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This is a list of notable people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated withMemphis, Tennessee.

This list is in alphabetical order by last name.

• Johnny Ace (1929–1954)^[1] — rhythm and blues singer
• Mo Alexander (born 1970) — comedian
• Heather Armstrong (1975–2023) — author and blogger,Dooce.com
• Kristin Armstrong (born 1973) — professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist
• George Awsumb (1880–1959) — Norwegian-American architect
• Gwen Robinson Awsumb (1915–2003) — first woman elected to Memphis City Council
• Estelle Axton (1918–2004) — co-founder ofStax Records

• Julien Baker (born 1995) — singer, songwriter, and guitarist
• Michael A. Baker (born 1953) — astronaut
• Adrian Banks (born 1986) —American-Israeli basketball player
• The Bar-Kays (formed in 1966) — musicians
• Lloyd Barbee (1925–2002) — Wisconsin legislator and civil rights activist
• Charles Barr (1903–1926) — serial killer known as “The Petting Party Bandit”
• Marion Barry (1936–2014) — mayor of Washington, D.C.
• Charles Bartliff (1886–1962) — soccer player and1904 Olympian^[2]
• Daren Bates (born 1990) —NFL player
• Kathy Bates (born 1948) — Academy Award-winning actress
• Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin (1913–1995) — poet
• Michael Beck (born 1949) — actor, best known forThe Warriors andXanadu
• Reginald Becton (born 1991) — basketball player who currently plays forYokohama B-Corsairs of theB. League
• William Bedford (born 1963) — basketball player
• Diane Meredith Belcher (born 1960) — concert organist, teacher, and church musician
• Chris Bell (1951–1978) — musician
• William Bell (born 1939) — singer
• Charles T. Bernard (1927–2015) — businessman and Arkansas politician, died in Memphis in 2015
• Big Scarr (2000–2022) — rapper
• Big Star (formed in 1971) — rock band
• Big30 — rapper
• Greg Bird — Major League Baseball first baseman
• Blac Youngsta (born 1990) — rapper; born Samuel Marquez Benson
• Tarik Black (born 1991) — basketball player
• James Blackwood (1919–2002) — gospel singer, founding member of quartet the Blackwood Brothers
• Bobby "Blue" Bland (1930–2013) — musician
• BlocBoy JB — rapper
• Elizabeth Bolden (1890–2006) — oldest person in the world during most of 2006
• Charles Boyce (born 1949) — syndicatedcartoonist, author, illustrator
• Mary Forrest Bradley (1869–1965) — historian
• Cory Branan (born 1974) — singer/songwriter
• Craig Brewer (born 1971) — film director
• Ben Browder (born 1962) — actor, best known forFarscape andStargate SG-1
• Dave Brown (born 1946) — TV meteorologist, professional wrestling announcer
• Joe Brown (born 1947) — politician
• Isaac Bruce (born 1972) — former NFL player
• Antonio Burks (born 1980) — former basketball player
• Dorsey Burnette (1932–1979) — rockabilly pioneer, singer-songwriter
• Johnny Burnette (1934–1964) — rockabilly pioneer, singer-songwriter
• Leonard Burton (born 1964) — NFL player
• Mike Butler (1946–2018) — basketball player
• Derrick Byars (born 1984) — basketball player
• Latasha Byears (born 1973) — basketball player

