# Famous people from your town?



## Rob (Feb 14, 2006)

I was talking to Hobbes this morning and we stumbled across the subject of people who lived in my town. I was born in Beckenham, which isn't very big, but has quite a number of famous people:

*Enid Blyton*
The author of more than 700 books for children from born in 1897 and grew up in and around Beckenham in fact moving many times, living in a number of houses in Clock House Road. When she was 14, Enid Blyton after winning a poetry competition began to submit articles, stories and poems to various magazines. Her first book, a poetry book for children was called Child Whispers, was published in 1922. Her major series of books included Noddy, Brer Rabbit, The Famous Five, The Secret Series, Malory Towers, St Clare's, The Faraway Tree and the Wishing Chair. Enid Blyton dead in 1968 the most prolific childrens author of all time. Her books have been translated in to over 40 languages and have sold over 400 million copies throughout the world.

*David Bowie
*(born David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947) The singer/songwriter, real name David Jones, grew up in Beckenham and played some of his first gigs at The Rat and Parrot (formerly The Three Tuns) pub. Part of the Beckenham Arts Lab he had repeat performances and put on a free festival at the Croydon Road Recreation Ground. David Bowie move on from Beckenham and his career moved quickly through the 1970's with his Ziggy Stardust creations, his worldwide hit of "Space Oddity" sent him to superstardum. In the British Broadcasting Corporation's list of 100 greatest Britons, Bowie ranked 29. He has sold an estimated 136 million albums in his career and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

*W. G. Grace*
William Gilbert Grace, known to his family as Gilbert, was born in 1848. An outstanding cricketer of his day, and many years following. Even as the years went on, his energy for the game was unabashed. He was also a founder of the Bowls Association. In 1913 at Crystal Palace is captained England against Scotland in the first international bowls matches. W.G. Grace died in 1915 and is buried in Elmers End Cemetery.

*Thomas Crapper*
Thomas Crapper was born in Yorkshire in 1836. At 14 he was apprenticed to a Master Plumber in Chelsea, London. In 1861, after his apprenticeship and then working as a journeyman, he set up in his own right as a plumber in Robert Street, Chelsea. It is popularly thought that Mr. Crapper invented the W.C., and that the vulgar word for faeces is a derivative of his name, but neither belief is true. He relentlessly promoted sanitary fittings to a somewhat dirty and sceptical world and championed the 'water-waste-preventing cistern syphon' in particular. Thomas Crapper died in 1910 and is buried near the grave of the cricketer, W.G. Grace, in Elmers End Cemetery.

*Frederick York Wolseley*
Famous for the first completely mechanical sheep sheering machine back in 1888. Born in County Dublin in 1837, he moved to Australia in the 1850's and began work on his inventions in the 1870's. Fredrick died in London in 1899.

*Carey Blyton*
Composer of 'Bananas in Pyjamas' Millions more people have heard something of Carey Blyton's music than realise it. He wrote widely for television, film and advertising, and his nonsense song "Bananas in Pyjamas" was taken up by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1973 and eventually became a huge international success in The Great Banana Phenomenon, a series of some 200 five-minute TV shows each topped and tailed by Blyton's song.

*Dame Julie Andrews*
DBE (born October 1, 1935) is an Academy Award-winning English actor, singer, and author, best known for her starring roles in the musical films Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).

*Floella Benjamin*
OBE (born September 23, 1949) is known to a generation of Britons as a presenter of popular children's programmes such as Play School and Playaway. She was born in Trinidad and Tobago and emigrated to the UK in the 1960s. After a spell as an actress, she began presenting children's television programmes in the 1980s. She was awarded an OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting. At that time she was chairman of BAFTA. Her autobiography, Coming To England was a success.

*Nigel Benn* 
(born January 22, 1964) is a British former boxer who held world titles at both Middleweight and Super Middleweight. Benn was known as The Dark Destroyer, a nickname that would, ironically, later come back to haunt him.

*Walter John de la Mare, *
OM (April 25, 1873 - June 22, 1956), was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist, probably best remembered (though not necessarily justly so) for his works for children.

