Georgia Famous People

Famous Americans: History and Biographies

Links to histories and biographies of the famous people of Georgia. Many famous people of Georgia have made significant contributions to the history of our nation and the state of Georgia. These famous Americans, famous entertainers, famous players, famous scientist, famous singers, famous statesmen, famous women, heroes, great explorers, and others Georgia famous Americans have all made Georgia their home. This list includes Georgia historical figures, celebrities and those individuals of Georgia who have influenced the lives of others.

• James Brown (1933 - ) Singer, often called "the Godfather of Soul;" raised in Augusta.
• Jimmy Carter (1924 - ) 39th president of the United States; born in Plains.
• Ty Cobb (1886 - 1961) Baseball player in the Hall of Fame; born in Banks City.
• Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) Civil rights leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; born in Atlanta.
• Gladys Knight (1946 - ) Singer and winner of four Grammy awards; born in Atlanta.
• Juliette Low (1860 - 1927) Founder of the Girl Scouts of America; born in Savannah.
• Margaret Mitchell (1900 - 1949) Author of Gone with the Wind (1936) that won a Pulitzer Prize; born in Atlanta.
• Little Richard (1932 - ) Singer, considered to be "the architect of rock and roll", born in Macon.
• Jackie Robinson (1919 - 1972) The first African American baseball player in the major leagues; born in Cairo.
• Sequoya (1770 - 1843) Invented the first alphabet of the Native American language; lived in New Echota.
• Travis Tritt (1963 - ) Famous County/Western singer and songwriter; born in Marietta.
• Ted Turner (1938 - ) Media Mogul.  Owner of the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks.
• Trisha Yearwood (1964 - ) Country-western singer; born in Monticello.
• Alice Walker (1944 - ) Author of many books including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Color Purple, born in Eatonton.

More Famous Georgians:

• Conrad Aiken poet, Savannah
• James Bowie soldier, Burke County
• Jim Brown actor, athlete, St. Simons Island
• Erskine Caldwell writer, Moreland
• James E. Carter US president, Plains
• Ray Charles singer, Albany
• Lucius D. Clay banker, general, Marietta
• Charles Coburn movie and TV actor, Macon
• Ossie Davis actor, writer, Cogdell
• James Dickey poet, Atlanta
• Mattiwilda Dobbs soprano, Atlanta
• Melvyn Douglas actor, Macon
• Pete Drake musician/record producer, Augusta
• Rebecca Latimer Felton first appointed woman US senator, Decatur
• Lawrence Fishburne III actor, Augusta
• Henry W. Grady journalist, Athens
• Amy Grant singer, Augusta
• Oliver Hardy comedian, Harlem
• Joel Chandler Harris journalist, author, Eatonton
• Roland Hayes singer, Curyville
• Fletcher Henderson musician/songwriter, Cuthbert
• Hulk Hogan professional wrestler, Augusta
• John Henry Doc Holliday western hero, Griffin
• Larry Holmes boxer, Cuthert
• Miriam Hopkins actress, Bainbridge
• Harry James trumpeter, Albany
• Jasper Johns painter, sculptor, Augusta
• Bobby Jones golfer, Atlanta
• Stacy Keach actor, Savannah
• DeForest Kelley actor, Atlanta
• Joseph R. Lamar jurist, Elbert
• Brenda Lee singer, Lithonia
• Carson McCullers author, Columbus
• Blind Willie McTell blues pioneer, Thomson
• Johnny Mercer songwriter, Savannah
• John Robert Johnny Mize baseball player, Demorest
• Jessye Norman singer, Augusta
• Otis Redding singer, Dawson
• Jerry Reed singer/songwriter/actor, Atlanta
• Burt Reynolds actor, Waycross
• Tommy Roe singer/songwriter, Alpharetta
• Billy Joe Royal singer, Valdosta
• Dean Rusk secretary of state, Cherokee Cty
• Nipsey Russell comedian, Atlanta
• Ray Stevens singer/songwriter, Clarksdale
• Janelle Taylor romance novelist, Athens
• Clarence Thomas supreme court associate justice, Savannah
• Alice Walker author, Eatonton
• Joanne Woodward actress, Thomasville