• Herman Cain (1945–2020) — businessman, talk show host, and candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination
• Tyrone Calico (born 1980) — NFL player for theTennessee Titans
• Dixie Carter (1939–2010) — actress known forDesigning Women andDesperate Housewives
• Lorenzo Carter (born 1995) — linebacker for theAtlanta Falcons
• Bob Caruthers (1864–1911) —Major League Baseball player^[3]
• Kellye Cash (born 1965) —Miss America 1987
• Rosanne Cash (born 1955) — singer-songwriter
• Cy Casper (1912–1968) — NFL player for theGreen Bay Packers,St. Louis Gunners, andPittsburgh Pirates
• Dave Catching (born 1961) — musician
• Alex Chilton (1950–2010) — musician
• NLE Choppa — rapper
• Robert Reed Church Sr. (1839–1912) — entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Mary Church Terrell — civil and women's rights activist
• Ian Clark (born 1991) — basketball player
• Philip Claypool — musician
• Jack Clement — singer-songwriter, and record and film producer
• Antonius Cleveland (born 1994) — basketball player in theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Lashundra Trenyce Cobbin (born 1980) —American Idol contestant
• Steve Cohen (born 1949) — U.S. representative for Tennessee^[4]
• Olivia Cole (1942–2018) — actress
• George Coleman (born 1935) — musician
• Barron Collier (1873–1939) — businessman
• Jazzie Collins (1958–2013) — African American trans woman activist and community organizer
• John Cooper (born 1975) — musician, Skillet
• Zack Cozart — baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels
• Hank Crawford (1934–2009) — musician
• Steve Cropper (born 1941) — musician,Booker T. and the M.G.'s andThe Blues Brothers
• Edward H. Crump (1874–1954) —political boss andU.S. Representative
• Randy Culpepper (born 1989) — basketball player

• Chastity Daniels (born 1978) — musician
• Janette Davis (1916–2005) — singer
• Rick Dees (born 1950) — radio personality
• Nancy Denson — mayor ofAthens, Georgia
• Duke Deuce — rapper
• Eric Jerome Dickey (1961–2021) — author
• Jim Dickinson (1941–2009) — musician; producer
• Peter C. Doherty (born 1940) — Nobel laureate; scientist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Shannen Doherty (1971–2024) — actress known forBeverly Hills, 90210
• Young Dolph (1985–2021) — rapper (grew up in Memphis)
• Johnny Dowd (born 1948) — musician
• Drumma Boy (born 1983) —hip hop music producer
• William B. Dunavant (1932–2021) — businessman, CEO of Dunavant Enterprises
• Donald "Duck" Dunn (1941–2012) — musician in theRock and Roll Hall of Fame

• Johanna Edwards (born 1978) — author
• William Eggleston (born 1939) — photographer
• Egypt Central (2002–2014) — band
• Eightball & MJG (established in 1991) — musicians

• Charlie Feathers — rockabilly musician, died here in 1998
• Ben Ferguson — nationally syndicatedtalk radio host
• Paul Finebaum — television and radio sports-talk host
• Finesse2tymes — rapper
• Marjorie Finlay — opera singer and television personality
• Veronica Finn — pop singer of now-disbanded groupInnosense
• Ric Flair — professionalwrestler (adopted at six weeks; raised inMinnesota)
• Rey Flemings — musiccommissioner
• Avron Fogelman — former owner ofKansas City Royals and various Memphis-based sports teams; namesake of southeastern leg ofInterstate 240
• Shelby Foote — author
• George L. Forbes — Cleveland City Council President, President of the ClevelandNAACP
• Clementine Ford — actress
• Harold Ford Jr. — politician
• Jacob Ford — NFL player, Tennessee Titans
• Abe Fortas — politician andU.S. Supreme Court justice
• Cary Fowler — agriculturalist, established theSvalbard Global Seed Vault
• Morgan Jon Fox — film director
• Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) — singer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Frayser Boy — Academy Award-winning rapper
• Nelson Frazier Jr. —wrestler
• Morgan Freeman — Academy Award-winning actor
• Judy Freudberg — writer
• John Fry — music producer, engineer, founder ofArdent Studios

• David Galloway — novelist, international art curator, journalist and academic
• Gangsta Boo (1979–2023) — rapper
• TM Garret — author, producer, filmmaker, radio personality, activist
• The Gentrys — 1960s rock band with Larry Raspberry and Larry Wall
• Cassietta George — gospel singer and composer
• David Gest — event and concert producer
• Lee Giles — academic and computer scientist
• Key Glock — rapper
• GloRilla — rapper
• Ginnifer Goodwin — actress
• Robert Gordon — filmmaker and writer
• Clare Grant — actress
• Al Green — singer, musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Larkin Grimm — folk singer
• Logan Guleff —MasterChef Junior Season 2 winner
• Gyft — rapper signed toE1 Music, known for his single "They Just Don't Know"

