LIST OF PEOPLE FROM MISSISSIPPI

This is a list of famous and notable people who were born or lived in Mississippi.

Contents

Activists and advocates

Actors/Actresses

Artists

Athletes and sports-related people

Broadcast media personalities

Comedians

Educators

Entrepreneurs/Business leaders

Filmmakers

Historians

Inventors

Jurists and lawyers

Military figures

Musicians and performers

Physicians

Politicians

Writers

Others

Activists and advocates

★ C. C. Bryant, (McComb)

★ James Chaney, (Meridian)

★ Vernon Dahmer, (Hattiesburg)

★ Charles Evers, (Decatur)

★ Medgar Evers, (Decatur)

★ Myrlie Evers, (Vicksburg)

★ C. L. Franklin, (Sunflower County)

★ Dianna Freelon-Foster, (Grenada)

★ Fannie Lou Hamer, (Ruleville)

★ T.R.M. Howard, (Mound Bayou)

★ James Meredith, (Kosciusko)

★ Ida B. Wells, (Holly Springs)

★ Zig Ziglar, (Yazoo City)

Actors/Actresses

★ Jessica Alba, (Biloxi)

★ Dana Andrews, (Covington County)

★ Earl W. Bascom, (Columbia)

★ Texas Rose Bascom, (Columbia)

★ Weldon Bascom, (Columbia)

★ James Best, Roscoe P. Coltrane on ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', taught Drama at the University of Mississippi for two years, (Oxford)

★ Jimmy Boyd, (McComb)

★ Charlie Braxton, (McComb)

★ Lacey Chabert, (Purvis)

★ Michael Clarke Duncan, went to Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi.

★ John Dye, (Amory)

★ Morgan Freeman, (Greenwood)

★ Gary Grubbs, (Amory)

★ Lynn Hamilton, (Yazoo City)

★ Beth Henley, (Jackson)

★ Jim Henson, creator of ''The Muppets'', (Leland)

★ Anthony Herrera, (Wiggins)

★ Eddie Hodges, (Hattiesburg)

★ Don Jeffcoat, (Gulfport)

★ Ryan Jensen, (Petal)

★ James Earl Jones, (Arkabutla)

★ Simbi Khali, (Jackson)

★ Diane Ladd, (Meridian)

★ Daniel Curtis Lee, (Jackson)

★ Tom Lester, Eb from ''Green Acres'', (Jackson)

★ Shane McRae, (Starkville)

★ Gerald McRaney, star of ''Major Dad'' TV series, (Collins)

★ Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959, (Brandon)

★ Parker Posey, (Laurel)

★ Purvis Jon, (Laurel)

★ Evelyn Preer, (Vicksburg)

★ Beah Richards, (Vicksburg)

★ Eric Roberts, (Biloxi)

★ Stella Stevens, (Yazoo City)

★ James Michael Tyler, best-known as "Gunther" on ''Friends'', (Winona)

★ Ray Walston, (Laurel)

★ Sela Ward, (Meridian)

★ Oprah Winfrey, (Kosciusko)

★ William Nakia Yelland, (Pascagoula)

Artists

★ Walter Inglis Anderson, painter, (Ocean Springs)

★ Alex Loeb, painter, (Meridian)

★ Earl W. Bascom, painter and sculptor, (Columbia)

★ Nadine Bascom, sculptor

★ George Ohr, potter, (Biloxi)

★ Floyd Shaman, sculptor, (Cleveland)

★ Eudora Welty, primarily a writer but also known for her photography, (Jackson)

★ William Dunlap, painter, (Webster County native)

Athletes and sports-related people

★ Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, (Gulfport)

★ Lance Alworth, (Brookhaven)

★ Lem Barney, (Gulfport)

★ Earl W. Bascom, rodeo pioneer and champion, co-produced first rodeo in Columbia, Mississippi in 1935, designed and built Mississippi's first permanent rodeo arena and grandstands in 1936

★ Texas Rose Bascom, rodeo trick rider and trick roper, toured world with Bob Hope as "World's Greatest Female Trick Roper", (Columbia)

★ Weldon Bascom, rodeo pioneer and champion, co-produced first rodeo in Columbia, Mississippi

★ Cool Papa Bell, (Starkville)

