The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Tennessee, live (or lived) in Tennessee, or for whom Tennessee is significant part of their identity:
A
Roy Acuff (1903–1992), musician; born in Maynardville Charlie Adams, drummer Calpernia Addams (born 1971), transgender actress; born in Nashville James Agee (1909–1955); Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, screenwriter, poet, critic; born in Knoxville The Aldridge Sisters, singing duo on The Lawrence Welk Show (1977–1982) Jessi Alexander (born 1976), singer-songwriter; born in Jackson Lamar Alexander (born 1940), lawyer and U.S. senator; born in Maryville Mo Alexander (born 1970), comedian; born in Memphis Duane Allman (1946–1971), guitarist; born in Nashville Gregg Allman (1947–2017), singer-songwriter, musician; born in Nashville Jarrod Alonge (born 1993), comedian and musician; lives in Chattanooga Monroe Dunaway Anderson, banker, cotton trader; from Jackson William R. Anderson (1921–2007), naval officer, politician; born in Humphreys County Lona Andre (1915–1992), actress, golfer; born in Nashville Jessica Andrews (born 1983), singer Jill Andrews, singer-songwriter, musician, born in Johnson City Lil Hardin Armstrong, jazz musician, wife of Louis Armstrong; from Memphis Eddy Arnold (1918–2008), singer; born in Henderson Victor Ashe, Knoxville mayor, Ambassador to Poland; born in Knoxville Chet Atkins (1924–2001), guitarist and record producer; born in Luttrell Doug Atkins (1930–2015), Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end primarily with Chicago Bears Rodney Atkins (born 1969), singer; born in Knoxville Estelle Axton (1918–2004), co-founder of Stax Records
B
Nathan L. Bachman (1878–1937), U.S. senator DeFord Bailey (1897–1982), musician, Grand Ole Opry performer; from Smith County Ed Bailey (1931–2007), baseball player H. E. Bailey (1898/1899–1976)Staff (October 26, 1976). "Death Takes H. E. Bailey H.E. Bailey Dead at 77".The Daily Coloradoan. pp. 1, 20. Retrieved April 7, 2021. "A native Tennessean, he first worked keeping the timebook on a Santa Fe railroad construction gang in Texas..." Howard Baker (1925–2014), politician, U.S. senator and White House Chief of Staff; born in Huntsville Julien Baker (born 1995), singer-songwriter; born in Germantown, Tennessee Robert Baker (born 1979), actor; born in Memphis Kelsea Ballerini (born 1993), singer; born in Mascot, grew up in Knoxville Adrian Banks (born 1986), basketball player, 2011-12 top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League Ava Barber (born 1954), singer; born in Knoxville George Franklin Barber (1854–1915), architect; lived in Knoxville Ronnie Barrett (born 1954), firearms manufacturer; born in Murfreesboro Ross Bass (1918–1993), U.S. senator William M. Bass (born 1928), forensic anthropologist William B. Bate (1826–1905), governor and U.S. senator Daren Bates (born 1990), football player; born in Memphis Kathy Bates (born 1948), Academy Award-winning actress; born in Memphis Maddox Batson (born 2009), country singer/songwriter; born in Nashville Kate Batts (also known as The Bell Witch), mythic poltergeist Robin Beard (1939–2007), politician; born in Knoxville Casey Beathard, songwriter; from Spring Hill Bianca Belair (born 1989), WWE wrestler; born in Knoxville Bill Belichick (born 1952), head coach of New England Patriots; born in Nashville Brian Bell (born 1968), guitarist; from Knoxville John Bell (1796–1869), politician, Secretary of War under William Henry Harrison; from Mill Creek William Bell (born 1939), singer Jeff Bennett (born 1980), baseball pitcher; born in Donelson Aaron Benward (born 1973), singer Polly Bergen (1930–2014), actress, singer, entrepreneur; born in Knoxville George L. Berry (1882–1948), U.S. senator Mookie Betts (born 1992), baseball player; born in Brentwood Greg Bird (born 1992), baseball player; born in Memphis Tarik Black, basketball player Joe Blanton (born 1980), baseball pitcher; born in Nashville Jerry