This is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in or are closely associated with Greensboro, North Carolina and have an article on Wikipedia.
A–E Ethan Albright, NFL Pro Bowl long snapper, played for University of North Carolina and NFL's Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins Elreta Alexander-Ralston, judge and attorney Keenan Allen, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers Robert Sylvester Alston, serial killer who raped and murdered at least 4 women from 1991 to 1993 https://journalnow.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/article_435ad53d-7e8f-5206-97d6-4bb152f76325.html Tom Alston, former Major League Baseball first baseman and first African-American to play for the St. Louis CardinalsTom Alston Stats . Baseball-Reference. Retrieved November 4, 2020. Samuel E. Anderson, United States Air Force four-star general; commanded Fifth Air Force during the Korean War Clarence Avant, entertainment industry executive Patrick Bailey, catcher for the San Francisco Giants Fantasia Barrino, winner of American Idol season three and Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, briefly lived in Greensboro and is from nearby High Point Thomas Berry, ecology spokesman Rex M. Best, Emmy Award-winning writer for the CBS daytime dramas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful Jake Bloss, Major League Baseball pitcher Jeff Bostic, NFL offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins Joe Bostic, NFL offensive lineman for the St. Louis (later Arizona) Cardinals Alan Branson, politician Michael Brooks, NFL defensive backMichael Brooks Stats – Pro Football Archives . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Hal "Skinny" Brown, MLB pitcher, member of Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame Tony Brown, record producer Joseph M. Bryan, businessman and philanthropist, lived in Greensboro until his death in 1995 Kathleen Price Bryan, philanthropist, was born and lived in Greensboro Frances Webb Bumpass, newspaper publisherPaula S. Jordan, "Frances Webb Bumpass" Dictionary of North Carolina Biography (UNC Press 1979). Lamont Burns, NFL offensive lineman Sharon Raiford Bush, American television's first African-American female weather anchor of primetime news, in 1975 at WGPR-TV, the US's first black-owned-and-operated television stationTV Week, Greensboro Daily News, December 12, 1976 Gianluca Busio, soccer playerGianluca Busio | U.S. Soccer Official Website . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Andy Cabic, of indie folk band Vetiver; lived in Greensboro while a member of indie-rock band The Raymond Brake Jonathan Campbell, soccer player Orson Scott Card, author, journalist and professor; several of his books, including Ender's Game and Shadow Puppets, feature settings in and around Greensboro Jimmy Carpenter, electric blues saxophonist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer Eugene Chadbourne, composer and musician Spencer Chamberlain, lead vocalist of the band Underoath, was raised in Greensboro Joey Cheek, Olympic gold medal speed skater Howard Coble, former member of U.S. House of Representatives (6th District, N.C.) Levi Coffin, Quaker educator and abolitionist Tarik Cohen, NFL player, attended North Carolina A&T State University Billy "Crash" Craddock, country music singer, born and lives near Greensboro Chris Daughtry, American Idol contestant Jeff Davis, NFL player for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and member of Clemson's 1981 national championship team; attended Dudley High School Rick Dees, radio personality; graduated from Grimsley High School Louis DeJoy, US postmaster and major Republican Party benefactor Marques Douglas, NFL player James Lamont DuBose, executive television and film producer, BET Eric Ebron, NFL tight end; attended Ben L. Smith High School Donna Edmondson, 1987 Playboy Playmate of the year Je'von Evans, WWE Superstar Vince Evans, NFL quarterback and 1977 Rose Bowl most valuable player
F–J Barry Farber, radio talk show host, author and language-learning enthusiast; born in Greensboro, and graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (see Grimsley High School) Tal Farlow, pioneering jazz guitarist Rick Ferrell, MLB catcher 1929–47, eight-time All-Star, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Wes Ferrell, MLB pitcher 1927–41, two-time All-Star Henry Flynt (b. 1940), philosopher, avant-garde musician, anti-art activist and exhibited artist often associated with Conceptual Art, Fluxus and Nihilism Charles Foster, Olympic track hurdlerCharles Wayne Foster . Olympic Channel. Retrieved November 4, 2020. Inez and Charlie Foxx, rhythm-and-blues and soul duo known for the 1963 hit "Mockingbird" Golda Fried, novelist and poet Elissa Minet Fuchs, ballerina and ballet mistress Peter Paul Fuchs, composer and conductor Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company Rhiannon Giddens, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops Edwin Forbes Glenn, United States Army officerEdwin F. Glenn papers – Archives and Special Collections . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Eugene Godsoe, American former competition swimmer, who specialized in backstroke and butterfly events Adam Green, cognitive neuroscientist Leah Naomi Green, poet and essayist Dino Hackett, NFL linebacker; jersey number retired by Appalachian StateDino Hackett Stats . Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 4, 2020. Joey Hackett, NFL tight end Kay Hagan, former U.S. senator PJ Hairston, played college basketball for North Carolina Tar Heels, 26th pick in the 2014 NBA draft by Charlotte Hornets, now plays for Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League Karly Hartzman, singer-songwriter and musician with Wednesday Brendan Haywood, NBA player for Dallas Mavericks, attended Dudley High School O. Henry, short story writer John Henson, NBA player for the Cleveland Cavaliers David Hickman, last American soldier killed in the Iraq War Matt Hill, electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Terrence Holt, NFL safety, played for NC State and Detroit Lions; born in nearby Gibsonville along with his brother Torry Holt Lauren Holt, former Saturday Night Live cast member Torry Holt, wide receiver for NC State and All-Pro for the St. Louis Rams; born in nearby Gibsonville and attended Eastern Guilford High School Lindsey Hopkins Jr., businessman, banker, investor, and sportsman Lou Hudson, NBA All-Star Chanita Hughes-Halbert, psychologist and medical researcherChanita Hughes-Halbert – Nobel Conference 56 . gustavus.edu. Retrieved December 1, 2020. Jim Hunt, former 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina John Inman, professional golfer who played on the PGA TourJohn Inman PGA Tour Champions Profile . Retrieved November 4, 2020. John Isner, professional tennis player Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist, minister, politician, attended and graduated from North Carolina A&T University Randall Jarrell, nationally acclaimed poet, professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro until his death in 1965; buried near Guilford College campus Haywood Jeffires, NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver for Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints, coach of a Texas semi-pro team Ken Jeong, actor, grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated from Page High School; starred in NBC sitcom Community Dr. Frank Jobe, orthopedic surgeon, invented UCL reconstruction known as Tommy John surgery Robert Elijah Jones, early African American bishop in the Methodist Church
K–O Paris Kea, All-American basketball player at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, WNBA player for the Indiana Fever Richard M. Kenan, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives J. William Kime, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Debra Lee, chief executive officer of BET John Anthony Lennon (b. 1950), composer Janet Lilly, dancer, choreographer and professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Caroline Lind, Olympic rower and two-time gold medalist in the women's eight event Ann Livermore, former executive vice president at Hewlett-PackardAnn Livermore – UPS Pressroom . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Frank Lucas, infamous heroin dealer, subject of American Gangster film starring Denzel Washington Loretta Lynch, attorney general of the United States Dolley Madison, First Lady and wife of President James Madison Carolyn Maloney (née Carolyn Jane Bosher, born 1946), politician serving as U.S. representative Danny Manning, All-America basketball player for the University of Kansas and NBA star, attended Page High School in Greensboro Kathy Manning, U.S. representative Doug Marlette, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Margaret Maron, author of award-winning mystery novelsQuillin, Martha. (February 26, 2021). Margaret Maron, whose NC-set mysteries won her national awards and acclaim, dies at 82 . Raleigh News & Observer. Retrieved April 11, 2021. Joyce Martin Dixon, businesswoman and philanthropist Jack F. Matlock, Jr., U.S. ambassador to U.S.S.R., 1987–1991 Maryhelen Mayfield, ballet dancer and former artistic and executive director of Greensboro Ballet, lived in Greensboro Bob McAdoo, NBA All-Star, college basketball All-American, and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame Franklin McCain, one of The Greensboro Four, African-American student from North Carolina A&T State University who in 1960 started the first civil rights sit-in; action eventually led to lunch counters and restaurants being desegregated throughout the Southern United States; attended Dudley Courtney McClellan, interdisciplinary artist Adrian McDonnell, conductor living in France Mark McGuinn, country music artistMark McGuinn | ReverbNation . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Joseph McNeil, one of the Greensboro Four, male African-American student from North Carolina A&T State University who in 1960 started the first civil rights sit-in; action eventually led to lunch counters and restaurants being desegregated throughout the Southern US Beth Mitchell, competitive shag dancer Jason Miyares, 48th attorney general of Virginia John Motley Morehead, 29th governor of North Carolina Emmanuel Moseley, NFL cornerbackEmmanuel Moseley Stats . Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 4, 2020. Cedric Mullins, MLB player for the Baltimore Orioles Edward R. Murrow, World War II CBS radio broadcaster and award-winning television journalist; born outside Greensboro Fred "Curly" Neal, basketball player, Harlem Globetrotters Ed Nelson, actor who played Dr. Michael Rossi on Peyton Place, spent last years in Greensboro and died there in 2014
P–T Michael Parker, novelist Clara J. Peck, public health nurse and hospital matron Ronald Perelman, billionaire investor Garry Peterson, longtime drummer for the Guess Who Carl Pettersson, Swedish PGA Tour player, graduated from Grimsley High School Theo Pinson, NBA player for the Brooklyn Nets Eddie Pope, soccer player for Real Salt Lake and the US National Soccer Team Millard Powers, musician, songwriter, record producer, and Grammy-nominated recording engineer; member of Counting Crows George Preddy, World War II fighter ace Ethel Clay Price, nurse and socialite Julian Price, insurance executive Ricky Proehl, NFL player Morgan Radford, journalist and reporter for NBC News and MSNBC D.J. Reader, NFL defensive tackle Eddie Robinson, Major League Soccer (MLS) playerEddie Robinson – NC Soccer Hall of Fame . Retrieved December 1, 2020. Mark Robinson, 35th lieutenant governor of North Carolina Lee Rouson, NFL running back, attended Page High School Ryan Wesley Routh, suspected attempted assassin of Donald Trump Virginia Ragsdale, mathematician and creator of the Ragsdale conjecture Ski Beatz, music producer Charlie Sanders, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, NFL tight end for Detroit Lions, attended Dudley High School H.T. Kirby-Smith, author and poet Graham Sharp, musician Nicholas Sparks, author Josephine Sprott (1867–1952), President, Woman's Christian Temperance Union of South Carolina Wilbur Daniel Steele, author, playwright, Provincetown Players