List Of People From Kentucky
The following list contains persons of note who were born, raised, or spent portions of their lives in the American state of Kentucky.
Authors and journalists
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| James Lane Allen (1849–1925) | Author, called the state's first important novelist | Born near Lexington |
| Harriette Simpson Arnow (1908–1986) | Writer of novels, memoirs, and regional histories | Born in Wayne County, raised in Pulaski County |
| Wendell Berry (born 1934) | Author and poet | Born in New Castle |
| Myram Borders (born 1936) | 20-year manager of Las Vegas United Press International bureau | Born in Kentucky |
| Pamela Brown (born 1983) | CNN reporter and newscaster | Born in Louisville |
| Harry M. Caudill (1922–1990) | Author, historian, and attorney | Born in Whitesburg |
| Irvin S. Cobb (1876–1944) | Author, humorist | Born in Paducah |
| Clive Cussler (1931–2020) | Author and oceanic explorer | Lived in Louisville |
| Rachael Denhollander (born 1984) | Author, advocate, lawyer | Lives in Louisville |
| Greg Downs (born 1971) | Author | Raised in Elizabethtown |
| John Fetterman (1920–1975) | Pulitzer prize-winning journalist for Louisville Courier-Journal | Born in Danville |
| Larry Flynt (1942–2021) | Hustler magazine publisher | Born in Lakeville (Magoffin County) |
| Joey Goebel (born 1980) | Author | Born in Henderson |
| bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) (1952–2021) | Author, feminist, and social activist | Born and raised in Hopkinsville |
| Silas House (born 1971) | Author | Reared in Lily (Laurel County) |
| Lewis Craig Humphrey (1875–1927) | Editor of the Louisville Evening Post and co-editor of the Louisville Herald-Post | Born and reared in Louisville, Kentucky |
| Robert Kirkman (born 1978) | Comic book writer, co-creator of The Walking Dead | Raised in Cynthiana |
| Bobbie Ann Mason (born 1940) | Author | Born in Mayfield |
| Robert K. Massie (1929) | Pulitzer Prize-winning author | Born in Lexington |
| Ed McClanahan (1932–2021) | Novelist, essayist, professor | Born in Brooksville; lives in Lexington |
| Tony Moore (born 1978) | Comic book illustrator, co-creator of The Walking Dead | Born and raised in Cynthiana, Kentucky |
| Gurney Norman (born 1937) | Novelist, documentarian, professor | Raised in Allais; worked for Hazard Herald; professor at University of Kentucky |
| Marsha Norman (born 1947) | Author and lyricist | Born in Louisville |
| Andrew J. Offutt (1934–2013) | Author; father of Chris Offutt | Born near Morehead, lived in Louisville |
| Chris Offutt (born 1958) | Author | Raised in Haldeman (Rowan County) |
| Bill Plaschke (born 1958) | Columnist for Los Angeles Times; TV personality | Born in Louisville, attended Ballard High School |
| Steve Raible (born 1954) | News anchor, sports announcer, former NFL player | Born in Louisville, attended Trinity High School |
| Elizabeth Madox Roberts (1881–1941) | Poet and novelist | Born in Perryville, spent most of her life in Springfield |
| Charles P. Roland (1918–2022) | Historian | Spent academic career partly at University of Kentucky, retired to Lexington |
| Adelaide Day Rollston (1854–1941) | Poet, periodical literature contributor, wrote novelettes | Born and died in Paducah |
| Jesse Stuart (1907–1984) | Novelist, poet, short-story writer | Born in Greenup County, poet laureate of Kentucky 1954 |
| Allen Tate (1899–1979) | Poet, novelist, literary critic | Born in Winchester |
| Helen Thomas (1920–2013) | News service reporter in White House press corps | Born in Winchester |
| Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005) | Journalist and author | Born in Louisville |
| Robert Penn Warren (1905–1989) | First poet laureate of the United States | Born in Guthrie |
| Anne Elizabeth Wilson (1901–1946) | Kentucky-born Canadian poet, writer, editor | Born in Frankfort |
Explorers, pioneers, and military personnel
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Bean (1825–1903) | Eccentric Old West justice of the peace | Born in Mason County |
| Stephen Bishop (1780–1857) | Cave explorer and guide, enslaved person | Published the first map of Mammoth Cave |
| Daniel Boone (1734–1820) | Iconic explorer and trapper, first entered Kentucky on hunting expeditions in 1767, carved Wilderness Trail from Eastern Tennessee through Cumberland Gap into Central Kentucky to Kentucky River; established his fort, Boonesborough, in Madison County where he lived from 1775 to 1779; fought during Revolutionary War, primarily against pro-British Indian tribes in region | |
| Jim Bowie (1796–1836) | Died at the Battle of the Alamo, made famous the Bowie knife | Born in Logan County |
| Creed Burlingame (1905–1985) | U.S. Navy submarine commander in the Pacific Theater during World War II | Born in Louisville |
| Kit Carson (1809–1868) | Indian agent, trapper scout | Born in Madison County |
| Floyd Collins (1887–1925) | Cave explorer | Trapped and killed in Sand Cave |
| William J. Crowe Jr. (1925–2007) | U.S. Navy admiral and chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff | Born in La Grange |