*Peter Frampton*
(born April 22, 1950 in Beckenham, Kent) is a British musician, best known today for his solo work in the mid-1970s as an "arena rocker". He originally became famous, however, as a member of The Herd and became a teen idol in Britain. He then worked with Steve Marriott (of the Small Faces) in Humble Pie, as well as on albums by Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and George Harrison. His solo debut was 1972's Wind of Change.

*Duncan Goodhew*
(born May 27, 1957) is one of the most respected and instantly recognisable UK swimming athletes. He was an Olympic gold and bronze medallist at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He was the England Swimming team captain, and multi-Olympics champion. His congenitally bald head made him instantly recognisable. He in fact has alopecia universalis (total lack of hair, not just on head), which gives him a hydrodynamic advantage when swimming.

*Sir Robin Knox-Johnston*
(born 17 March 1939) was the first man to perform a single-handed (i.e. solo) non-stop circumnavigation and was the second winner of the Jules Verne Trophy (together with Sir Peter Blake). He was knighted in 1995.

*Kate Louise Lawler*
(born May 6, 1980 in Beckenham, London) is a minor British celebrity. She became famous in July 2002 when she won the third British season of Big Brother, the first female winner of Big Brother UK. She was 22 at the time and received over 3 million votes, one million more than runner up Jonny.

*Robert (Bob) Allen Monkhouse *
OBE (June 1, 1928 - December 29, 2003), was a British entertainer in the traditional sense, though primarily known as a comedian and game show host. Bob Monkhouse was born in Beckenham, Kent, and educated at Dulwich College, from which he was expelled; he worked briefly as an animator before his national service. On leaving the RAF in 1948, he was one of the first comedians to be given a contract by the BBC.

*Christopher "Buster" Mottram*
(b. 25 April 1955 in Kingston-on-Thames) is a former British tennis player, who achieved a highest lifetime world ranking of 15th. Mottram is noted for his extreme right-wing views. He endorsed the British National Front and applied, unsuccesfully, for the Conservative parliamentary candidacy in several constituencies.

*David Sylvian *
(born David Alan Batt, February 23, 1958) is an English singer/songwriter who first rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the band Japan, and whose subsequent solo career has been influenced by a variety of musical styles, including jazz and electronic music (primarily ambient and electronica).

*Colour Sergeant Bourne *
DCM, (2459 B Co. 24th. Regiment) Fought at Rorke's Drift. The result was that on 22nd January a British force of seventeen hundred strong, was attacked and only some four hundred men, of whom only some eighty Europeans, survived at a place called Isandhlwana.

*Samuel Birley Rowbotham*
In 1838, Samuel Birley Rowbotham made observations along a six mile stretch of the Old Bedford, between Welney and Old Bedford Bridges, which he claimed to show the earth was flat, leading to the formation of the 'Flat Earth Society' which survived until the 1980s!

*Richmal Crompton Lamburn *
(November 15, 1890&#8211;January 11, 1969) was a British writer, most famous for her Just William short stories.

*Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger *
(born 26 July 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, writer, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. He is most famous for being the lead singer and co-founder (with guitarist Brian Jones) of the British rock and roll band The Rolling Stones. He is also the songwriting partner of Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and the pair have composed almost all the Rolling Stones' original material, as well as numerous songs for other artists including "As Tears Go By" (for Marianne Faithfull) and "Out Of Time" (for Chris Farlowe).

Interesting list huh? So who's famous from your town/village?

Rob


----------



## mentos_007 (Feb 14, 2006)

*Aleksander Wolszczan* - astronomer, working for Nasa. he discovered the first planets which are not in our Solar system.


----------



## 'Daniel' (Feb 14, 2006)

Oasis -  brit rock legends still popular today.

LS Lowry - Great artist, painted alot of scenes of Salford.

(Sir?) Ben Kingsley - Actor, I'm sure everyone knows him.

Nick Park - Creator of Wallace and Gromit

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Author of The Sherlock Holmes books

Sir Frederick Henry Royce - Inventor of the Rolls Royce motor car

James Prescott Joule - the energy unit Joule or J is named after him.  He was a scientist.

Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf among other roles

Dame Judy Dench - Actress


----------



## Digital Matt (Feb 14, 2006)

Halle Berry (1966 - ) Famous Actress; born in Cleveland.