★ Jonathan Bender, (Picayune)

★ Ruthie Bolton, (Lucedale)

★ Ralph Boston, (Laurel)

★ Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd, (Meridian)

★ Jeff Brantley, former major-league pitcher, current ESPN analyst, played baseball at Mississippi State University, (Starkville)

★ Terrell Buckley, (Pascagoula)

★ Ellis Burks, (Vicksburg)

★ Lee Calhoun, winner of two Olympic gold metals, (Laurel)

★ Van Chancellor, (Louisville)

★ Rod Coleman, (Vicksburg)

★ Reggie Collier, (D'Iberville)

★ Joe Courtney, (Jackson)

★ Erick Dampier, (Monticello)

★ Rod Davis, Carolina Panthers, (Gulfport)

★ Dizzy Dean, (Wiggins)

★ Ted DiBiase, former professional wrestler, (Clinton)

★ Jim Dunaway, (Columbia)

★ Marcus Dupree, (Philadelphia)

★ Ronald Dupree, (Biloxi)

★ Monta Ellis, (Jackson)

★ Brett Favre, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, (Kiln)

★ David "Boo" Ferriss, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, (Shaw)

★ Tim Floyd, (Hattiesburg)

★ Jim Gallagher, Jr., professional golfer, (Greenwood)

★ Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator for the Minnesota vikings (Columbus)

★ Charles Gavin, (Laurel)

★ Lancaster Gordon, (Jackson)

★ Litterial Green, (Pascagoula)

★ Louis Green, (Vicksburg)

★ L. C. Greenwood, (Canton)

★ Justin Griffith, (Magee)

★ Bobby Hamilton, (Columbia)

★ Othella Harrington, professional basketball player, (Jackson)

★ Charlie Hayes, (Hattiesburg)

★ Joe Horn, receiver for the New Orleans Saints, (Tupelo)

★ Lindsey Hunter, professional basketball player, (Utica)

★ Al Jefferson, (Monticello)

★ Matt Lawton, (Gulfport)

★ Ken Lucas, Carolina Panthers, (Cleveland)

★ Kris Mangum, Carolina Panthers, (Magee)

★ Archie Manning, (Drew)

★ Danny Manning, (Hattiesburg)

★ Justin Mapp, (Brandon)

★ Shane Matthews, (Pascagoula)

★ Deuce McAllister, (Morton)

★ Antonio McDyess, (Quitman)

★ Derrick McKey, former professional basketball player, (Meridian)

★ Steve McNair, quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, (Mount Olive)

★ Eric Moulds, (Lucedale)

★ Steve Newsome, (Columbia)

★ Jerious Norwood, (Jackson)

★ Roy Oswalt, (Weir)

★ Joe Owens, (Columbia)

★ Claude Passeau, former major-league pitcher, (Lucedale)

★ Eddie Payton, (Columbia)

★ Walter Payton, (Columbia)

★ Clinton Portis, (Laurel)

★ Justin Reed, (Jackson)

★ Jerry Rice, (Starkville)

★ James Robinson, (Jackson)

★ Billy Shaw, (Natchez)

★ Eugene Short, (Hattiesburg)

★ Purvis Short, (Hattiesburg)

★ Jackie Slater, (Jackson)

★ Calvin Smith, (Bolton)

★ Jimmy Lee Smith, (Jackson)

★ Lake Speed, (Jackson)

★ Ernie Terrell, (Belzoni)

★ Fred Thomas, cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, (Bruce)

★ Willie Totten, (Leflore County)

★ Jermaine Van Buren, (Laurel)

★ Harry Walker, former professional baseball player, (Pascagoula)

★ Wesley Walls, (Batesville)

★ Herb Washington, sprinter and a successful owner of McDonald's franchises, (Belzoni)

★ Clarence Weatherspoon, (Crawford)

★ Skeeter Webb, professional baseball player, (Meridian)

★ Frank White, professional baseball player, (Greenville)

★ Sammy Winder, (Madison)

★ Floyd Womack, Seattle Seahawks, (Cleveland)

★ Dmitri Young, (Vicksburg)

★ Walter Young, professional baseball player, (Hattiesburg)
Cooper Carlisle, Denver Broncos, An All-Southeastern Conference choice as a senior at the University of Florida, Carlisle appeared in 48 career games (32 starts) for the Gators and contributed to their National Championship during the 1996 season. Cooper Morrison Carlisle was born Aug. 11, 1977, in Greenville, Miss., and earned USA Today honorable mention All-American recognition at McComb High School in McComb, Miss.

