The following people were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Little Rock (categorized by area in which each person is best known):
Actors, musicians and others in the entertainment industry
editActors
edit
- Broncho Billy Anderson (1880–1971), born in Little Rock, actor, writer, director, and producer
- Frank Bonner (1942–2021), actor and television director best known for playing sales manager Herb Tarlek on the classic TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati[1]
- Rodger Bumpass (born 1951), voice actor best known for playing Squidward Tentacles on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants
- Daniel Davis (born 1945), actor best known for playing Niles the Butler on the television program The Nanny[2]
- Gil Gerard (born 1943), actor best known for playing Captain William "Buck" Rogers in 1979–1981 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century[3]
- Ann Gillis (1927–2018), film actress of 1930s and '40s
- John LeCompt (born 1973), musician, part of Little Rock scene with bands like Evanescence[citation needed]
- Josh Lucas (born 1971), actor, Sweet Home Alabama, Poseidon, Glory Road, was born in the city
- Roger Mobley (born 1949), child actor, Fury and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, reportedly living in the Little Rock area since 2015
- Corin Nemec (born 1971), actor best known for playing Parker Lloyd Lewis in 1990s TV series Parker Lewis Can't Lose and Jonas Quinn in Stargate SG-1
- George Newbern (born 1964), actor, Adventures in Babysitting, Father of the Bride, was born in the city
- Judge Reinhold (born 1957), actor, lives in the city
- Jessica Serfaty (born 1991), actress and model
Music
edit- Hunter Beard (born 1981), rapper, record producer and businessman
- Richard B. Boone (1930–1999), jazz musician and scat singer
- Tammy Graham (born 1968), singer and pianist, born in the city
- Lee Elhardt Hays (1914–1981), folk singer and songwriter for The Weavers, born in the city
- Al Hibbler (1915–2001), blind singer who worked eight years with Duke Ellington before becoming a soloist; civil rights activist in 1950s and 1960s, was born in the city
- Jon Hynes, classical pianist, native of the city
- SL Jones, southern rapper, born in Flint, Michigan, and raised in Little Rock
- Amy Lee (born 1981), lead singer of Evanescence[4]
- Smokie Norful (born 1975), gospel recording artist, born in the city
- Art Porter Jr. (1961–1996), jazz saxophonist
- Art Porter Sr. (1934–1993), jazz pianist; father of jazz saxophonist Art Porter Jr.
- Florence Price (1887-1953), composer and pianist
- Cory Brandan Putman (born 1976), lead vocalist for Grammy-nominated band Norma Jean and ex-guitarist for Living Sacrifice, a metal band based in Little Rock
- Pharoah Sanders (1940–2022), jazz saxophonist
- William Grant Still (1895-1978), composer
- Jason Truby (born 1973), ex-guitarist for the band P.O.D., also in Little Rock-based band Living Sacrifice
- Jason White (born 1973), Green Day's backup guitarist (particularly for American Idiot tour and 21st Century Breakdown tour), born in Little Rock
- Lenny Williams (born 1945), R&B singer
Other entertainers
edit
- Matt Besser (born 1967), comedian, born in the city
- Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (born 1947), film and television producer and director best known for TV series Designing Women
- John Braden (1949–2004), writer, producer, and director of movies and television programs, was born in the city
- Jim Dickinson (1941–2009), record producer, pianist and singer, was born in the city
- Danielle Evans (born 1985), fashion model who won Cycle 6 of UPN's America's Next Top Model
- David Gordon Green (born 1975), filmmaker, born in the city
- Bill Hicks (1961–1994), comedian, lived and died in the city
- Lil' JJ (born 1990), comedian, actor, rapper, has show on Nickelodeon called Just Jordan[5]
- Fatima Robinson (born 1971), dance choreographer known for music videos for R&B singer Aaliyah, and in Dreamgirls.[citation needed]
- Harry Thomason (born 1940), film and television producer and director best known for TV series Designing Women; was a Little Rock high school speech teacher and football coach.