Drew Carey - (1958 - ) Actor, Writer, Comedian; born in Cleveland.

Bob Hope (1903 - 2003) Actor/Dancer/Singer/Comedian/Entertainer; Grew up in Cleveland.

James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881) The 20th President of the United States; born in Cuyahoga County.  (so a suburb of Cleveland)

Arsenio Hall (1958- ) Actor and former late-night talk show host; born in Cleveland

Annie Oakley (1860 - 1926) Sharpshooter and entertainer. She performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980) Winner of four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games; lived in Cleveland.

Judith Resnik (1949 - 1986) Astronaut. She was the second American woman to go into space; born in Akron.
(about 50 miles south of Cleveland)

Joe Lovano, but you probably don't know who he is.  (Famous jazz musician)


----------



## LittleMan (Feb 14, 2006)

Bulverde, Texas.

 Elvis the chicken was shot.

oh, famous people...  my little brother, 12(now 13) designed the webpage for the local library. (everyone knows him, his photo"I took" was on the front page.) 








Welcome to Bulverde. :lmao:


----------



## Arch (Feb 14, 2006)

Ok some of these people were born in the surrounding area aswell, cuz its pretty small here but all these locations are very close to mine:

Charles babbage - you wouldn't be reading this if it wasn't for him!....computer machine pioneer.

Sir frances Drake - Kicked some spanish but in the armada

Agatha Christe - Amazing murder novelist

Sir walter Raleigh - Discovered potatoes and of course smokin backie (thanks walter)

Columbus set sail from about 2 miles from my house from the mayflower steps in 'The Mayflower' to discover america. (Although very recently it's thought that a man from the far east actually mapped america first!) Yes i'm from Plymouth......and yes i'v been to Plymouth in America.....about as dull as each other.

Joss Stone - Hot singer

......and of course not forgetting the most famous person of all.....get ready all you brits to be amazed...........Sue Barker!


----------



## photogoddess (Feb 14, 2006)

*Famous people born in Long Beach California* (Dang! :greenpbl:  )

    * James Blaylock: fantasy/science fiction author
    * Jeff Burroughs: Baseball player, 1974 American League MVP and Little League World Series Championship coach
    * Bobby Burgess: one the original Mouseketeers
    * Nicolas Cage: actor
    * Eva LaRue Callahan: soap opera actress
    * Percy Daggs III: UPN's Veronica Mars
    * Zack de la Rocha rapper/Rocker
    * Bo Derek: actress
    * Daz Dillinger: rapper
    * Nate Dogg: rapper
    * Snoop Dogg: rapper
    * John Dykstra: 1978 Visual Effects Oscar Winner (for Star Wars)
    * Warren G.: rapper
    * Dave Hansen: Major League Baseball player
    * Spike Jones: bandleader and comedian
    * Sally Kellerman: actress
    * Billie Jean King: tennis player
    * William Joseph Levada, current Pro-Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Roman Catholic Church
    * Dan Lungren: Republican politician
    * Willie McGinest: USC and New England Patriots linebacker - Long Beach Polytechnic High School
    * Michelle Phillips: singer and actress
    * Sheldon Rampton: editor of PR Watch
    * Tim Salmon: Major League Baseball player, 1993 Rookie of the Year
    * Tiffani-Amber Thiessen: actress
    * Anthony Zerbe: actor