Broadcast media personalities

★ Red Barber, sportscaster, (Columbus)

★ Robin Roberts, (Pass Christian)

★ Tavis Smiley, (Gulfport)

★ Shepard Smith, newscaster, (Holly Springs)

★ Oprah Winfrey, talk show hostess, (Kosciusko)

Comedians

★ Jerry Clower, (Liberty)

★ David L. Cook, (Pascagoula)

Educators

★ Pearl Spann, (Rankin County & Jackson)

★ Fannie C. Williams, (Biloxi)

Entrepreneurs/Business leaders

★ Jim Barksdale, founder of Netscape, (Jackson)

★ Bernard Ebbers, infamous CEO of WorldCom, (Clinton)

★ Toxey Haas, founder Mossy Oak Brand Camouflage, (West Point)

★ T. R. M. Howard, black entrepreneur, president of Magnolia Mutual Life Insurance Company, (Mound Bayou)

★ Hartley Peavey, founder of Peavey Electronics, (Starkville)

★ Edward Pope (Cleveland)

★ Robert Pittman, founder MTV, former CEO and COO AOL, (Jackson)

★ J. H. Rush, founder of Rush's Infirmary, the first private hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, (De Kalb)

★ Fred Smith, founder and CEO of FedEx, (Marks)

★ James Breckenridge Speed

★ Larry A. Thompson[1], television producer, (Clarksdale)

Filmmakers

★ Charles Burnett, (Vicksburg)

Historians

★ David Herbert Donald, (Goodman)

Inventors

★ Earl W. Bascom, invented the hornless rodeo saddle and the rodeo one-handed bareback rigging, (Columbia)

★ Harry A. Cole, inventor of Pine-Sol, (Jackson)

★ Joseph Newman, (Lucedale)

Jurists and lawyers

★ Rhesa H. Barksdale, (Jackson)

★ Bobby DeLaughter, (Jackson)

★ Felix Huston, lawyer, (Natchez)

★ Richard "Dick" Scruggs, attorney, (Pascagoula)

★ Gerald Chatham, lawyer, (Hernando), Lead prosecutor in the Emmett Till case [2]

Military figures

★ Nathan Bedford Forrest, (Hernando)

★ Felix Huston, (Natchez)

★ Samuel Reeves Keesler, (Greenwood)

★ John S. McCain, Sr., Admiral in the US Navy, (Teoc)

★ Charles Read, (Meridian)

Musicians and performers

★ 3 Doors Down, band, (Escatawpa)

★ Afroman, (Hattiesburg)

★ Steve Azar, (Greenville)

★ Glen Ballard, (Natchez)

★ David Banner, rapper/producer, (Jackson)

★ Lance Bass, member of boy band
★ NSYNC, (Laurel)

★ Eddie Boyd, blues musician, (Clarksdale)

★ Bobby Bradford, (Cleveland)

★ Cory Branan, (Southhaven)

★ Brandy, (McComb)

★ Big Bill Broonzy, (Scott County)

★ Jimmy Buffett, (Pascagoula)

★ R. L. Burnside, (Harmontown)

★ G. C. Cameron, (Jackson)

★ Odia Coates, (Vicksburg)

★ Hank Cochran, (Isola)

★ David L. Cook, (Pascagoula)

★ Sam Cooke, (Clarksdale)

★ James Cotton, (Tunica)

★ Arthur Crudup, (Forest)

★ George Cummings, (Meridian)

★ Paul Davis, singer, (Meridian)

★ Al Denson, (Starkville)

★ Bo Diddley, (McComb)

★ Willie Dixon, (Vicksburg)

★ Nate Dogg, (Clarksdale)

★ Shelly Fairchild, (Clinton)

★ Joe Fisher, blues musician, (Yazoo City)

★ Steve Forbert, (Meridian)

★ C. L. Franklin, (Sunflower County)

★ Bobbie Gentry, (Greenwood)

