Famous Oklahomans

[Laramie]

.
Lou Antonio, Oklahoma City, Actor: Cool Hand Luke, CSI, Gunsmoke.
Johnny Bench baseball player, Oklahoma City
John Berryman poet, MacAlester
Paul Blair baseball, Cushing


Garth Brooks singer, Tulsa
Jeremy Castle singer, Blanchard


Lon Chaney Jr.,Oklahoma City
Iron Eyes Cody Cherokee actor
Gordon Cooper astronaut, Shawnee


Ralph Ellison writer, Oklahoma City
James Garner actor, Norman
Owen K. Garriott astronaut, Enid
Vince Gill singer, Norman
Chester Gould cartoonist, Pawnee
Woodrow Wilson Woody Guthrie singer, composer, Okemah
Ike,Taylor, Zac Hanson music, Tulsa
Roy Harris composer, Lincoln Cty
Paul Harvey broadcaster, Tulsa
Van Heflin actor, Walters
Tony Hillerman author, Sacred Heart
Ron Howard actor, director, Duncan
Wanda Jackson singer, Maud
Karl Guthe Jansky engineer, Norman
Ben Johnson actor, Pawhuska
Jennifer Jones actress, Tulsa
Jeane Kirkpatrick diplomat, Duncan
Shannon Lucid astronaut, Bethany
Mickey Charles Mantle baseball player, Spavinaw
Bobby Ray Murcer, Baseball, Oklahoma City
Reba McEntire singer, McAlester
Shannon Miller Olympic gymnast, Edmond
Bill Moyers journalist, Hugo
Daniel Patrick Moynihan N.Y. senator, Tulsa
Patti Page singer, Clarence
Brad Pitt actor Shawnee
Tony Randall actor, Tulsa
Oral Roberts evangelist, Ada
Dale Robertson actor, Oklahoma City
Will Rogers humorist, Oologah
Dan Rowan comedian, Beggs
Robert Stemmons whistler, Tulsa
Maria Tallchief ballerina, Fairfax
James Francis Jim Thorpe athlete, Prague
Jeanne Tripplehorn actress, Tulsa

Elizabeth Warren, Oklahoma City
Ted Shackleford actor, Tulsa


Wilma Mankiller Cherokee chief, Tahlequah

Feel free to add Oklahoma born notables to this thread or personal stories & encounters.

[Laramie]

Alfre Woodard, American actress, producer and political activist, Tulsa


Dr. Phil McGraw, well-known mental health professional, author and TV host, Vinita, OK


Clu Gulager is an American actor and director, Holdenville.OK


Chuck Norris is a martial artist and actor who founded his own school of martial art, Chun Kuk Do, Ryan, OK


Blake Shelton is a well-known American Singer and Songwriter, as well as a TV Personality.


Toby Keith is an American country singer, songwriter, actor and record producer, Clinton, OK

[jerrywall]

I got to know Lon Chaney Jr's grandson a few years back. He has tons of great stories. One amazing one was of Lon Chaney's birth. He was born in February by Bell Isle when there was still a lake/pond there. Evidently he was stillborn. His father grabbed him and ran him down to the freezing water and shoved him into it to shock him into life, and it evidently worked and he started to breath. He also wasn't named Lon Chaney Jr. by birth, but was pushed to perform under that name Hollywood. His father greatly resented his success, and there was a big rift until his father's death.

[rte66man]

Thomas P Stafford was born in Weatherford. Gemini, Apollo and Skylab astronaut. Great museum of his stuff at the Weatherford airport.

[rte66man]

Famous Baseball Players born in Oklahoma (not already mentioned)
Paul Waner - Harrah
Lloyd Waner - Harrah
Carl Hubbell - Meeker
Willie Stargell - Earlsboro
Randy Bass - Lawton. While not a success in the US, he was a huge star in Japan. Later became a State Senator.
Joe Carter - OKC. Famous homer to win the 1993 World Series.
Bobby Cox - Tulsa. A flop as a SS for the late 60's Yankees, he was a Hall of Fame manager for the Blue Jays and Braves.
Pumpsie Green - Boley. Famous for being the first African-American to break the color barrier with the Boston Red Sox, the LAST team in the majors to do so.
John "Pepper" Martin - Temple
Alvin Dark - Comanche
Lindy and Von McDaniel - Hollis
Allie Reynolds - Bethany

There are so many good players who were born here. Current day stars born here include Matt Kemp, JL Realmuto, Dallas Keuchel, Jon Gray, Dylan Bundy, and Archie Bradley.