Famous residents of Long Beach

    * Greta Andersen: Olympic swimming gold medalist, and long distance swimmer, originally from Denmark
    * Bad Azz: rapper
    * Fatty Arbuckle: actor
    * Richard Bach: author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
    * Theda Bara: actress
    * Frank Black (aka Black Francis): leader of the Pixies rock group
    * Milton Bradley: baseball player (Long Beach Polytechnic High School)
    * Jan Burke: Mystery author, 2000 Edgar Award for Best Novel (for "Bones")
    * George Chakiris: Academy Award-winning actor
    * Dorothy Buffum Chandler: Los Angeles philanthropist (wife of Norman Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times) and namesake for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
    * Nat King Cole: singer and jazz piano player
    * Jonathan Davis: lead singer for Ko&#1071;n
    * Tray Deee: rapper
    * George Deukmejian: Governor of California
    * Cameron Diaz: actress (Long Beach Poly High School)
    * Melissa Etheridge: rock singer
    * Bobby Grich: baseball player (Wilson High School)
    * Chris Gwynn: baseball player, (Long Beach Polytechnic High School)
    * Tony Gwynn: baseball player (Long Beach Poly High School)
    * John Lee Hooker: Blues singer
    * Marilyn Horne: opera singer (Long Beach Poly High School)
    * Thelma Houston: R&B singer
    * Jesse G. James: West Coast Choppers & Monster Garage, custom motorcycle and car builder
    * Paula Jones
    * DeForest Kelley: Star Trek actor
    * Vicki Lawrence: comedian
    * Bob Lemon: baseball player and baseball manager, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
    * Camryn Manheim: actress
    * Misty May: professional beach volleyball player
    * Mike McCready: Pearl Jam's guitarist
    * Robert Mitchum: actor
    * Bradley Nowell: singer songwriter of Sublime
    * Elizabeth Short (aka "The Black Dahlia"): famous murder victim
    * Upton Sinclair: author
    * Alan Stock: conservative KXNT Las Vegas radio talk show host
    * Chase Utley: baseball player (Long Beach Poly High School)
    * Carl Weathers: football player & actor (Long Beach Poly High School)
    * Wheely Willy: celebrity dog, featured in Children's Books, etc.


----------



## Corry (Feb 14, 2006)

LittleMan said:
			
		

> Bulverde, Texas.
> 
> Elvis the chicken was shot.
> 
> ...



Ok, now THIS is much closer to my town than anything that has been listed.  Um...a kid I went to high school with was once on The Price is Right.  Yup...that's about it.


----------



## Big Mike (Feb 14, 2006)

Actors
Tommy Chong - Born May 24, 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta. 
Michael J. Fox - Born June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta. 
Leslie Nielson - Born February 11, 1926 in Edmonton, Alberta.
JILL HENNESSY - November 25, 1969 in Edmonton, Alberta

Plenty of NHL hockey players...
Mark Messier, Jerome Iginla, Grant Fuhr...and many more.


----------



## jocose (Feb 14, 2006)

Some folks born in Baltimore Maryland:

Spiro Agnew (Vice President of the United Sates)
John Astin (Actor&#8212;Best known for playing Gomez Addams in _The Addams Family_ television series
The Carpenters (Karen and Richard Carpenter, 70s band)
Tom Clancy (Author)
Divine (Actor/Actress&#8212;best known for crossdressing and staring in John Waters&#8217; movies)
DMX (Rapper and actor)
Adam Duritz (Lead singer for Counting Crows)
David Hasselhoff (actor and for some unbeknownst reason heartthrob)
Alger Hiss (accused of spying for the USSR)
Barry Levinson (Film maker)
Thurgood Marshall (First African American US Supreme Court Justice)
Ric Ocasek (lead singer for The Cars)
Jameson Parker (Actor&#8212;Best known for playing A.J. Simon on _Simon & Simon)_
Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer&#8212;6 Golds and 2 bronzes at Athens)
Jada Pinkett Smith (Actor)
Robin Quivers (Radio personality&#8212;best known for being Howard Stern&#8217;s sidekick)
Cal Ripkin, Sr (Baseball player)
Cal Ripkin, Jr. (Baseball player)
Babe Ruth (Baseball player and NOT the person for whom the candy bar was named)
Dwight Schultz (Actor&#8212;Best known as H.M. Murdock on _The A-Team_)
Francis Scott Key (Poet&#8212;best known for the US&#8217;s national anthem)
Pam Shriver (Tennis pro)
Upton Sinclair (Author)
Sam Warner (One of the 4 Warner Brothers)
John Waters (Actor and Director&#8212;an alum of my high school)
Montel Williams (Talk show host)
Frank Zappa (Musician)
Some folks who died in Baltimore

Robert Goddard (of NASA fame)
Ogden Nash (poet)
Edgar Allen Poe (of horror fame)


----------



## LaFoto (Feb 14, 2006)

Shake hands on no one famous from your place, Chris and Corry.
There is absolutely no one famous from where I live NOW.