Artists
edit- Catherine Tharp Altvater (1907–1984), artist and first woman to hold office in the American Watercolor Society, born in Little Rock[6]
- Charlotte Moorman (1933–1991), American cellist, performance artist, and advocate for avant-garde music, was born in Little Rock
Athletes
editBaseball
edit
- Glenn Abbott (born 1951), baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1973–1981 and 1983–1984, was born in the city.
- Bill Dickey (1907–1993), Major League Baseball player and manager in the Baseball Hall of Fame; lived much of his life in the city.
- Randy Jackson (1926–2019), Major League Baseball player[7]
- Kevin McReynolds (born 1959), outfielder/designated hitter who played for San Diego Padres and New York Mets, was born in the city.[8]
- Brooks Robinson (1937-2023), began his career at Lamar Porter Field, Hall of Fame third baseman for Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; born in Little Rock in 1937[7][9]
- Drew Smyly (born 1989), Major League Baseball pitcher
Basketball
edit
- Hubert Ausbie (born 1938), longtime player with the Harlem Globetrotters[10]
- Derek Fisher (born 1974), professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, former head coach for the New York Knicks[11]
- Dusty Hannahs (born 1993), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Joe Johnson (born 1981), NBA basketball player[12]
- Daryl Macon (born 1995), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Sidney Moncrief (born 1957), basketball player for Arkansas Razorback and NBA's Milwaukee Bucks; born in Little Rock in 1957[13]
Football
edit
- Jamaal Anderson (born 1986), defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL; former high school football star for Little Rock Parkview[14]
- Walt Coleman, National Football League referee and owner and operator of Coleman Dairy; known for playoff game between Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots which incorporated the "Tuck Rule"
- August Curley (born 1960), NFL player[15]
- Steve Foley (born 1975), professional linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, is a former resident.
- Chris Harris (born 1982), NFL player[16]
- Hunter Henry (born 1994), NFL tight end
- Keith Jackson (born 1965), NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers[17]
- Jerry Jones (born 1942), owner of the Dallas Cowboys[18]
- Ken Kavanaugh (1916–2007), professional football player, 1940–1950, for the Chicago Bears.
- Darren McFadden (born 1987), running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, was born in the city.
- Houston Nutt (born 1957), coach of University of Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1997 to 2007, also coached Ole Miss; born in Little Rock[19]
- Lawrence Phillips (1975–2016), American and Canadian football running back, was born in the city; died in prison.
- Vince Warren (born 1963), NFL wide receiver, member of New York Giants' winning Super Bowl team.
Other sports
edit- Bobo Brazil (1924–1998), African-American professional wrestler[20]
- Kortney Clemons (born 1980), Paralympic athlete and Iraq War veteran.
- Glen Day (born 1965), PGA Tour golfer, winner of 1999 Heritage at Hilton Head, South Carolina.[citation needed]
- Rolando Delgado (born 1981), mixed martial artist.
- Jeff Gorton (born 1968), General manager of the New York Rangers ice hockey team.
- John Kocinski (born 1967), motorcycle road racer who won 1990 250cc World Championship and 1997 World Superbike title, was born in the city[citation needed]
- Gene Ratliff (born 1956), Light Heavy Weight Golden Gloves 1975 National Champion.
- Jermain Taylor (born 1978), professional boxer and Middleweight Champion of the World in 2005, was born in the city.[21]
- Michael Tinsley (born 1984), professional track runner specializing in the 400m hurdles; silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 World Championships.
Writers, journalists
edit- Margot Adler (1946–2014), journalist born in Little Rock.
- Daisy Bates (1914–1999), civil rights leader, journalist, publisher, and author who lived in the city.
- Joe Bob Briggs, pseudonym and persona of John Irving Bloom (born 1953), a syndicated film critic, writer and actor, was raised in the city.
- Dee Brown (1908–2002), novelist and historian whose most famous work is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, grew up partly in the city.
- Helen Gurley Brown (1922–2012), author, publisher, and businesswoman who was editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years, lived in the city.[22]
- John Gould Fletcher (1886–1950), Pulitzer Prize-winning Imagist poet and author, was born in the city.
