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

This list is in alphabetical order by last name.

A Johnny Ace (1929–1954)Johnny Ace Retrieved 28 November 2022 — 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 of Stax Records

B

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 and 1904 Olympian Daren Bates (born 1990) — NFL player Kathy Bates (born 1948) — actress Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin (1913–1995) — poet Michael Beck (born 1949) — actor, best known for The Warriors and Xanadu Reginald Becton (born 1991) — basketball player who currently plays for Yokohama B-Corsairs of the B. 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) — syndicated cartoonist, 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 for Farscape and Stargate SG-1 Dave Brown (born 1946) — TV meteorologist, professional wrestling announcer Joe Brown (born 1947) — politician Isaac Bruce (born 1972) — former NFL player Kimberly Bryant (born 1967) — engineer and founder of Black Girls Code 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

C

Thomas Cease (1942–2026) – electrical engineer Herman Cain (1945–2020) — businessman, talk show host, and candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination Tyrone Calico (born 1980) — NFL player for the Tennessee Titans Dixie Carter (1939–2010) — actress known for Designing Women and Desperate Housewives Lorenzo Carter (born 1995) — linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons Bob Caruthers (1864–1911) — Major League Baseball player Kellye Cash (born 1965) — Miss America 1987 Rosanne Cash (born 1955) — singer-songwriter Cy Casper (1912–1968) — NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Gunners, and Pittsburgh 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 the Israeli Basketball Premier League Lashundra Trenyce Cobbin (born 1980) — American Idol contestant Steve Cohen (born 1949) — U.S. representative for Tennessee 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 and The Blues Brothers Edward H. Crump (1874–1954) — political boss and U.S. Representative Randy Culpepper (born 1989) — basketball player

D

Chastity Daniels (born 1978) — musician Janette Davis (1916–2005) — singer Rick Dees (born 1950) — radio personality Nancy Denson — mayor of Athens, Georgia Duke Deuce (born 1992) — rapper Eric Jerome Dickey (1961–2021) — author Jim Dickinson (1941–2009) — musician; producer Peter C. Doherty (born 1940) — scientist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Shannen Doherty (1971–2024) — actress known for Beverly 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

E Johanna Edwards (born 1978) — author William Eggleston (born 1939) — photographer Egypt Central (2002–2014) — band Eightball & MJG (established in 1991) — musicians Clara Ester (1948–2026) – civil rights activist

F

Charlie Feathers — rockabilly musician, died here in 1998 Ben Ferguson — nationally syndicated talk 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 group Innosense Ric Flair — professional wrestler (adopted at six weeks; raised in Minnesota) Rey Flemings — music commissioner Avron Fogelman — former owner of Kansas City Royals and various Memphis-based sports teams; namesake of southeastern leg of Interstate 240 Shelby Foote — author George L. Forbes — Cleveland City Council President, President of the Cleveland NAACP Clementine Ford — actress Harold Ford Jr. — politician Jacob Ford — NFL player, Tennessee Titans Abe Fortas — politician and U.S. Supreme Court justice Cary Fowler — agriculturalist, established the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Morgan Jon Fox — film director Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) — singer Frayser Boy — Academy Award-winning rapper Nelson Frazier Jr. — wrestler Morgan Freeman — actor Judy Freudberg — writer John Fry — music producer, engineer, founder of Ardent Studios

G

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 Leonard Graves — actor Al Green — singer, musician Larkin Grimm — folk singer Logan Guleff — MasterChef Junior Season 2 winner Gyft — rapper signed to E1 Music, known for his single "They Just Don't Know"

H

Lucy Hale — singer and actress Richard Halliburton — explorer and author George Hamilton — actor W.C. Handy — musician Anne Haney — actress Rebecca Hanover — (B.A. English/creative writing 2001), television writer Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway — former NBA player, NCAA Basketball coach Lee Harris — mayor of Shelby County and member of the Tennessee General Assembly E. Hunter Harrison — CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway Jimmy Hart — singer, pro wrestling personality Lori Harvey — model Jon Hassell — musician Isaac Hayes — actor and musician Samuel Henderson — former slave and Catholic convert Austin Hollins (born 1991) — basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli 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 John Hulse — college professor Andy Hummel — musician Alberta Hunter — singer

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

J

Al Jackson Jr. — musician Quinton "Rampage" Jackson — mixed martial arts fighter Raji Jallepalli — Indian-born chef and restaurateur Jimi Jamison — singer, songwriter Roland Janes — musician; producer Josh Jasper — All-American college football placekicker John Wayles Jefferson — mixed-race grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, colonel in the Union Army, cotton broker in Memphis after the Civil War Michael Jeter — actor Ashley Jones — actress Booker T. Jones — musician Leslie Jones — actress known for Saturday Night Live and Ghostbusters 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

K. Michelle — musician Florence Kahn — early Ibsen actress and wife of Max 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, led Memphis State to 1973 NCAA title game Carlton W. Kent — Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Key Glock — rapper, cousin to Young Dolph Albert King — blues musician B.B. King — blues musician Betty Klepper — scientist Francis M. Kneeland — early African American physician who located her practice on Beale Street David Kustoff — U.S. representative for Tennessee

L

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 Eddie Lightfoot — minstrel dancer Alan Lightman — novelist and physicist 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

M

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 teamNick Marable - Team USA. Retrieved November 9, 2020. 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-serving U.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