Famous Mississippians:

Famous Mississippians – believe and never give up:

This page is meant to provide Encouragement to ALL. Mississippi often gets a BAD Rap for being backwards. However, did you know that MANY famous talented entertainers and entrepreneurs were born, raised or lived at one time in Mississippi?

Are you ready for this? It's a BIG read, but you won't believe the TALENT that has come out of Mississippi. Give it a good look over. May change your perception, huh?

If nothing else, it should show ALL that your origin does NOT matter, it is your talent and capabilities that will make a difference. So, BELIEVE, work hard and NEVER give up.

Jim Williams

8/16/03

LeAnne Rimes (singer) - Born August 28, 1982, in Jackson, Mississippi.

http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=23137

Faith Hill (singer) - Born September 21, 1967, in Jackson, Mississippi.

http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=23664

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/FaithHill/FaithHill.html

Jim Henson (Muppets) - Born 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi

http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=5486

Oprah Winfrey (Media Mogul/Talk Show/Writer/Actor) - born January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi

http://www.gale.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/winfrey_o.htm

Richard Truly (Astranaut/Former NASA Head) - Born November 12, 1937, in Fayette, Mississippi

http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/truly.htm

Jimmy Buffet (singer) - born on December 25, 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Buffett.html#books

Jerry Clower (Comedian) - born in Liberty, Mississippi, on September 28, l926

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/writers/clower.html

William Faulkner (Writer) - born in New Albany, Mississippi, on September, 25, 1897.

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/writers/Faulkner.html

John Grisham (Writer) - born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. His father was

a cotton farmer who moved the family to Southaven, Mississippi, in 1967

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/writers/Grisham.html

Eudora Welty (Writer) - born April 13, 1909, at the Welty estate on North Congress

Street in Jackson, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/writers/Welty.html

Moe Bandy (Country Singer) - born on February 12, 1944 in Meridian, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Bandy/MoeBandy.html

Lance Bass (Singer/Entertainer) - born on May 4, 1979, to Jim and Diane Bass of Laurel,

Mississippi.

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Lance.html

Brandy (Norwood) ("Moeshia" singer/actor) - born February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/BrandyNorwood/NorwoodBrandy.html

Sam Cooke (Singer) - born Samuel Cook on Thursday, January 22, 1931, in Clarksdale,

Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Cooke.html

Bo Diddley (Singer) - born on December 30, 1928, in McComb, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Diddley.html

BB King (Blues Singer/Songwriter/Entertainer) - born on September 16, 1925 on a cotton plantation in Indianola,

Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/BBKing.html

Elvis Presley (Singer/Actor/Entertainer)- January 8, 1935, Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Presley.html

Leontyne Price (Opera Singer) - was born in Laurel, Mississippi, on February 10, 1927

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Price.html

Charlie Pride (Country Singer) - born in Sledge, Mississippi, on March 18, 1938

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Pride.html

Jimmie Rogers (Singer/Song Writer)- born September 8, 1897, in Meridian, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Rodgers.html

David Ruffin (Temptations/Singer) - born in Meridian, Mississippi, on January 18, 1941

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Ruffin.html

Roebuck "Pops" Staples and the Staple Singers (Singer) - Born in 1914 in Winona,

Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Staples.html

Paul Davis (Singer "Sweet Life") born in Meridian, MS

Ike Turner (Singer/Ike & Tina Turner Review) - born November 5, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Turner.html

Conway Twitty (Country Singer/Song Writer) - born in Friars Point, Mississippi, on September 1, 1933

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Twitty.html

Mary Wilson (Singer/Surpremes) - Born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/WilsonMary/MaryWilson.html

Tammy Wynette (Country Singer/Song Writer) - was born on May 5, 1942, in Itawamba County, Mississippi

http://shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/Wynette.html

"Tennessee" Williams - Thomas Lanier Williams (Playwrite/Writer) - Born March 26, 1911, in Columbus, MS

http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/williams_tennessee/index.html

Archie Manning (Quarterback Ole Miss/Saints) - Born Elisha Archibald Manning, III, May 19, 1949, in Drew Mississippi.

http://www.barberusa.com/sports2/manning_archie.html

Payton, Walter, Sports Figure; Chicago Bears running back, NFL's all-time leading rusher and Hall of Famer; known to friends and fans as "Sweetness" - Born in Columbia, MS

Favre, Brett - Sports Figure; Green Bay Packers' quarterback - Born in Kiln, MS

Dean, Dizzy - Sports Figure; Baseball player and long-time sports broadcaster - Born in Bond, MS

Actors:

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Alice, Mary - Actor; Star of NBC's I'll Fly Away - Born in Indianola, MS