- Fred Graham (1931–2019), chief anchor and managing editor of Court TV, was born in the city.
- E. Lynn Harris (1955–2009), gay, black author with five novels that hit The New York Times Best Seller list, was raised in Little Rock.
- Mercer Mayer (born 1943), author and illustrator of children's book Little Critter series and There's a Nightmare in My Closet.
- Robert Palmer (1945–1997), a journalist, author of books about music and a musician, was born in the city.
- Charles Portis (1933-2020), novelist, was born in El Dorado but lived most of his life in the city.
- Alison Rogers (born 1966), journalist and real estate broker, author of Diary of a Real Estate Rookie, was born and bred in Little Rock.
- Charles Willeford (1919–1988), author of detective novels and other books, was born in the city.
Politics, government, military
edit
- Roswell Beebe (1795–1856), mayor, alderman, benefactor, president of Cairo and Fulton Railroad.[23]
- Shelby Brewer (1937–2015), top nuclear official in Reagan Administration from 1981 to 1984.[24]
- Drew Bowers (1886–1985), Little Rock lawyer, Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1926 and 1928.
- Preston Bynum (1939–2018), lobbyist and former Republican former member of Arkansas House.
- Marvin Childers (born 1961), former Arkansas state representative from Mississippi County, lawyer and poultry industry lobbyist in Little Rock.
- Wesley Clark (born 1944), 2004 presidential candidate; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Commander; born in Chicago but a graduate of Hall High School in Little Rock[25]
- Bill Clinton (born 1946), 42nd President of the United States and previously Governor of Arkansas, lived in the city.
- Hillary Clinton (born 1947), U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator from New York, 2016 presidential candidate, wife of Bill Clinton, former first lady of state and U.S.; lived in the city.
- Chelsea Clinton (born 1980 in Little Rock), daughter of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.[26]
- Thomas James Churchill (1824–1905), Confederate general, governor; moved to the city in 1848.
- Osro Cobb (1904–1996), lawyer, Republican politician from Montgomery County and later Little Rock.
- Sterling R. Cockrill (1925–2022), Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, 1967-1968; Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, 1970.
- Tom Cotton (born 1977), U.S. Senator; official voting address in Little Rock[27]
- Les Eaves (born 1967), member of the Arkansas House of Representative for White County, former Little Rock resident.[28]
- Orval Faubus (1906–1994), a six-term Arkansas governor known for his 1957 stand against integration of Little Rock schools in defiance of United States Supreme Court rulings.
- Clay Ford (1938–2013), member of Arkansas House of Representatives from 1975 to 1976; member of Florida House of Representatives from 2007 until his death.
- Vivian Flowers (born c. 1969), member of Arkansas House of Representatives; diversity officer at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock.[29]
- Carlos Hathcock (1942–1999), a legendary Marine sniper during the Vietnam War.
- Kenneth Henderson (born c. 1963), Republican member of Arkansas House of Representatives; real estate developer in Russellville, former resident of Little Rock and graduate of UALR.[30]
- Thomas C. Hindman (1828–1868), U.S. Representative representing Arkansas and a major general for Confederacy during the American Civil War; assassinated in 1868.
- Missy Irvin (born 1971), Republican member of Arkansas State Senate from Stone County since 2011; born in Little Rock.
- Jim Keet (born 1949), state legislator from Little Rock, Republican gubernatorial nominee against incumbent Mike Beebe in 2010 general election[31]
- Allen Kerr (born 1954), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Pulaski County; insurance agent in his native Little Rock; state insurance commissioner.
- Douglas MacArthur GCB (1880–1964), United States Army general and Medal of Honor recipient, Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area[32]
- Charles B. MacDonald (1922–1990), United States Army officer of World War II, and military historian.
- Richard Mays (born 1943), Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Pulaski County (1973–1977); associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court (1979–1980)[33]
- Sheffield Nelson (born 1941), businessman and Republican politician.