| William R. Higgins (1945–1990) | U.S. Marine colonel who was captured in 1988 and eventually murdered | Born in Danville |
| Joseph Holt (1807–1894) | United States Postmaster General and Judge Advocate General | Born in Breckinridge County |
| Husband E. Kimmel (1882–1968) | Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor | Born in Henderson |
| Hal Moore (1922–2017) | US Army lieutenant general and author | Born in Bardstown |
| Franklin Sousley (1925–1945) | One of six in iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima | Born in Hilltop, Fleming County |
Film, radio, and television personalities
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Ned Beatty (1937–2021) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| James Best (1926–2015) | Actor | Born in Powderly |
| Rodger Bingham (born 1947), nicknamed "Kentucky Joe" | Fifth runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback | Lives in Crittenden |
| Olive Blakeney (1899–1959) | Actress | Born in Newport |
| Foster Brooks (1912–2001) | Comedian | Born in Louisville |
| W. Earl Brown (born 1963) | Actor | Born in Murray |
| Tod Browning (1880–1962) | Actor and director | Born in Louisville |
| Leo Burmester (1944–2007) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Jennifer Carpenter (born 1979) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
| John Carpenter (born 1948) | Film director | Reared in Bowling Green and attended Western Kentucky University |
| Will Chase (born 1970) | Actor | Born in Frankfort |
| George Clooney (born 1961) | Oscar-winning actor and director | Born in Lexington, reared in Augusta |
| Nick Clooney (born 1934) | Television personality and journalist | Born in Maysville |
| Rosemary Clooney (1928–2002) | Actress and singer | Born and reared in Maysville |
| Joyce Compton (1907–1997) | Actress | Born in Lexington |
| William Conrad (1920–1994) | Actor, director, narrator in radio, film, TV | Born and reared in Louisville |
| Tom Cruise (born 1962) | Actor and producer | Raised in Louisville |
| Kassie DePaiva (born 1961) | Actress best known for role on One Life to Live | Born and reared in Morganfield |
| Johnny Depp (born 1963) | Actor, producer, musician, singer, three-time oscar nominee, painter | Born in Owensboro |
| Irene Dunne (1898–1990) | Actress, five-time Oscar nominee | Born in Louisville |
| Bob Edwards (born 1947) | NPR radio host | Born in Louisville |
| Farah Fath (born 1984) | Actress known for her roles on Days of Our Lives and One Life to Live | Born in Lexington |
| Don Galloway (1937–2009) | Actor | Born and reared in Brooksville |
| Rebecca Gayheart (born 1971) | Actress | Born in Hazard |
| Billy Gilbert (1894–1971) | Actor and comedian | Born in Louisville |
| D. W. Griffith (1875–1948) | Filmmaker | Born in La Grange |
| Chris Hardwick (born 1971) | Host, comedian, and actor | Born in Louisville |
| Florence Henderson (1934–2016) | Actress best known for her role on The Brady Bunch | Reared in Owensboro |
| Boyd Holbrook (born c. 1981) | Actor | Born in Prestonsburg |
| Josh Hopkins (born 1970) | Actor | Born in Lexington |
| Elizabeth Ann Hulette, aka "Miss Elizabeth" (1960–2003) | Professional wrestling manager and valet | Born in Louisville, reared in Frankfort |
| Josh Hutcherson (born 1992) | Actor | Born in Union |
| Ashley Judd (born 1968) | Actress | reared in Ashland |
| Patricia Kalember (born 1956) | Actress | Partly reared in Louisville |
| Robert Karnes (1917–1979) | Actor | Born in Paducah |
| Tommy Kirk (born 1941) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Jennifer Lawrence (born 1990) | Oscar-winning actress | Born and reared in Louisville |
| Maggie Lawson (born 1980) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
| Matt Long (born 1980) | Actor | Born in Winchester |
| Lee Majors (born 1939) | Actor | reared in Middlesboro |
| Terrence Mann (born 1951) | Actor | Born in Ashland |
| William Mapother (born 1965) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Victor Mature (1915–1999) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Melissa McBride (born 1965) | Actress and casting directorl | Born in Lexington |
| Catherine McCord (born 1974) | Actress and model | Born in Louisville |
| Marie McDonald (1923–1965) | Actress and singer | Born in Burgin |
| Charles Middleton (1874–1949) | Actor | Born in Elizabethtown |
| Charles Napier (1936–2011) | Actor | Born in Scottsville |
| Patricia Neal (1926–2010) | Oscar-winning actress | Born in Packard (Whitley County) |
| Grady Nutt (1937–1981) | Religious humorist; television personality (Hee Haw) | Lived in Louisville from 1960 until his death including the entire time of his rise to fame |
| Warren Oates (1928–1982) | Actor | Born in Depoy (Muhlenberg County) |
| Sean O'Bryan (born 1963) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Annie Potts (born 1952) | Actress | Reared in Franklin |
| Lawrence Pressman (born 1939) | Actor | Born in Cynthiana |
| Wes Ramsey (born 1977) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Marisha Ray (born 1989) | Voice Actress. Co-Founder and Creative Director of Critical Role Productions | Born in Mount Washington |