★ Mickey Gilley, (Natchez)

★ Glen Graham, (Columbus)

★ W. C. Handy, composer

★ JoJo Hermann, memeber of Widespread Panic, (Oxford)

★ Faith Hill, country/pop singer, (Jackson)

★ John Lee Hooker, (Clarksdale)

★ Big Walter Horton, (Horn Lake)

★ Son House, (Riverton)

★ Guy Hovis, (Tupelo)

★ John Joe Humphreys, blues musician, (Yazoo City)

★ Mississippi John Hurt, (Teoc)

★ Vasti Jackson, (McComb)

★ Elmore James, (Richland)

★ Skip James, (Bentonia)

★ Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, drummer in The Allman Brothers Band, (Ocean Springs)

★ Big Jack Johnson, blues musician, (Clarksdale)

★ Robert Johnson

★ Junior Kimbrough, (Hudsonville)

★ Albert King, (Indianola)

★ B. B. King, (Itta Bena)

★ Fern Kinney, rhythm & blues and disco music entertainer, (Jackson)

★ Sonny Landreth, (Canton)

★ Chris LeDoux, (Biloxi)

★ Magic Sam, (Grenada)

★ Tommy McClennan, (Yazoo City)

★ George McConnell, guitarist, (Vicksburg)

★ Kansas Joe McCoy, (Raymond)

★ Papa Charlie McCoy, (Jackson)

★ Fred McDowell, (Como)

★ C. H. "Tally" McGraw, (Yazoo City)

★ Little Milton, (Inverness)

★ Patrice Moncell, (Meridian)

★ Dorothy Moore, gospel singer, (Jackson)

★ Charlie Musselwhite, (Kosciusko)

★ North Mississippi Allstars, band, (Hernando)

★ Brandy Norwood, (McComb)

★ Alexander O'Neal, (Natchez)

★ Junior Parker, (Clarksdale)

★ Michael Passons, gospel singer, (Yazoo City)

★ Charley Patton, (Edwards)

★ Elvis Presley, (Tupelo)

★ Leontyne Price, opera singer, (Laurel)

★ Charley Pride, (Sledge)

★ Newt Rayburn, (Oxford)

★ Jimmy Reed, (Dunleith)

★ Del Rendon, (Starkville)

★ LeAnn Rimes, (Jackson)

★ Jimmie Rodgers, (Meridian)

★ Jimmy Rogers, blues musician, (Ruleville)

★ David Ruffin, former lead singer of The Temptations, (Whynot)

★ Jimmy Ruffin, singer, (Collinsville)

★ Bobby Rush, (Jackson)

★ Otis Rush, blues musician, (Philadelphia)

★ Billy Smiley, blues singer, songwriter, musician and band director

★ Brad Smith, bass player for Blind Melon, (West Point)

★ Otis Spann, blues musician, (Jackson)

★ Britney Spears, (McComb)

★ Pops Staples, lead singer of The Staple Singers, (Winona)

★ Rogers Stevens, (West Point)

★ Lisa Stewart, (Louisville)

★ William Grant Still, (Woodville)

★ Word Strickland, (Gulfport)

★ Marty Stuart, (Philadelphia)

★ Eddie Taylor, (Benoit)

★ Hound Dog Taylor, (Natchez)

★ Jean Terrell, (Belzoni)

★ Rufus Thomas, (Cayce)

★ Ike Turner, (Clarksdale)

★ Conway Twitty, (Friars Point)

★ Muddy Waters, (Rolling Fork)

★ Bukka White, (Houston)

★ Big Joe Williams, (Crawford)

★ Sonny Boy Williamson II, (Glendora)

★ Al Wilson, singer and drummer, (Meridian)

★ Cassandra Wilson, jazz singer and songwriter, (Jackson)

★ Mary Wilson, (Greenville)

★ Howlin' Wolf, (West Point)

★ Tammy Wynette, (Tupelo)

★ Lester Young, (Woodville)

★ Santiaugo "Big Sant" Gathright, rapper, ([Meridian, Mississippi])

★ Justin "Big K.R.I.T." Scott, rapper. producer, ([Meridian, Mississippi])

Physicians

★ Blair E. Batson, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and namesake of the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital[3], (Jackson)