The children's book author Cornelia Funke was born in my hometown. 
She wrote books such as "The Thief Lord", "Inkheart", "Inkspell", "Dragon Rider" and many others.
She actually went to the same Highschool as I did, and at the same time as I did, she was only one year above me ... and I can't say I ever met her or took ANY notice of her at the time. Even when today I see photos of her, no memory of "Oh, that was her!" comes back. :er:


----------



## Corry (Feb 14, 2006)

Oooh ooh! Just remembered! Richard Pryor was from the town that I lived in for about a year as a kid (kindergarten to first grade), Peoria, IL.  And there's a figure skater named Matt Savoy in the Olympics from there, too.  And...uh...I think Puck from ...was it the Real World???  I dunno...someone from one of those MTV shows in the 90's.  And I'm pretty sure there are others, I just don't know who.  Oh, that Matt Hale kid, but he was famous for a bad reason (hate crimes).  So...so...there!


----------



## Islair (Feb 14, 2006)

Oh no you don't.  Richard Pryor is from where "I" am at, and it is indeed Peoria, but he is mine, Mine, MINE, I tell you.  Peoria is way too small for me to let you take him away from me.


----------



## jocose (Feb 14, 2006)

My ex-girlfriend made me read "The Thief Lord." It wasn't that great, but it was enjoyable as I remember.





			
				LaFoto said:
			
		

> Shake hands on no one famous from your place, Chris and Corry.
> There is absolutely no one famous from where I live NOW.
> 
> The children's book author Cornelia Funke was born in my hometown.
> ...


----------



## Verbal (Feb 14, 2006)

well I'm near Seattle, if that counts...I could go on for hours with a last from there. lol.

As for other people...well I know that Carl Weathers and Ryan Stiles live in Bellingham, 30 minutes from me...


----------



## Corry (Feb 14, 2006)

Verbal said:
			
		

> well I'm near Seattle, if that counts...I could go on for hours with a last from there. lol.
> 
> As for other people...well I know that Carl Weathers and Ryan Stiles live in Bellingham, 30 minutes from me...




I love Ryan Stiles!


----------



## Corry (Feb 14, 2006)

Islair said:
			
		

> Oh no you don't.  Richard Pryor is from where "I" am at, and it is indeed Peoria, but he is mine, Mine, MINE, I tell you.  Peoria is way too small for me to let you take him away from me.



haha...Hey, I've got nothing.  Oh...WAIT!! Ok, you can claim Richard...I now live 30 minutes from Bloomington/Normal IL... McLean Stevenson is from there!!! (he played Henry Blake on M*A*S*H)


----------



## markc (Feb 14, 2006)

Rochester, NY

Not everyone on the list was born here, but they at least spent a bit of time here, or were raised here.

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass (both of whom are burried at Mt. Hope Cemetery, the first munincipal Victorian cemetery in the US)
Cab Calloway and John Lithgow were born here
Son House spent time here near the end of his life.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was born here and went to high school at the same time I did just a few miles away from me
Julie Lynn Cialini, the Playboy Playmate, who also went to high school at the same time and was only a few miles away. I don't ever recall meeting either one. 
Taye Diggs
Robert Forster
Paul Newman's daughter lives here (okay, that's pushing it...)
Mimi Kennedy (played Dharma's mom)
Chuck Mangione
Lou Gramm (I used to live on the Lake Avenue mentioned in _Rev it on the Red Line_)
Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth
Steve Gadd, one of the most recorded session drummers around
Garth ***an, famed choreographer and dancer (_Lion King_)
Joanie Laurer (Chyna from the WWF)
Frank Gannett (Gannett newspapers)
John Jacob Bausch (Bausch & Lomb)
And I hope everyone knows who George Eastman is.

EDIT: Oh good grief. It's Garth F a g a n. It's a friggin name.


----------



## LaFoto (Feb 14, 2006)

Well, I know Chuck Mangione...! At least.