| Jeffrey Reddick (born 1969) | Screenwriter, actor, and film producer | reared in Jackson |
| Jessica Rey (born 1982) | Actress | Born in Fort Campbell |
| Rob Riggle (born 1970) | Actor on The Daily Show, The Office and Saturday Night Live | Born in Louisville |
| Kelly Rutherford (born 1968) | Actress on Melrose Place and Gossip Girl | Born in Elizabethtown |
| Jeri Ryan (born 1968) | Actress on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard | Reared in Paducah |
| Mitchell Ryan (1928–2022) | Actor | Born in Louisville |
| Diane Sawyer (born 1945) | TV journalist | Born and reared in Glasgow; lived in Louisville |
| Michael Shannon (born 1974) | Actor | Born in Lexington |
| William Shatner (born 1931) | Actor | Seasonally resides in Woodford County |
| Sam Shepard (1943–2017) | Actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright | Lived in Midway |
| Molly Sims (born 1973) | Actress and model | Born in Murray |
| J. Smith-Cameron (born 1955) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
| Hal Sparks (born 1969) | Actor | Reared in Peak's Mill |
| Harry Dean Stanton (1926–2017) | Actor | Born in West Irvine (Estill County) |
| Chrishell Stause (born 1981) | Actress known for her role on All My Children and Selling Sunset | Born in Draffenville (Marshall County) |
| Martha Stewart (1922–2021) | Actress | Born in Bardwell |
| Madame Sul-Te-Wan (1873–1959) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
| Gus Van Sant (born 1952) | Film director | Born in Louisville |
| Jim Varney (1949–2000) | Actor and comedian | Born in Lexington |
| Jack Warden (1920–2006) | Actor | Reared in Louisville |
| Muse Watson (born July 20, 1948) | Actor | Attended Berea College; lives in Berea |
| Chuck Woolery (born 1940) | Game show host | Born in Ashland |
| Sean Young (born 1959) | Actress | Born in Louisville |
| Steve Zahn (born 1967) | Actor | Lives in Scott County |
Government and political leaders
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Vice President of the United States | Born in Graves County, lived much of his adult life in Paducah |
| Andy Beshear (born 1977) | Governor of Kentucky and Attorney General of Kentucky | Born in Louisville |
| Steve Beshear (born 1944) | 61st Governor of Kentucky; 49th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and Attorney General of Kentucky | Born in Dawson Springs |
| Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) | US Supreme Court Justice | Born and reared in Louisville |
| John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875) | Vice President of the United States | Born just outside Lexington |
| John Y. Brown Jr. (1933–2022) | Governor of Kentucky | Born in Lexington |
| A. B. "Happy" Chandler (1898–1991) | Governor of Kentucky and Baseball Commissioner | Born in Corydon |
| Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810–1903) | Abolitionist; Ambassador to Russia negotiating purchase of Alaska; newspaper editor | Born and lived in Clermont; resident of Madison County; buried in the Richmond Cemetery |
| Henry Clay (1777–1852) | Statesman | Lived in Lexington |
| Kelly Craft (née Guilfoil; born 1962) | United States Ambassador to the United Nations and United States Ambassador to Canada | Born in Lexington; grew up in Glasgow, Kentucky |
| John J. Crittenden (1787–1863) | US Attorney General, Senator, and Representative; Governor of Kentucky | Born in Versailles; lived in Frankfort |
| Jefferson Davis (1808–1889) | President of the Confederate States | Born in Christian County |
| Wendell Hampton Ford (1924–2015) | 53rd Governor of Kentucky, 1971–1974; 45th Lieutenant Governor 1967–1971; U.S. Senator 1974–1999, member of Democratic Party, veteran of Army and Kentucky National Guard, serving 1944–1946 and 1949–1962 | Born and reared in Owensboro |
| Sara Beth Gregory (born 1982) | Member of Kentucky State Senate; former member of state House, first elected at age 28; attorney | Born in Monticello in Wayne County |
| Julian Carroll (born 1931) | 54th Governor of Kentucky; 46th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky; member of the Kentucky State Senate, member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | Born in Paducah |
| John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911) | US Supreme Court Justice | Born in Boyle County |
| Jimmy Higdon (born 1953) | Current member of the Kentucky State Senate, former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, businessman | Born in Taylor County; resident of Lebanon in Marion County |
| Clayborne F. Jackson (1806–1862) | 15th Governor of Missouri | Born in Fleming County |
| Richard M. Johnson (1780–1850) | 9th Vice President of the United States | Born in Jefferson County |
| Robert W. Johnson (1814–1879) | C.S. Senator from Arkansas | Born in Scott County |
| Mae Street Kidd (1909–1999) | State legislator | Represented a district in Louisville |
| Juanita M. Kreps (1921–2010) | Former US Secretary of Commerce | Born in Lynch |
| Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) | 16th President of the United States | Born in a portion of Hardin County that now lies in LaRue County |
| Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–1882) | Wife of Abe Lincoln and First Lady 1861–1865; subject of multiple psychiatric case studies. | Born and raised in Lexington |
| Mitch McConnell (born 1942) | U.S. Senator from Kentucky since 1985 and Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate | Raised in Louisville |
| Suzanne Miles (born 1970) | Member of Kentucky House of Representatives from District 7 | Born and resides in Owensboro |
| Samuel Freeman Miller (1816–1890) | US Supreme Court Justice | Born in Richmond |
| Doug Moseley (1928–2017) | State senator (1974–1987) | Resident of Campbellsville, Columbia, and Bowling Green |
| Carrie Nation (1846–1911) | Prohibitionist | Born in Garrard County |
| Ruth Ann Palumbo (born 1949) | Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | Born, raised, and resides in Lexington |
| Scott Pruitt (born 1968) | Attorney General of Oklahoma | Grew up in Lexington |
| Stanley Forman Reed (1844–1980) | US Supreme Court Justice | Born in Minerva |
| Wiley Blount Rutledge (1894–1949) | US Supreme Court Justice | Born in Cloverport |
| Tony Snow (1955–2008) | White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush | Born in Berea |
| James Speed (1812–1887) | US Attorney General under Abraham Lincoln | Born in Jefferson County |
| Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835–1914) | Vice President of the United States | Born in Christian County |
| Zachary Taylor (1784–1850) | 12th President of the United States | Raised in Kentucky |
| Ken Upchurch (born 1969) | Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from District 52 | Resides in his native Monticello in Wayne County |
| Fred M. Vinson (1890–1953) | Chief Justice of the United States | Born in Louisa |
| Roger Vinson (born 1940) | Senior Federal Judge | Born in Cadiz |
| James E. Whitlock (born 1934) | State Representative | Resident of Marion County |
| David L. Williams (born 1953) | Member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1987 to 2012, president of the state Senate from 2000 to 2012; Republican U.S. Senate nominee in 1992, gubernatorial nominee in 2011; current 40th District circuit judge | Born in Burkesville in Cumberland County |
| Max Wise (born 1975) | Member of the Kentucky State Senate from District 16 in south central Kentucky, former FBI agent | Born, reared, and resides in Campbellsville |
| Whitney Young (1921–1971) | Civil rights administrator | Born in Lincoln Ridge |
| Ron Ziegler (1939–2003) | White House Press Secretary to President Richard Nixon | Born in Covington |
Infamous persons
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Birkhead (born 1973) | Father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead | Born, resides in Louisville |
| Lynndie England (born 1982) | Convicted in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal | Born in Ashland |
| Donald Harvey (1952–2017) | Convicted serial killer | Raised in Booneville |
| Charles Manson (1934–2017) | Convicted criminal and cult leader | Raised in Ashland |
Musicians
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| David "Stringbean" Akeman (1916–1973) | Country and comedy musician, member of the Grand Ole Opry, cast member on Hee Haw | Born in Annville |
| John J. Becker (1886–1961) | Composer | Born in Henderson |
| Adrian Belew (born 1949) | Guitarist and vocalist for the band King Crimson | Born in Covington, raised in Alexandria and Ludlow |
| Kenny Bishop (born 1966) | Gospel and Christian singer | Raised in Richmond |
| Mark Bishop (born 1965) | Southern gospel singer | Raised in Richmond |
| Laura Bell Bundy (born 1981) | Country singer and actress | Raised in Lexington |
| Steven Curtis Chapman (born 1962) | Contemporary Christian musician | Born and raised in Paducah |
| Tyler Childers (born 1991) | Country singer | Born in Lawrence County |
| John Conlee (born 1946) | Country singer | Born and raised in Versailles |
| Billy Ray Cyrus (born 1961) | Country singer and actor | Born in Flatwoods |
| Skeeter Davis (1931–2004) | Country singer | Born in Dry Ridge |
| Jackie DeShannon (born 1941) | Singer-songwriter | Born in Hazel |
| Don Everly (1937–2021) | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame | Born near Central City |
| Phil Everly (1939–2014) | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame | Born near Central City |
| Red Foley (1910–1968) | Singer in Country Music Hall of Fame | Born in Blue Lick |
| Crystal Gayle (born 1951) | Country singer | Born in Paintsville |
| EST Gee (born 1994) | Rapper | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Troy Lee Gentry (1967–2017) | Country singer | Born in Lexington |
| Ashley Gorley | Country songwriter and record producer | Born in Danville |
| Tom T. Hall (born 1936–2021) | Country singer-songwriter | Born in Olive Hill |
| Lionel Hampton (1908–2002) | Jazz musician | Born in Louisville |
| Jack Harlow (born 1998) | Rapper | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Larnelle Harris | Gospel singer | Born in Danville |
| Telma Hopkins (born 1948) | Singer and actress | Born in Louisville |