Blevins (born 1983), baseball pitcher; born in Johnson City William Blount (1749–1800), statesman, governor and senator Willie Blount (1768–1835), early governor of Tennessee Julian Bond (1940–2015), activist, politician; born in Nashville Alexander Bonnyman Jr. (1910–1943), decorated U.S. Marine; raised in Knoxville Arna W. Bontemps (1902–1973), poet and novelist Maci Bookout, reality TV personality Pat Boone (born 1934), singer and actor; raised in Nashville Rachel Boston (born 1982), actress; born in Chattanooga Charles Boyce, syndicated cartoonist Craig Wayne Boyd (born 1978), singer, winner of NBC's The Voice season 7; resides in Nashville Richard Henry Boyd (1843–1922), founder, National Baptist Publishing Board Jarrett Boykin (born 1989), football player; born in Chattanooga Virginia Frazer Boyle (1863–1938), author, poet St. Elmo Brady, chemist; attended Fisk University Rod Brasfield (1910–1958), comedian Corey Brewer (born 1986), basketball player; from Portland Bill Brock (1930–2021), U.S. senator and U.S. Secretary of Labor Cary Brothers, indie rock singer-songwriter; from Nashville Rex Brothers (born 1987), baseball player; born in Murfreesboro Clarence Brown (1890–1987), film director; attended school in Knoxville John C. Brown (1827–1889), governor Marlon Brown (born 1991), football player; born in Memphis Neill S. Brown (1810–1896), governor Gordon Browning (1889–1976), governor Jonathan Browning (1805–1879), maker of firearms; born in Sumner County William Gannaway Brownlow (1805–1877), editor and governor James M. Buchanan, economist, Nobel laureate John P. Buchanan (1847–1930), governor Young Buck (born 1981), rapper Josh Bullocks (born 1983), football player; born in Chattanooga Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924), English-born author; settled near Knoxville Morgan Burnett, football player; born in Memphis Kenneth C. Burns (1920–1989), musician, "Jethro" of Homer and Jethro Charles Burson (born 1944), chief of staff for Al Gore; grew up in Shelby County Kristian Bush (born 1970), singer; born in Knoxville Jake Butcher (1936–2017), banker and politician Carl Butler (1927–1992), singer-songwriter; born in Knoxville Derrick Byars (born 1984), basketball player; born in Memphis Bill Byrge (1932–2025), actor, comedian; born in Nashville Joseph W. Byrns (1869–1936), 14-term congressman; born in Cedar Hill
C
Matt Cain, baseball pitcher Howard Caine, actor Mike Caldwell, football player Duke Calhoun, football player Mickey Callaway, baseball pitcher, coach Archie Campbell, entertainer, Hee Haw star William B. Campbell, governor Guy Carawan, folk musician Hattie Caraway, politician Deana Carter, singer Dixie Carter, actress Nico Carvacho, basketball player Kellye Cash, 1987 Miss America June Carter Cash, singer Rosanne Cash, singer David Catching, singer John Catron, Supreme Court justice Tracy Caulkins, Olympic gold-medalist swimmer (born in Minnesota) Benjamin F. Cheatham, Confederate general Doc Cheatham, musician Kitty Cheatham, singer Richard Boone Cheatham, 19th-century mayor of Nashville Richard Cheatham, 19th-century congressman John R. Cherry III, film director Kenny Chesney, singer Henry Cho, comedian Tyson Clabo, football player 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) Philander P. Claxton, educator Jim Clayton, housing developer Frank G. Clement, governor of Tennessee John Ray Clemmons (born 1977), member of the Tennessee House of Representatives Antonius Cleveland (born 1994), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Chad Clifton, football player Randall Cobb, football player Fred Coe, television producer and director Michael Coe, football player Lynnette Cole, Miss USA 2000 Mark Collie, singer Todd Collins, football player Britton Colquitt, football player Dustin Colquitt, punter for NFL's Kansas City Chiefs Darby Conley, cartoonist Lester Conner, basketball player and coach Barry Cook, film director John Cooper, musician, lead singer of