• Lucy Hale — singer and actress
• Richard Halliburton — explorer and author
• George Hamilton — Golden Globe Award-winning actor
• W.C. Handy — musician
• Anne Haney — actress
• Rebecca Hanover — (B.A. English/creative writing 2001), television writer, winner ofDaytime Emmy Award forGuiding Light
• Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway — former NBA player, NCAA Basketball coach
• Lee Harris – mayor ofShelby County and member of theTennessee General Assembly^[5]
• E. Hunter Harrison — CEO ofCanadian Pacific Railway
• Jimmy Hart — singer,pro wrestling personality
• Lori Harvey — model
• Jon Hassell — musician
• Isaac Hayes — actor andAcademy Award-winning musician
• Samuel Henderson — former slave and Catholic convert
• Austin Hollins (born 1991) — basketball player forMaccabi Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Olivia Holt — singer and actress
• John Lee Hooker —blues musician
• Benjamin L. Hooks — civil rights activist and executive director of the NAACP
• Julia Britton Hooks — musician and civil rights activist
• Howlin' Wolf — blues musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Lewis C. Hudson — brigadier general in the Marine Corps,Navy Cross recipient
• John Hulse — college professor
• Andy Hummel — musician
• Alberta Hunter — singer

• iLoveMemphis (real name Richard Colbert) — rapper
• Ingram Hill — band

• Al Jackson Jr. — musician
• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson —mixed martial arts fighter
• Raji Jallepalli — Indian-born chef and restaurateur
• Antonio D. James (born 1985) — filmmaker; producer
• Jimi Jamison — singer, songwriter
• Roland Janes — musician; producer
• Josh Jasper — All-American college footballplacekicker
• John Wayles Jefferson —mixed-race grandson ofThomas Jefferson andSally Hemings, colonel in theUnion Army, cotton broker in Memphis after the Civil War
• Michael Jeter — actor
• Ashley Jones — actress
• Booker T. Jones — musician
• Leslie Jones — actress known forSaturday Night Live andGhostbusters
• Mary Harris "Mother" Jones — prominent labor and community organizer
• Mary Jane Richardson Jones — abolitionist and activist
• Rich Jones (born 1946) — basketball player
• Shaw Jones (born 1969) — actor
• Juicy J — rapper
• Rob Jungklas — musician

• K. Michelle — musician
• Florence Kahn — earlyIbsen actress and wife ofMax Beerbohm
• The Kat — professional wrestler
• Makky Kaylor — professional songwriter, recording artist, entertainer, and radio personality
• Tay Keith — record producer
• George "Machine Gun" Kelly —Great Depression-era bank robber and kidnapper
• Larry Kenon — basketball player, ledMemphis State to 1973 NCAA title game
• Carlton W. Kent —Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
• Key Glock — rapper, cousin toYoung Dolph
• Albert King — blues musician
• B.B. King — blues musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Betty Klepper — scientist
• Francis M. Kneeland — early African American physician who located her practice onBeale Street^[6]
• David Kustoff —U.S. representative for Tennessee^[7]

• Snooky Lanson — singer and television personality
• Chuck Lanza —NFL player
• Brian Lawler —professional wrestler
• Jerry Lawler — professional wrestler
• Arthur Lee (1945–2006) — singer-songwriter
• Fannie Lewis — Cleveland Ohio's longest serving councilwoman
• Furry Lewis — blues musician
• Jerry Lee Lewis — musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Eddie Lightfoot — minstrel dancer
• Alan Lightman — novelist andphysicist
• Lil Wyte —rapper
• Booker Little — musician
• Charles Lloyd — musician
• London on da Track — record producer
• Lord T & Eloise — musicians
• Andre Lott — football player
• Matt Lucas — singer-songwriter, drummer
• Jimmie Lunceford — musician
• Herb Lusk —NFL player and clergyman