| Grandpa Jones (1913–1998) | "Old time" country and gospel music singer, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry; cast member on Hee Haw | Born in Niagara |
| Jonah Jones (1919–2000) | Jazz trumpeter | Born in Louisville |
| Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe (born 1993) | Singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, actress, and model | Born in Lexington |
| Naomi Judd (1946–2022) | Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland |
| Wynonna Judd (born 1964) | Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland |
| James Kottak (born 1962) | Former drummer for hard rock groups Kingdom Come, Wild Horses and Warrant; current drummer for German heavy metal band The Scorpions | Born in Louisville |
| Nick Lachey (born 1973) | Member of the band 98 Degrees; married to Jessica Simpson and starred on reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica | Born in Harlan |
| Homer Ledford (1927–2006) | Bluegrass musician and instrument maker | Lived in Winchester |
| Brian Littrell (born 1975) | Member of the Backstreet Boys | Born in Lexington |
| Patty Loveless (born 1957) | Country singer | Born in Pikeville |
| Loretta Lynn (1932–2022) | Country singer | Born and raised in Butcher Holler |
| Les McCann (born 1935) | Soul jazz piano player and vocalist; crossover artist into R&B and soul | Born in Lexington |
| Bill Monroe (1911–1996) | "Father of bluegrass music" and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame | Born and raised in Rosine |
| Eddie Montgomery (born 1963) | Country singer | Born in Danville, raised in Garrard County |
| John Michael Montgomery (born 1965) | Country singer | Born in Danville, raised in Garrard County |
| Will Oldham (born 1970) | Songwriter and musician | Born in Louisville |
| Joan Osborne (born 1963) | Singer-songwriter | Born in Anchorage |
| Artimus Pyle (born 1948) | Former drummer for the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd | Born in Louisville |
| Dottie Rambo (1934–2008) | Member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame | Born in Madisonville, raised in Morganfield |
| Kevin Richardson (born 1971) | Member of the Backstreet Boys | Born in Lexington, raised in Irvine |
| Jean Ritchie (1922–2015) | Folk singer | Born in Viper (Perry County) |
| Nicole Scherzinger (born 1978) | Pop singer, former member of The Pussycat Dolls, television personality | Raised in Louisville |
| Sturgill Simpson (born 1978) | Grammy-winning musician | Born in Jackson, grew up in Versailles |
| Ricky Skaggs (born 1954) | Bluegrass and country music artist | Born and raised in Cordell (Lawrence County) |
| Kevin Skinner (born 1974) | Country singer, winner of 2009 America's Got Talent | Native of Mayfield |
| Jordan Smith (born 1994) | Pop singer, winner of The Voice season 9 | Born in Harlan (Harlan County) |
| Chris Stapleton (born 1978) | Country singer | Born in Lexington |
| Rick Steier (born 1960) | Former guitarist for hard rock groups Kingdom Come, Wild Horses and Warrant | Born in Louisville |
| Mark Stuart (born 1968) | Member of the Christian band Audio Adrenaline | Born and raised in Owensboro |
| Noah Thompson (born 2002) | American Idol season 20 winner | Raised in Blaine (Lawrence County) |
| David Tolliver | Singer-songwriter, Halfway to Hazard | Born in Hindman |
| Mary Travers (1936–2009) | Folk singer with Peter, Paul and Mary | Born in Louisville |
| Merle Travis (1917–1983) | Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame | Born in Rosewood (Muhlenberg County) |
| Keith Whitley (1955–1989) | Country singer | Born in Sandy Hook |
| Dwight Yoakam (born 1956) | Country singer | Born in Pikeville |
Scientists and inventors
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| James Gilbert Baker (1914–2005) | Astronomer, designer of optics systems, co-founder of Louisville Astronomical Society | Born in Louisville, graduated from the University of Louisville |
| Isaac Chuang | Inventor, realized the first quantum computer | Born in Corbin |
| George Devol (1912–2011) | Inventor of Unimate, the first industrial robot | Born in Louisville |
| Rex Geveden | Associate Administrator of NASA | Born in Mayfield |
| J. Richard Gott (born 1947) | Princeton University astrophysical sciences professor and Doomsday argument theory | Born in Louisville |
| Robert H. Grubbs (1942–2021) | 2005 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Born in Marshall County, raised in Paducah |
| G. Scott Hubbard (born 1948) | NASA scientist, associate director of NASA's Ames Research Center, "Mars czar" | Born and raised in Elizabethtown |
| William Lipscomb (1919–2011) | 1976 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Raised in Lexington |
| Garrett A. Morgan (1877–1963) | Traffic light and gas mask inventor | Born in Paris |
| Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866–1945) | 1933 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Born in Lexington |
| Phillip A. Sharp (born 1944) | 1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Born in Falmouth |
| Nathan Stubblefield (1860–1928) | Inventor, demonstrated wireless radio | Born in Murray |
| John T. Thompson (1860–1940) | Inventor of the "Tommy" Gun | Born in Newport |