★ Thomas Gandy, Natchez physician and photography collector, (Natchez)

★ James Hardy, surgeon performed the first successful cadaveric lung transplant, (Jackson)

★ T. R. M. Howard, chief surgeon at the Taborian Hospital and Friendship Clinic, (Mound Bayou)

★ Thomas E. Levy, physician, attorney, author, and internationally recognized expert on the use of vitamin C and removal of dental toxicity for preventing and curing disease [4], (Biloxi)

Politicians

★ Haley Barbour, (Yazoo City)

★ William Barksdale, (Jackson)

★ Ross Barnett, (Standing Pine)

★ Marion Barry, (Itta Bena)

★ Theodore Bilbo, (Poplarville)

★ Hale Boggs, (Long Beach)

★ Blanche Bruce, Mississippi Senator

★ Thomas Jefferson Busby, proponent of the Natchez Trace Parkway, (Houston)

★ Thad Cochran, (Pontotoc)

★ George Dale, insurance commissioner

★ Jefferson Davis, US Senator and President of the Confederate States of America, (Warren County)

★ James Eastland, (Sunflower)

★ Alphonso Michael Espy, (Yazoo City)

★ Dianna Freelon-Foster, (Grenada)

★ Kirk Fordice, (Vicksburg) and other cities

★ Evelyn Gandy, (Hattiesburg)

★ James Z. George, (Carrollton)

★ Pat Harrison, (Crystal Springs)

★ Thomas C. Hindman, (Ripley)

★ Jon Hinson, (Tylertown)

★ David Holmes, first Governor of Mississippi

★ Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (II), US Senator and US Supreme Court Justice, (Oxford)

★ Elmer Litchfield, former sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, (Meridian)

★ Trent Lott, Sr., (Grenada)

★ John R. Lynch, first African-American Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, (Natchez)

★ Ray Mabus, Governor

★ "Sonny" Montgomery, (Meridian)

★ Mike Moore, Attorney General, (Pascagoula)

★ Charles W. Pickering, (Jones County)

★ Chip Pickering, (Laurel)

★ John E. Rankin, (Itawamba County)

★ Hiram Rhodes Revels, first African-American US Senator

★ Larry Speakes, (Cleveland)

★ John Stennis, (De Kalb)

★ Gene Taylor, (Bay St. Louis)

★ Bennie Thompson, (Bolton)

★ Amy Tuck, (Maben)

★ James Vardaman, (Yalobusha County)

★ Jamie L. Whitten, (Cascilla)

★ Roger Wicker, (Pontotoc)

★ William Winter, (Grenada)

Writers

★ Nevada Barr, mystery fiction author

★ Earl W. Bascom, (Columbia)

★ Lerone Bennett, Jr., editor of Ebony magazine, (Clarksdale)

★ Charlie Braxton, writer, hip hop journalist, scholar, poet and author (McComb)

★ Larry Brown, (Oxford)

★ R. Scott Brunner

★ Hodding Carter, II, editor, journalist, (Greenville)

★ Craig Claiborne, (Sunflower)

★ William Faulkner, (New Albany)

★ Vic Fleming, (Jackson)

★ Shelby Foote, historian, novelist, (Greenville)

★ Richard Ford, (Jackson)

★ John Grisham, (Southaven)

★ Carolyn Haines, (Lucedale)

★ Barry Hannah, (Clinton)

★ Thomas Harris, (Rich)

★ Martin Hegwood, (Canton)

★ Beth Henley, (Hattiesburg)

★ Greg Iles, (Natchez)

★ Greg Keyes, (Meridian)

★ Muna Lee, (Raymond)

★ Justin Mapp, (Brandon)

★ Willie Morris, (Jackson)

★ Lewis Nordan, (Forest)

★ Walker Percy, (Greenville)

★ William Alexander Percy, (Greenville)

★ William Raspberry, (Okolona)

★ Kevin Sessums, (Forest, Mississippi)

★ Eudora Welty, (Jackson)

★ Tennessee Williams, (Columbus)

★ Richard Nathaniel Wright, (Roxie)

★ Al Young, (Ocean Springs)

★ Stark Young, (Como)

Others

★ Lypsinka, drag performer and model, (Hazlehurst)