And I may also tell you (and you will know as much as I do when I read your lists then) that Peter Maffay's parents-in-law now live only just down the road from where my father and brother+family live, and that Peter Maffay sometimes comes to my home-town these days. Oh yeah! (And hardly anyone will know who Peter Maffay is in the first place :greenpbl: )


----------



## jocose (Feb 14, 2006)

LaFoto said:
			
		

> Well, I know Chuck Mangione...! At least.
> 
> And I may also tell you (and you will know as much as I do when I read your lists then) that Peter Maffay's parents-in-law now live only just down the road from where my father and brother+family live, and that Peter Maffay sometimes comes to my home-town these days. Oh yeah! (*And hardly anyone will know who Peter Maffay is in the first place* :greenpbl: )


 
*Jo Cose raises his hand and admits that he has no clue who Peter Maffay is*


----------



## doenoe (Feb 14, 2006)

only one that pops into my mind, for famous people in Hoorn,  is George Baker.......he is the guy who sings "Little Green Bag". 
Thats about it i guess


----------



## LittleMan (Feb 14, 2006)

ohhhhh, I just thought of one!


-Chris Sorbera- 





:lmao:




ok, now I'm just kidding...


----------



## santino (Feb 14, 2006)

my hometown is Linz/Upper Austria

Ludwig Wittgenstein - jewish philosopher
Adolf Hitler - (wasn't born here but attended school and lived together with his parents)
Johannes Keppler - astronomer genius
Anton Bruckner - famous composer
Adalbert Stifter - writer and painter

thats all I can think of at the moment....


----------



## LaFoto (Feb 14, 2006)

Ah! Modesty Day in Bulverde/Tx. I understand!


----------



## kemplefan (Feb 14, 2006)

edgar alen poe- sorta he died in balmer 
fransis sot key- sorta famous i mean he wrote the national anthem of the USofA


----------



## SlySniper (Feb 14, 2006)

I only know 1 famous person from Louisville:

*Muhammad Ali*


----------



## LittleMan (Feb 14, 2006)

LaFoto said:
			
		

> Ah! Modesty Day in Bulverde/Tx. I understand!


yes, modesty is our motto. :mrgreen:


----------



## Karalee (Feb 14, 2006)

Keith Urban (Country singer engaged to Nicole Kidman) was born in my hometown of Whangarei in NZ.

The only famous person I know of from Kalispell, is Michelle Williams, from Dawsons Creek and Brokeback Mountain.


----------



## hobbes28 (Feb 14, 2006)

Since New Hampshire is smaller than, say, Los Angeles, I looked up the whole state and found out some people that I wouldn't have ever guessed.  I knew about Adam Sandler, the Segway guy and Christa McAuliffe.  Who'da thunk there were that many.  I'm too lazy to write all those down so you'll just have to click here to see it.


----------



## bantor (Feb 14, 2006)

The most famous people to come from Calgary Alberta are:
Elisha Cuthbert - actress.
Owen Hart - professional wrestler 
Bret Hart - professional wrestler 
Teddy Hart - professional wrestler
Jann Arden - Singer


----------



## Oldfireguy (Feb 14, 2006)

Washington State.

Bing Crosby-Singer and actor; born in Tacoma.

Jimi Hendrix-Rock & roll guitarist; born in Seattle.

Bill Gates-Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation; born; grew up in Seattle.

Kenny Loggins-Singer, songwriter; born in Everett.

Audrey Wurdemann-Pulitzer prize winning poet for Bright Ambush.

Hilary S****-Oscar winning actress; born in Bellingham.

Fred Couples-Professional golfer; born in Seattle.

Adam West-Actor who played the original Batman; born in Walla Walla.

William Boeing-Aircraft manufacturer who founded the Boeing Aircraft company; lived in Seattle.

Bob Barker-Host of the popular television show The Price is Right; born in Darrington.

Kurt Cobain-Grunge rock icon, guitarist/vocalists/song writer of Nirvana; born in Hoquiam.

Phil Mahre Skier-3-time World Cup overall champ
(1981-83); finished 1-2 with twin brother Steve in 1984 Olympic slalom; lives in Yakima.

Francis Scobee-Astronaut; born in Cle Elum.