| George Whitesides (born 1939) | Harvard University chemistry professor | Born in Louisville |
| Terrence W. Wilcutt (born 1949) | Astronaut | Born in Russellville |
Sports figures
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Nate Adcock (born 1988) | MLB relief pitcher | Born in Elizabethtown |
| David Akers (born 1974) | NFL placekicker | Born and raised in Lexington |
| Shaun Alexander (born 1977) | NFL running back | Born and raised in Florence |
| Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) (1942–2016) | Olympic and professional boxing champion and activist | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Dave Anderson (born 1960) | MLB infielder and coach | Born in Louisville |
| Derek Anderson (born 1974) | NBA shooting guard | Born in Louisville |
| Josh Anderson (born 1982) | MLB center fielder | Born and raised in Somerset |
| Bill Arnsparger (1926–2015) | New York Giants and LSU head coach | Born in Paris, Kentucky |
| Len Barker (born 1955) | MLB pitcher | Born in Fort Knox |
| Jeremy Bates (born 1974) | Boxer nicknamed "The Beast" | Born in Argillite |
| Butch Beard (born 1947) | NBA player and coach | Born and raised in Hardinsburg |
| Gus Bell (1928–1995) | MLB player | Born in Louisville |
| Todd Benzinger (born 1964) | MLB player | Born in Dayton, Kentucky |
| Bernie Bickerstaff (born 1944) | Head coach of five NBA teams | Born in Benham |
| Rob Bironas (1978–2014) | NFL placekicker | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Gay Brewer (1932–2007) | Pro golfer, 1967 Masters champion | Raised in Lexington |
| Don Brumfield (born 1938) | Hall of Fame jockey | Born in Nicholasville |
| Greg Buckner (born 1976) | NBA shooting guard and coach | Born in Hopkinsville |
| Jay Buhner (born 1964) | MLB outfielder | Born in Louisville |
| Jim Bunning (1931–2017) | Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and politician | Born in Southgate |
| Chris Burke (born 1980) | MLB second baseman | Born in Louisville |
| Paul Byrd (born 1970) | MLB pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| Dwane Casey (born 1957) | Head coach of NBA's Toronto Raptors | Born in Morganfield |
| Steve Cauthen (born 1960) | National Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey | Born in Covington, raised in Walton |
| Ray Chapman (1891–1920) | Only Major League Baseball player to be killed during a game | Born in Beaver Dam |
| Rex Chapman (born 1967) | NBA shooting guard | Born in Bowling Green, attended Owensboro's Apollo High School |
| Jerry Claiborne (1928–2000) | College Football Hall of Fame coach | Born in Hopkinsville |
| Tyler Clippard (born 1985) | MLB pitcher | Born in Lexington |
| Blanton Collier (1906–1983) | Cleveland Browns and Kentucky head coach | Born in Millersburg |
| Cris Collinsworth (born 1959) | Wide receiver for Cincinnati Bengals, TV sportscaster | Resides in Fort Thomas |
| Earle Combs (1889–1976) | Baseball Hall of Famer | Born in Pebworth (Owsley County) |
| Tim Couch (born 1977) | NFL quarterback | Born and raised in Hyden |
| Dave Cowens (born 1948) | Basketball Hall of Famer | Born and raised in Newport |
| Denny Crum (1937–2023) | Basketball Hall of Fame coach | Lived in Louisville |
| Dermontti Dawson (born 1965) | NFL center | Born in Lexington |
| Paul Derringer (1906–1987) | MLB pitcher | Born in Springfield |
| E. A. Diddle (1895–1972) | Basketball Hall of Fame coach | Born in Gradyville (Adair County) |
| Chris Dowe (born 1991) | Professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League | Born in Louisville |
| Scott Downs (born 1976) | MLB relief pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| Brian Doyle (born 1954) | MLB infielder | Born in Glasgow |
| Denny Doyle (1944–2022) | MLB infielder | Born in Glasgow |
| Laura duPont (1949–2002) | Tennis player | Born in Louisville |
| Hugh Durham (born 1937) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Louisville |
| Steve Finley (born 1965) | MLB outfielder | Raised in Paducah |
| Hugh Durham (born 1937) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Louisville |
| Bud Foster (born 1959) | Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator 1995–2019 | Born in Somerset, Kentucky |
| Woodie Fryman (1940–2011) | MLB infielder | Born and raised in Ewing |
| Joe Fulks (1921–1976) | Basketball Hall of Famer | Born in Birmingham (Marshall County) |
| Clarence Gaines (1923–2005) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Paducah |
| Tyson Gay (born 1982) | Sprinter, 2007 world champion at 100 and 200 meters | Born and raised in Lexington |
| Jack Givens (born 1956) | Basketball player, 1978 Final Four MVP | Born in Lexington |
| Sean Green (born 1979) | MLB relief pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| Ted Greene (1932–1982) | AFL linebacker | Born in Kentucky |
| Darrell Griffith (born 1958) | College Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Louisville |
| Don Gullett (born 1951) | MLB pitcher | Born in Lynn, attended high school in South Shore |
| Eddie Haas (born 1935) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
| Cliff Hagan (born 1931) | Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Owensboro |
