Jackson, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Desmond Jennings, baseball player
* Ken Jordan, football player
* Smylie Kaufman, golfer
* Larry Kenon, born in Birmingham, basketball player
* Corey Kluber, Major League Baseball pitcher, Cy Young Award winner
* Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, multiple Olympic gold-medalist and world champion track-and-field athlete
* Theodore Long, General Manager of WWE Smackdown
* Larry Mason (American football), football player
* Lee May, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Willie Mays, Major League Baseball player, Hall of Famer
* KJ McDaniels, NBA player
* Larry McReynolds, announcer for NASCAR on FOX
* Charlie Moore, baseball player
* Tony Nathan, football player and coach
* Gus Niarhos, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Satchel Paige, Major League Baseball player
* Sam Raben (born 1997), soccer player
* Chris Richards, born in Birmingham, professional soccer player for Crystal Palace of the English Premier League and the United States national team
* David Robertson, Major League Baseball player
* Oliver Robinson, basketball player
* Erk Russell, football player
* Ed Salem, football player and Birmingham restaurateur
* Jason Standridge, Major League Baseball player
* Ronald Steele, basketball player
* Rebel Steiner, football player
* Pat Sullivan, 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and former head football coach at Samford University
* Dabo Swinney, born in Birmingham, Clemson University head football coach
* Tanner Tessmann, professional soccer player, United States international, and Olympian
* Bryan Thomas, born in Birmingham, linebacker for New York Jets, graduated from Minor High School
* Dan Thomas, Major League Baseball player for Milwaukee Brewers
* Andre Tippett, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker
* Tommy Tolleson, NFL player
* Virgil Trucks, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Bob Veale, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* Dixie Walker, Major League Baseball player
* Peahead Walker, born in Birmingham, football coach
* Adam Warren, Major League Baseball pitcher
* Cat Whitehill, U.S Women’s National Soccer team player
* Austin Wiley (born 1999), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* JaCorey Williams (born 1994), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Chris Woods, player of gridiron football
* Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
* John Zimmerman, professional pairs figure skater

## Other

* Mel Allen, radio and TV sports personality, primary play-by-play announcer for New York Yankees
* Mother Angelica, nun and founder of global Catholic network EWTN
* Robert Joseph Baker, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham
* Donald Beatty, aviator, explorer and inventor
* Angela Davis, activist
* Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005
* Samantha Francis, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8
* Victor Gold, journalist, formerly with The Birmingham News
* Lola Hendricks, civil rights activist
* Patti Ruffner Jacobs, suffragist and social reformer
* Robert B. McNeill, Presbyterian minister
* James Meissner, World War I flying ace
* Artemus Ogletree, victim of 1935 unsolved murder in Kansas City
* Joseph Raya, archbishop and social activist
* Wallace Rayfield, architect
* Sonia Sanchez, poet, activist, and educator
* Jay Sebring, hair stylist, Charles Manson victim, ex-boyfriend of Sharon Tate
* Courtney Shropshire, founder of Civitan International
* Fred Shuttlesworth, civil rights activist
* Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006
* Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025
* Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995
* Louise Wooster, famed madam