----------



## JohnMF (Feb 14, 2006)

famous people from Liverpool

Clive Barker - (horro Writer, think he wrote Hell Raiser)
The Beatles
Tom Baker - (Dr Who and voice of Little Briton)
Kim Cattrell - (Sex and the City actress)
Craig Charles - (Lister in Red Dwarf)
Jennifer Ellison - drool:  Actress/singer/model  )
Billy Fury - (Singer from the sixties or something)
Anne Robinson - (Old Hag from the Weakest Link)
Peter Sissons - (News Reader)
Hiedi Range - (SugarBabe  )

...Oh yes, and Keith Chegwin... sorry


----------



## Rob (Feb 15, 2006)

JohnMF said:
			
		

> ...Oh yes, and *Keith Chegwin*... sorry



So it's all your fault huh? :lmao:


----------



## Darfion (Feb 15, 2006)

George Formby,                              Roy Kinnear, Frank Randle, Joe Gormley, and Sir James                              Anderton.


----------



## Darfion (Feb 15, 2006)

Daniel said:
			
		

> Nick Park - Creator of Wallace and Gromit
> 
> 
> 
> Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf among other roles



Nick Park was born in Preston and Ian McKellen was born in Burnley. I'm assuming you're from Salford right?


----------



## Rob (Feb 15, 2006)

Darfion said:
			
		

> *George Formby*,                              Roy Kinnear, Frank Randle, Joe Gormley, and Sir James                              Anderton.



*sings* When I'm cleaning windows!

Used to love him as a kid! Here's the link for those who don't know him!

http://www.georgeformby.co.uk/


----------



## JohnMF (Feb 15, 2006)

Rob said:
			
		

> So it's all your fault huh? :lmao:



i can only apologise!


----------



## mad_malteaser (Feb 15, 2006)

Hmmm, Chelmsford - Essex. 

Sarah Cracknell - singer from Saint Etienne
Harry Judd - one of them lot from McFly
Anne Knight - a social reformer noted as a pioneer of feminism
Penny Lancaster - Rod Stewart's bit of stuff


and a few others I've never heard of.

Had a look too for famous people from Malta (the other half of where I come from) - I found...

... absolutely nothing. Although I know the snooker player, Tony Drago is Maltese and the lead singer of Texas - Sharleen Spiteri's parents are Maltese. That's pretty much it. Hmmm.


----------



## JonK (Feb 15, 2006)

Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada....hmmmm well. not my hometown but...Bif Naked is the only one I know of


----------



## mygrain (Feb 15, 2006)

William Faulkner...who personally hated almost everything about Oxford, MS... especially the towns folks. I am a member of the "Peoples front of townsfolk who think like William Faulkner about the rest of the Oxford Population" better know as the PFTWTLWFAROP.

John Grisham claims to be from Oxford, but he just owns property here and lets all of his celebrity friends stay there as a retreat.


----------



## tmpadmin (Feb 15, 2006)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famous_people_from_Buffalo,_NY

Hightlights
Mark Twain lived in Buffalo as a part-owner and managing editor of _The Buffalo Express_ from 1869 to 1871. While not technically a Buffalonian, he's remembered by his readers for his time in Buffalo due to his stories "A Day at Niagara Falls" and "The Diaries of Adam and Eve", the latter being a humorous play on the nearby town of Eden.

Rick James
Ani DiFranco
"American Idol" finalist and recording artist Jon Stevens,
The Goo Goo Dolls (colloquially known as "The Goos") - I knew these guys
10,000 Maniacs (Natalie Merchant is from nearby Jamestown). - I wear an "I love Nataile" pin.
Spyro Gyra started here and included many natives in its original lineup. 

Lucille Ball hailed from nearby Jamestown
Howdy Doody host Buffalo Bob Smith
Jesse L. Martin, currently starring in TV's _Law & Order_,
Terry Gross and Ira Flatow
Millard Filmore was a long-term resident of Buffalo and he is buried there
Grover Cleveland was another long-term resident and mayor of Buffalo
Jack Kemp 
John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the United States
Iroquois leader Red Jacket, Wells Fargo founder William G. Fargo and Wilson Greatbatch, Inventor of the Pacemaker
Fran Striker, the creator of the radio series "The Lone Ranger",
William G. Fargo, mayor of Buffalo in 1862-63 and 1864-65, and Henry Wells, first founded American Express
Herman Hollerith, who lent his name to the IBM punch card was born here
John Neumann, America's first saint

Tim Horton - later started restaurant chain - Coffee Coffee Coffee!