| Joe B. Hall (1928–2022) | College Hall of Fame basketball coach | Born in Cynthiana |
| Clem Haskins (born 1943) | NBA player and coach | Born in Campbellsville |
| Nicky Hayden (1981–2017) | MotoGP racer | Born and raised in Owensboro |
| JB Holmes (born 1982) | PGA Tour golfer | Born and raised in Campbellsville |
| Paul Hornung (1935–2020) | Notre Dame and Pro Football Hall of Famer, sportscaster | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Allan Houston (born 1971) | NBA shooting guard | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Lou Johnson (1932–2020) | MLB outfielder | Born in Lexington |
| Monique Jones (born 1979) | IFBB professional bodybuilder | Born in Fort Knox |
| Gregory Kaidanov (born 1959) | U.S. chess grandmaster | Lives in Lexington |
| Austin Kearns (born 1980) | MLB outfielder | Born in Lexington |
| Shawn Kelley (born 1984) | MLB relief pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| Shipwreck Kelly (1910–1986) | NFL halfback | Born in Simstown |
| Roy Kidd (born 1931) | College Football Hall of Fame coach | Born in Corbin |
| Stephen Mather (1970–2005) | Pro tennis player | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Jeremy Mayfield (born 1969) | NASCAR driver | Born and raised in Owensboro |
| Carl Mays (1891–1971) | MLB pitcher | Born in Liberty |
| George McAfee (1918–2009) | Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback for Chicago Bears | Born in Corbin |
| Mary T. Meagher (born 1964) | 1984, 1988 Olympic medalist swimmer | Born in Louisville |
| Trever Miller (born 1973) | MLB pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| C. J. Mosley (born 1983) | NFL defensive end | Born in Fort Knox |
| Tori Murden (born 1963) | First woman to make solo crossing of Atlantic Ocean by rowboat or ski to geographic South Pole | Raised and lives in Louisville |
| Bobby Nichols (born 1936) | Pro golfer, 1964 PGA Championship winner | Born in Louisville |
| Betty Pariso (born 1956) | IFBB professional bodybuilder | Born in Cynthiana |
| John Pelphrey (born 1968) | University of Kentucky basketball player and Florida assistant coach | Born in Paintsville |
| Kenny Perry (born 1960) | Professional golfer | Born in Elizabethtown, raised in Franklin, graduated from high school in Lone Oak |
| Mel Purcell (born 1959) | Pro tennis player | Raised in Murray |
| Frank Ramsey (1931–2018) | Basketball Hall of Famer | Born in Corydon |
| Jon Rauch (born 1978) | Professional baseball pitcher | Born in Louisville and raised in Westport |
| Pee Wee Reese (1918–1999) | Baseball Hall of Famer | Born in Ekron and raised in Louisville |
| Mark Reynolds (born 1983) | MLB infielder | Born in Pikeville |
| Weston Richburg (born 1991) | Professional football player | Born in Louisville |
| Rajon Rondo (born 1986) | Professional basketball player | Born in Louisville |
| Gene Roof (born 1958) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
| Phil Roof (born 1941) | MLB player | Born in Paducah |
| Jack Roush (born 1942) | International Motorsports Hall of Famer | Born in Covington |
| Vincent Sanford (born 1990) | Professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League | Born in Lexington |
| Howard Schnellenberger (1934–2021) | College football coach, Miami, Louisville and Florida Atlantic | Raised in Louisville |
| Frank Selvy (born 1932) | College Hall of Fame basketball player | Born in Corbin |
| John Shelby (born 1958) | MLB outfielder | Born in Lexington |
| Jeff Sheppard (born 1974) | Basketball player for Kentucky Wildcats | resides in London (Laurel County) |
| Phil Simms (born 1955) | NFL quarterback and TV sportscaster | Born in Lebanon, raised in Louisville |
| Donta Smith (born 1983) | Professional basketball player in NBA and for Maccabi Haifa, 2014 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP | Born in Louisville |
| C. J. Spillman (born 1986) | NFL safety and special teamer | Born in Louisville |
| Woody Stephens (1913–1998) | Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer | Born in Stanton |
| Danny Sullivan (born 1950) | C.A.R.T. and Formula 1 auto racer; winner of 1985 Indianapolis 500 | Born in Louisville |
| Jacob Tamme (born 1985) | NFL tight end | Born in Lexington |
| Justin Thomas (born 1993) | Pro golfer, 2017 PGA Championship champion | Born in Louisville |
| Dan Uggla (born 1980) | MLB second baseman | Born in Louisville |
| Wes Unseld (1946–2020) | Basketball Hall of Famer | Born and raised in Louisville |
| Darrell Waltrip (born 1947) | NASCAR driver and broadcaster | Born and raised in Owensboro |
| Michael Waltrip (born 1963) | NASCAR driver | Born and raised in Owensboro |
| Jeff Walz (born 1971) | Louisville women's basketball coach | Born and raised in Fort Thomas |
| Larry Warford (born 1991) | NFL offensive lineman | Raised in Richmond |
| Brandon Webb (born 1979) | MLB pitcher 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner | Born and raised in Ashland |
| Todd Wellemeyer (born 1978) | MLB pitcher | Born in Louisville |
| John Wooden (born 1910) | Basketball player and coach | Taught English and coached several sports at Dayton High School. |