Christian rock band Skillet Prentice Cooper, governor Mary Costa, opera singer, actress Jerome Courtland, actor, director John I. Cox, governor Morgan Cox, football player Cylk Cozart, actor Zack Cozart, baseball player James Craig, actor David "Davy" Crockett, frontiersman, politician, hero of the Alamo Dixie Lee Crosby, early 20th-century entertainer Edward Hull "Boss" Crump, politician, former mayor of Memphis John Cullum, actor Benny Cunningham, football player Lowell Cunningham, comic-book writer Elizabeth Litchfield Cunnyngham, missionary and church worker Brandi Cyrus, singer Miley Cyrus, singer Noah Cyrus, singer
D
Rod Daniel, director Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel, founder of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distillery Orleans Darkwa, football player Jeremy Davis, musician (originally from Arkansas) Bill Dedman, journalist Beauford Delaney, painter Tony Delk, basketball player Rick Dempsey, baseball player George Roby Dempster, inventor Jamie Denton, actor Cleavant Derricks, actor, singer-songwriter Clinton Derricks-Carroll, actor, musician Dale Dickey, actress R. A. Dickey, baseball pitcher Bobby Dodd, football coach Shannen Doherty, actress Andrew Jackson Donelson, diplomat Aaron Douglas, painter Christopher Douglas, actor Johnny Duncan, singer King Dunlap, football player Donald "Duck" Dunn (1941–2012), bassist Natalia Dyer, actress
E Justin Townes Earle, musician John Early, comedian, actor Edward H. East, acting governor William Edmondson, folk art sculptor Lindsay Ellis, YouTuber, author Dan Evins, founder of Cracker Barrel
F
Nikki Fargas, basketball coach; grew up in Oak Ridge David Farragut, admiral Josh Farro, musician Zac Farro, musician Jerome Felton, football player Larry Finch, basketball player Chad Finchum, NASCAR driver Finesse2tymes, rapper Ric Flair, professional wrestler Lester Flatt, musician Bruce Fleisher, golfer Shelby Foote, author Colin Ford, actor Harold Ford Jr., politician Tennessee Ernie Ford, entertainer Nathan Bedford Forrest, American Civil War officer Logan Forsythe, baseball player Abe Fortas, U.S. Supreme Court justice Ramon Foster, football player Megan Fox, actress Aretha Franklin, singer Aubrayo Franklin James B. Frazier, governor Morgan Freeman, Academy Award-winning actor Bill Frist, physician and politician Phillip Fulmer, football coach
G
A. H. Garland (1832–1899), politician; born in Tipton County Phil Garner, baseball player and manager Marc Gasol, basketball player Jacob Gentry, film director Annie Somers Gilchrist, writer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, went to high school in Chattanooga Jim Gilliam, baseball player Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024), poet and educator Guilford Glazer, land developer Key Glock, rapper GloRilla, rapper Ernest William Goodpasture (1886–1960), physician Ginnifer Goodwin, actress Al Gore, former Tennessee senator, 45th vice president of the United States under Bill Clinton (1993–2001), and 2000 Democratic nominee for president Albert Gore, Sr. (1907–1998), politician, senator, father of Al Gore Yo Gotti, rapper Lou Graham, golfer, 1975 U.S. Open champion Aaron Grant, football player Sonny Gray, baseball player Jack Greene (1930–2013), musician Justin Grimm, baseball player Red Grooms, artist
H
Keith Habersberger, YouTuber, musician Wayne Haddix, football player Lucy Hale, actress and singer; Pretty Little Liars Alex Haley, author Carla Hall, chef George Hamilton, actor Ken Hamlin, football player W.C. Handy, composer Anne Haney, actress Jack Hanna, zookeeper William Happer, physicist Penny Hardaway, basketball player Chris Hardwick, comedian, actor, television personality, and host of At Midnight with Chris Hardwick; born in Kentucky but raised in Memphis Greg Hardy, football player Bill Harlow, freestyle and folkstyle wrestler Bob Harper, personal trainer Demonte Harper (born 1989), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League