- Frank Pace Jr. (1912–1988), first president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- Scott E. Parazynski (born 1961), astronaut
- Albert Pike (1809–1891), attorney, soldier, writer, Freemason; only Confederate military figure honored with a statue in Washington D.C., once lived in Little Rock.
- John Selden Roane (1817–1867), Governor of Arkansas and Confederate general; died in Pine Bluff and is buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Little Rock.
- Tommy F. Robinson (1942–2024), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives[34]
- David J. Sanders (born 1975), Republican state senator from District 15, Baptist education official in Little Rock.
- Grant Tennille, (born 1968 or 1969), Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas
- Wallace Townsend (1882–1979), Republican national committeeman from Arkansas from 1928 to 1961, Little Rock attorney.
- William Townsend (1914–2005), Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives; Little Rock optometrist
- Carmen Twillie (born 1959), lawyer and politician, dean of Douglass College.
- David Venable (born 1978), intelligence officer, author, and cyber security expert.
- John H. Yancey (1918–1986), highly decorated United States Marine.
Others
edit
- Ben M. Bogard (1868–1951), clergyman, founder of American Baptist Association, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, a founder of Missionary Baptist Seminary, both in Little Rock[35]
- James E. Cofer (born 1949), former professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; president of Missouri State University in Springfield 2010-2011
- Connie Hamzy (1955–2021), groupie[citation needed]
- E. Fay Jones (1921–2004), architect, designer and an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright[36]
- David Levering Lewis (born 1936), historian, Julius Silver University professor and Professor of History at New York University and recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes[37]
- Samuel P. Massie (1919–2005), a chemist named one of the top 75 distinguished chemists in history by Chemical and Engineering News, and the first African-American professor of the U.S. Naval Academy.[38]
- Elsie M. Lewis (1912-1992), first african-american woman to become a historian.
- Wade Rathke (born 1948), founder and chief organizer of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN); he started the non-profit organization in Little Rock.
- Alison Rogers (born 1966), New York City real estate agent and author[citation needed]
- Christian Rudder (born 1975), co-founder, with three others, of dating site OkCupid[39]
- Charlotte Andrews Stephens (1854-1951), first African American to teach in Little Rock, taught for seventy years
- Richard Thalheimer, founder and CEO of Sharper Image; raised in Little Rock
References
edit- ^ Frank Bonner at IMDb. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ Biography for Daniel Davis at IMDb. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Gil Gerard at IMDb. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ Biography for Amy Lee at IMDb. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ^ Lil' JJ at IMDb. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ^ "Catherine Tharp Altvater". .askart.com. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ a b Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
- ^ "Kevin McReynolds". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Brooks Robinson". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Hubert "Geese" Ausbie". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Derek Fisher". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Joe Johnson". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Sidney Moncrief". NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Jamaal Anderson". University of Arkansas. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "AUGUST CURLEY". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ "Chris Harris". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Keith Jackson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Jerry Jones". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ Houston Nutt at IMDb. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ^ "The Untold Story of Bobo Brazil: The Jackie Robinson of Professional Wrestling". Daily DDT. January 13, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Jermain Taylor". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ Scanlon, Jennifer (2009). Toff, Nancy (ed.). Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-19-534205-5.
- ^ "Roswell Beebe". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Shelby Brewer". presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Wesley Clark". A+E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ Chelsea Clinton at IMDb. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Tarinelli, Ryan (December 21, 2022). "Tom Cotton doesn't live here". Arkansas Times. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Leslie Dale Eaves". intelius.com. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ^ "Vivian Flowers". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ "Ken Henderson". arkansashouse.org. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "Jim Keet". Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Douglas MacArthur". www.militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ Dumas, Ernest (September 3, 2020). "Richard Leon Mays (1943–)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ "Tommy F. Robinson". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Benjamin Marcus Bogard (1868–1951)". encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ "E. Fay Jones". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "David Levering Lewis". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Samuel P. Massie Jr". Atomic Heritage Foundation. Atomic Heritage Foundation in association with the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ "Talk of the Town: Brave New World," New Yorker, Aug. 25, 2014, p. 19.