• Jim Mabry —Arkansas Razorbacks football All-American
• Bill Madlock (born 1951) — Major League Baseball player
• Terry Manning — music producer, photographer
• The Mar-Keys — musicians
• Nick Marable —freestyle wrestler who competed for USA's national team^[8]
• Wink Martindale — radio and television personality
• Ryan Masson — actor
• Tim McCarver — professional baseball player and broadcaster
• Hilton McConnico — designer and artist
• Kenneth D. McKellar — long-servingU.S. senator
• The Memphis Horns — musicians
• Matthew Melton — musician
• Memphis Minnie — blues singer
• Memphis Slim — musician
• Shaun Micheel — professional golfer
• Cary Middlecoff — professional golfer, Masters and U.S. Open champion
• Ryan Miller — professional hockey player
• Lola Mitchell — musician
• Willie Mitchell — musician and music producer
• Chips Moman — music producer
• Moneybagg Yo (born 1991) — rapper
• Sputnik Monroe — professional wrestler
• Lecrae Moore — musician and music executive
• Scotty Moore — guitarist
• Allen B. Morgan Jr. — businessman, foundedMorgan Keegan
• Haley Morris-Cafiero — photographer^[9]
• Wendy Moten — singer
• Steven J. Mulroy — district attorney general, law professor
• David W. Mullins Jr. — former vice chairman of theFederal Reserve
• Charlie Musselwhite — blues musician
• Zach Myers — lead guitarist for rock bandShinedown

• Elise Neal (born 1966) — actress
• Hal Needham (1931–2013) — stuntman, film director, actor and writer
• Pat and Gina Neely — celebrity chefs onFood Network
• Johnny Neumann (1950–2019) — basketball player and coach
• Phineas Newborn Jr. (1931–1989) — jazz musician
• Nights Like These —Victory Recordsmetalcore band

• Michael Oher — NFL player, subject ofThe Blind Side
• Roy Orbison — singer

• Woody Paige (born 1946) — sportswriter, panelist onESPN'sAround the Horn
• Hermes Pan (1909–1990) — dancer and choreographer
• Cindy Parlow Cone (born 1978) — athlete
• Chris Parnell (born 1967) — actor, known forSaturday Night Live
• Gilbert E. Patterson (1939–2007) — bishop ofChurch of God in Christ
• DJ Paul — rapper
• Ann Peebles (born 1947) — singer
• Paul Penczner (1916–2010) — Hungarian-born artist
• Art Pennington (1923–2017) — all-star negro league baseball player
• Carl Perkins (1932–1998) — musician
• Luther Perkins (1928–1968) — musician
• Elliot Perry (born 1969) — professional basketball player
• Dewey Phillips (1926–1968) — earlyrock 'n' roll disc jockey
• Sam Phillips (1923–2003) — founder ofSun Records
• Marguerite Piazza (1920–2012) — opera singer
• Danny Pittman (born 1958) — athlete
• David Porter (born 1941) — musician
• Elvis Presley (1935–1977) — singer and actor
• Lisa Marie Presley (1968–2023) — singer-songwriter; child of singer and actor Elvis Presley
• Project Pat (born 1973) —rapper
• Tommy Prothro (1920–1995) — football coach,UCLA andLos Angeles Rams
• Missi Pyle (born 1972) — actress and singer

• Lisa Quinn (born 1967) — actress, author, designer

• Michael Ramirez (born 1961) —Pulitzer Prize-winningeditorial cartoonist
• Jay Reatard (1980–2010) — musician
• Otis Redding — musician in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Kennedy J. Reed (1944–2023) — theoretical atomic physicist
• Brent Renaud (1971–2011) — journalist and writer
• Charlie Rich — Grammy Award-winning musician
• Austin Riley — MLB player
• Loren Roberts — professional golfer
• Russell Roberts — economist
• Claire Robinson — television host, author and cook
• Kali Rocha (born 1971) — actress
• Arabella Page Rodman — civic leader
• Adrian Rogers — former pastor ofBellevue Baptist Church and president of theSouthern Baptist Convention
• Dalton Rushing (born 2001) — MLB player
• Joe Russell — former world backgammon champion
• Lance Russell —pro wrestling announcer