Andrews, Dana - (Carver Dana Andrews), Actor; Starred in 69 films - Born in Collins, MS

Chabert, Lacey - (Lacey Nicole Chabert), Actor; Party of Five; Lost in Space, The Movie - Born in Purvis, MS

Childress, Alvin - Actor; Played Amos in the Amos and Andy television show - Born in Meridian, MS

Dye, John - Actor; Star of "Touched by An Angel" - Born in Amory, MS

Elzy, Ruby - Actor; First Serena in George Gershwin's play, Porgy and Bess - Born in Pontotoc, MS

Freeman, Morgan - Actor; Famed Broadway and movie actor; among his best known movies are The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, Amistad, Kiss the Girls, and Deep Impact. - Lived in Charleston, MS - Lived in Clarksdale, MS - Lived in Greenwood, MS

Geary, Cynthia - Actor; Starred in Northern Exposure - Born in Jackson, MS

Herrerra, Anthony - Actor; Starred in several TV soap operas, including "As The World Turns" (Mark Galloway, James Stenbeck), "The Young and the Restless" (Jack Curtis), and "Search for Tomorrow" (Mike Kaslo). Also starred in several movies. - Born in Wiggins, MS

Hodges, Eddie - Actor; 1960s movie actor, with guest appearances on many TV shows, including Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Family Affair, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Law and Order. His most notable role was the title role in the 1960 move, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." - Born in Hattiesburg, MS

Jones, James Earl - Actor; Shakespearean and movie actor; the "voice" of Darth Vader - Born in Arkabutla, MS

Khali, Simbi - Actor - Lived in Jackson, MS

Ladd, Dianne - Actor; Starred in Charlie's Angels - Born in Meridian, MS

Lester, Tom - Actor; Played Eb on Green Acres - Born in Laurel, MS

McRaney, Gerald - Actor; Simon & Simon, Major Dad, Promised Land - Lived in Collins, MS

Richards, Beah - Actor - Born in Vicksburg, MS

Roberts, Eric - Actor - Born in Biloxi, MS

Stevens, Stella - Actor - Born in Hot Coffee, MS

Thibodeaux, Keith - Actor; Played Little Ricky on I Love Lucy. Long-time drummer for Laurel rock & gospel band, David and the Giants, recording 12 albums with them. - Lived in Laurel - Lived in Jackson, MS

Walston, Ray - Actor; Star of TV's My Favorite Martian - Born in Laurel, MS

Ward, Sela - Actor; Star of TV shows, "Sisters" and ABC's "Once and Again"; high-flying pitchman for Sprint - Born in Meridian, MS

http://www.selawardtv.com/

Entrepreneurs

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Barksdale, James - Entrepreneur; Former CEO of Netscape - Born in Jackson, MS

Barq, Edward - Entrepreneur; Originator of Barq's Root Beer - Born in Biloxi, MS

Ebbers, Bernie - (Bernard J. Ebbers), Entrepreneur; CEO of WorldCom - Born in Jackson, MS - Lived in Brookhaven, MS

Henson, Jim - Entrepreneur; Creator of the Muppets - Born in Leland, MS

Nelson, Harry - Entrepreneur; Former DJ and Program Director at WRBC in Jackson. Now owns a national multi-media consulting company in Saco, Maine. Employed Bob Pittman </person_detail.cfm?ID=250> during his tenure at WRBC. - Born in Hattiesburg - Lived in Jackson, MS

Peavey, Hartley - Entrepreneur; Founder of Peavey Electronics, now the largest supplier of musical instruments and amplifiers in the world. - Born in Meridian, MS

Pittman, Bob - (Robert Pittman), Entrepreneur; Creator of MTV and current president of America Online. Former DJ at WRBC in Jackson. - Born in Brookhaven - Lived in Jackson, MS

Smith, Frederick W. - Entrepreneur; Founder and co-chairman of Fed-Ex Corporation - Born in Marks, MS

Inventors:

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Byrd, James Dotson - Inventor; Polymer scientist, holder of seven U.S. patents, who developed the plastic used as a heat shield in the NASA Space Program. - Born in Clinton, MS

Cole, Harry - (Harry A. Cole, Sr.), Inventor; Inventor of Pine Sol - Born in Jackson, MS

Miss Americas:

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Akin, Susan Diane - Miss America - Born in Meridian, MS

Mobley, Mary Ann - Miss America; Actress - Born in Brandon, MS

Salem, Cheryl Prewitt - Miss America - Born in Ackerman, MS

Shea, Lynda Lee Mead - Miss America - Born in Natchez, MS

Motovational Speaker:

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Ziglar, Zig - Motivational Speaker - Born in Yazoo City, MS

Lived in Mississippi:

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