[jerrywall]

Are we only counting Oklahomans who were born here or do we include those that lived here? I know quite a few authors I could add to this list.

[jerrywall]

Oh, and not sure folks would consider him famous but he is legendary. John Ferguson, aka Count Gregore. Longest running late night movie host in the nation, and was the inspiration for hosts nationwide. Also its rumored that the host in Gremlins 2 was based on him.

[Cohiba]

Steve Gaines..........guitarist and singer for Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd .
Gaines was born in Seneca, Missouri, and raised in Miami, Oklahoma.

Don Demeter an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians. He batted and threw right-handed. Graduate from Capitol Hill High School. My mother lived down the street from him and they played together as kids.

Donna Nigh is an inductee of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame and wife to former Oklahoma Governor, George Nigh. She served as the First Lady of Oklahoma for eight years as well as the first lady of the University of Central Oklahoma. Graduate from Capitol Hill High School. I believe my mother lived not to far from her as a kid and they played together also.

[catch22]

Neil Schon, lead guitarist from Journey was born in Midwest City

[sgt. pepper]

Are we only counting Oklahomans who were born here or do we include those that lived here? I know quite a few authors I could add to this list.

That is kinda of my question, the list at the beginning of this thread....is the city next to the name the place they were born, raised, living?? For example, I thought Garth was raised in Yukon, but now lives in Owasso? Where did Tulsa come to play? And Toby...was he born in Clinton? He now lives near Moore. Nice thread though.

[Jersey Boss]

Woody Guthrie, Okemah, Hoda Kotb, Norman.

[jedicurt]

Gary Busey and Gailard Sartain

[Rover]

Jamie Oldaker (Tulsa), longtime drummer for Eric Clapton
David Gates (Bread)
Mason Williams
Charlie Christian
JJ Cale
Jimmy Nolan (historically great guitarist - played with James Brown)
Peter Mui (Artist, fashion designer)
Jimmy Rushing (Count Basie lead vocalist(
Sandy Patty (legendary Christian singer)

[jerrywall]

Chris Gaylor. All American Rejects. Edmond.

[Rover]

Five world famous ballerina's:
Yvonne Chouteau,
Moscelyne Larkin,
Rosella Hightower,
Marjorie Tallchief,
Maria Tallchief

[Rover]

Did we forget Wayne Coyne?

[jerrywall]

Did we forget Wayne Coyne?

He's like the center square in Oklahoma Celebrity bingo. Like any Ogle.

[Rover]

Blake Edwards, film maker (Pink Panther, 10, et al)
Kristin Chenowith
Bill Hader (SNL)
Olivia Munn
Megan Mullaly (Will and Grace)
Shannon Miller
Ryan Merriman
Rue McLanahan (Golden Girls)
Candy Clark (American Graffeti)
Clarence Nash (original and long term voice of Donald Duck)
Tony Randel

[Bill Robertson]

Maybe not as famous as some but Sean O’Grady. I graduated from Northwest with Sean and the year after Vince Gill.

[jerrywall]

Oooh.

James Marsden. Stillwater. Cyclops, and in Westworld as Teddy. Plus the notebook and enchanted and superman returns.

[Martin]

\Iron Eyes Cody Cherokee actor

talk amongst yourselves... i'll give you a topic: iron eyes cody was neither an oklahoman nor a native american... discuss.

/don't take my word for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Eyes_Cody

[jerrywall]

I knew about him being Italian. I had never heard him referred to as an Oklahoman but probably would have believed it.

[kswright29]

Tracey Letts, born in Tulsa and raised in Durant. Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright.

[Rover]

Maybe not as famous as some but Sean O’Grady. I graduated from Northwest with Sean and the year after Vince Gill.

Sean was a boxing world champion, so yeah... pretty darn famous. Tommy Morrison was a pretty famous boxer too.

[Rover]

Let's not forget the infamous too:
Pretty Boy Floyd
Dalton brothers
John Hinkley Jr. (Shot Ronald Reagan)