• Saliva — musical group
• Sam and Dave (Sam Moore andDavid Prater) — musicians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Sam the Sham — musician, leader ofSam the Sham and the Pharaohs
• William Sanderson — actor known forNewhart andBlade Runner
• J. Peter Sartain — archbishop of Seattle
• Clarence Saunders — founder of the world's first self-service supermarket,Piggly Wiggly
• Jerry Schilling — associate ofElvis Presley,The Beach Boys
• Dan Schneider — actor
• Josey Scott — musician
• Will Shade — musician
• Gwen Shamblin — author and founder of the Weigh Down Workshop and Remnant Fellowship Church
• Paul Shanklin — personality onRush Limbaugh's radio program
• Cybill Shepherd — actress known forMoonlighting andCybill
• Pooh Shiesty (born 1999) — rapper
• George Sherrill —MLB player
• Lee Shippey — journalist
• Hampton Sides — author
• McKinley Singleton —NBA player,New York Knicks
• Arthur Smith — head coach of theAtlanta Falcons
• Bingo Smith (born 1946) — basketball player
• Fred Smith — founder and chairman ofFedEx
• Lane Smith — actor known forMy Cousin Vinny andThe Final Days
• George W. Snedecor (1881–1974) — mathematician and statistician
• Bobby Sowell — musician
• Speech (born 1968) — rapper
• Ben Spies (born 1984) — motorcycle road racer
• Marvin Stamm — musician
• Kay Starr — singer
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — NASCAR driver
• Jody Stephens — musician
• Andrew Stevens — actor and producer
• Stella Stevens —Golden Globe Award-winning actress
• Jim Stewart — record producer and co-founder ofStax Records
• Frank Stokes — blues musician
• Jarnell Stokes (born 1994) — basketball player
• Tyler Stone (born 1991) — basketball player in theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Lewis Ossie Swingler — editor ofMemphis World, editor and publisher ofTri-State Defender

• Gary Talley — musician and singer ofThe Box Tops
• Cliff Taylor — football player
• Raymond Taylor — catcher inNegro league baseball
• Lloyd Thaxton — television personality
• Adonis Thomas (born 1993) — basketball player in theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Carla Thomas — musician and daughter ofRufus Thomas
• Danny Thomas — entertainer, actor and founder ofSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Marvell Thomas — keyboardist
• Rufus Thomas — musician
• Vaneese Thomas — musician
• Fred Thompson — actor andU.S. Senator (alumnus of theUniversity of Memphis)
• Harry Thompson — football player
• Linda Thompson — songwriter and actress
• Three 6 Mafia — Academy Award-winningrap musicians
• Justin Timberlake —Grammy Award-winning musician, actor and record producer
• Don Trip — rapper
• Leigh Anne Tuohy — businesswoman and interior designer
• Ike Turner — Grammy Award-winning musician

• Guillaume de Van (1906–1949) — Franco–American musicologist
• Marcia Van Dresser (1877–1937) — operatic soprano, recitalist and actress
• Andrew VanWyngarden — musician of psychedelic rock groupMGMT
• Alexey Vermeulen (born 1994) — cyclist

• Barbara Jo Walker (1926–2000),Miss America 1947
• Sam Walton — football player
• Teddy Walton — composer, producer, writer and DJ
• Garrett Wang — actor
• Anita Ward — singer and schoolteacher; 1979 number oneBillboard Hot 100 single "Ring My Bell"
• Luke J. Weathers (1920–2011) — formerU.S. Army Air Force officer and member ofTuskegee Airmen^[10]
• Ida B. Wells — civil rights advocate and women's rights advocate
• Junior Wells — musician
• David West — baseball player
• Red West — actor
• Kirk Whalum — musician
• Maurice White — musician, lead singer ofEarth, Wind & Fire
• Reggie White — NFL player; began his career with theMemphis Showboats of theUSFL
• Bobby Whitlock — musician, keyboardist inDerek and the Dominos
• Snootie Wild — rapper
• John Shelton Wilder — politician
• Elliot Williams — NBA player
• LaNell Williams — physicist and virologist
• Louis Williams —NBA player
• Tennessee Williams — playwright
• Kemmons Wilson — businessman, founder ofHoliday Inn
• Mike Wilson — NBA player
• Jesse Winchester — singer-songwriter
• Francis Winkler — NFL player
• Ernest Withers — photojournalist
• Lorenzen Wright — NBA player

• Roy Yeager — musician
• Yo Gotti (born 1981) — rapper; born Mario Mims
• Paul Young — mayor
• Thaddeus Young — NBA player (grew up in Memphis)

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