Visual artists
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Stewart Anderson (1935–2019) | Painter, artist | Born in Frankfort, but spent most of her life in Louisville |
| John James Audubon (1785–1851) | Wildlife artist | Spent much of his career painting in Henderson |
| Lance Burton (born 1960) | Stage magician | Born in Louisville |
| Frank Duveneck (1848–1919) | Figure and portrait painter | Born in Covington |
| Larry Elmore (born 1948) | Fantasy artist | Born in Louisville |
| Fontaine Fox (1884–1964) | Cartoonist | Born in Louisville |
| Joel Tanner Hart (1810–1877) | Sculptor | Born near Winchester, in Clark County |
| Harlan Hubbard (1900–1988) | Artist and author | Born in Bellevue, Kentucky and lived in Fort Thomas, Kentucky and Trimble County, Kentucky |
| Mac King (born 1959) | Stage magician | Born in Hopkinsville |
| Loren Long | Illustrator | Raised in Lexington |
| David W. Mack (born 1972) | Comic book artist and writer | Lives in Bromley, graduate of Northern Kentucky University |
| Amanda Matthews (born 1968) | Artist of The Girl Puzzle (NYC), artist of United We Stand, Divided We Fall (COVID Memorial KY), public speaker | Born in Mt. Washington; lives in Lexington |
| Kate Matthews (1870–1956) | Photographer | Born in New Albany, Indiana, but spent most of her life in Pewee Valley |
| Ralph Eugene Meatyard (1925–1972) | Photographer | Born in Normal, Illinois, but established his photography and optometry careers in Lexington |
| Don Rosa (born 1951) | Cartoonist, Donald Duck illustrator | Born in Louisville |
| Paul Sawyier (1865–1917) | Painter, artist | Raised in Frankfort, Kentucky and spent most of his painting career there |
| Gideon Shryock (1802–1880) | Architect | Born in Lexington |
| Moneta Sleet Jr. (1926–1996) | 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography | Born in Owensboro |
| Bruce Tinsley (born 1958) | Cartoonist, known for his comic strip Mallard Fillmore | Born in Louisville |
| Edgar Tolson (1904–1984) | Woodcarver and folk artist | Born in Trent Fork |
Other notable persons
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| David Boaz (born 1953) | Executive Vice President of the Cato Institute | Born in Mayfield |
| Ben M. Bogard (1868–1941) | Clergyman, founder of American Baptist Association; pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas, pastor under Southern Baptist Convention in 1890s Kentucky | Born in Elizabethtown |
| Anne Braden (1924–2006) | Civil rights activist, journalist, educator | Born in Louisville |
| LaVerne Butler (1926–2010) | Clergyman and college president | Born in Henderson County; pastor of 9th & O Baptist Church in Louisville, president of Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, also resided in Lexington |
| Brian Cashman (born 1967) | Senior VP and general manager of New York Yankees | Raised in Lexington |
| Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) | Mystic | Born in Beverly, seven miles (11 km) south of Hopkinsville |
| Thomas D. Clark (1903–2005) | Historian credited with preserving much of Kentucky's history | Lived in Lexington, taught at University of Kentucky for more than seven decades |
| Chris Clarke (born 1957) | Southern Baptist missionary to the equestrian community | Operates Happy Trails Ministry in Burna |
| David and Mary Conley | The Amazing Race contestants known as "Team Kentucky" | Live in Stone |
| Tara Conner (born 1985) | 2006 Miss USA | Raised from early childhood in Russell Springs |
| Mordecai Ham (1877–1961) | Tent revivalist who preached the sermon, converting Billy Graham to Christianity | Born in Allen County |
| Heather French Henry (born 1974) | 2000 Miss America | Born in Augusta, raised in Maysville |
| Duncan Hines (1880–1959) | Food critic | Born in Bowling Green |
| Willie K. Hocker (1862–1944) | Designer of the Arkansas state flag | Born in Madison County |
| Robert S. James (1818–1850) | Revivalist Pastor; father of Jesse James and Frank James; co-founder of William Jewell College | Born in Logan County |
| Casey Jones (1864–1900) | Railroad engineer of song; killed trying to stop a train collision; subject of a television series based loosely on his career | Born in Cayce |
| Brandi Mudd (born 1989) | Elementary school teacher and contestant from MasterChef season 7 | Born in Irvington |
| Venus Ramey (1924–2017) | 1944 Miss America | Born in Ashland, raised in Paintsville |
| Gene Robinson (born 1947) | First openly gay noncelibate Episcopal bishop | Born in Lexington |
| Col. Harland Sanders (1890–1980) | Founder of KFC | Lived in Corbin |
| "Papa" John Schnatter (born 1962) | Founder of Papa John's Pizza | Lives in Anchorage |
See also
References
This article uses material from the Wikipedia English article List of people from Kentucky, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license ("CC BY-SA 3.0"); additional terms may apply (view authors). Content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
®Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wiki Foundation, Inc. Wiki English (DUHOCTRUNGQUOC.VN) is an independent company and has no affiliation with Wiki Foundation.