Gilbert Perreault 

Rzeszów in Poland is a sister city of Buffalo. 
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal is headquartered near here. 
Attica State Prison, near Buffalo, houses Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's assasin


----------



## John_05 (Feb 15, 2006)

after seeing this thread, i got curious so i did a little looking to see what i could find out about the area (triple cities-broome county NY) im from. after a quick search at wikipedia, this is what i found. it isnt just famous people, but some interesting things i never knew before too.


Binghamton was nicknamed the Parlor City for its neat streets and attractive homes, including many stately mansions. Now, ironically, many of those stately mansions are now funeral parlors (i.e., funeral homes.) During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many immigrants moved to the area, finding an abundance of jobs, leading them to call it the Valley of Opportunity.
Binghamton (actually Endicott) is noted as being the birthplace of both IBM and the Link flight simulator. Until the Cold War ended, the area never experienced an economic downfall, due in part to the generosity of employers (IBM and Endicott-Johnson) and also because of its defense-heavy industries. This concentration of the defense industry made the area the seventh most likely area in the nation for a nuclear attack during the Cold War, and the population peaked at around 85,000 in 1950.
Binghamton is known as the "Carousel Capital of the World" for its collection of historic carousels located in public parks around the area.

Famous residents
Famous people from Binghamton include Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) 
Johnny Hart (cartoonist of B.C. and The Wizard of Id). 
Richard Deacon of The Dick Van Dyke Show also worked as an orderly in City Hospital, now known as Binghamton General Hospital. 
Artist Anthony Brunelli known for his photo-realistic landscapes of Broome County. 
Binghamton scientist Edwin A. Link invented the Flight Simulator used for pilot training and video interface technology. 
Also, soap-opera actor Anthony George was born there.

Endicott is known as the birthplace of computers, because the company that became IBM was established there in 1906. 
Endicott also was the former home of the Endicott Johnson Corporation. Until 2006, the PGA TOUR's B.C. Open was played each July at En-Joie Golf Course on the west side of the village. The stop was dropped from the tour in January 2006. 
Endicott also is the birthplace of baseball's four-time All-Star, Johnny Logan. 
Endicott, along with the surrounding cities, is known as the Carousel capital of the world. This is because George F. Johnson wanted carousels to be free of admission, so he built six of them around the area, and all of them are free of charge.

its amazing the things you can find that you never knew, all with the internet and just a few minutes of looking. it sort of makes me appreciate the town i live in a little more, and makes it seem less boring. :lmao:


----------



## Mitica100 (Feb 15, 2006)

_In Phoenix, AZ:_

*Barry Goldwater* US politician and photographer
*Stevie Nicks* R&R singer

_In AZ:_

*Cesar Chavez* Social activist
*Linda Ronstadt *female singer

That's about it. However, we could claim *Steven Spielberg* as well, despite the fact that he was born somewhere else but attended school and High School here in Phoenix.


----------



## Matty-Bass (Feb 15, 2006)

Big Mike said:
			
		

> Actors
> Tommy Chong - Born May 24, 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta.
> Michael J. Fox - Born June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta.
> Leslie Nielson - Born February 11, 1926 in Edmonton, Alberta.
> ...



Michael J Fox and Leslie Neilson are from Edmonton??:mrgreen:

And technically, Mark Messier and Jerome Iginla are from St. Ablert (where i live)  Jerome Iginla still lives in St. Albert in our river valley.


----------



## photograph-ny (Feb 15, 2006)

My Town is famous for:

Ron Kovic,
Baldwin Brothers, 
Bobby Slayton, 
Mark Lamonica, 
Steve Gutenberg, 
Stuttering John, 
Jonathan Wright, 
Brian Kilmeade, 
Peggy Noonan, 
Dee Snider, 
Brian Setzer, and the rest of the members of the Stray Cats, 
and Jerry Seinfeld

Some infamous people: 
Carlo Gambino, 
Roy DeMeo, 
Jessica Hahn, 
and Joey Buttafuoco.


----------



## PetersCreek (Feb 15, 2006)

Famous (or infamous) people born in Anchorage, Alaska...

*Irene Bedard* &#8212; One of the most famous Native American actresses working in TV and films, Irene Bedard is best known to audiences as the voice of the title character in Disney's animated feature Pocahontas.

*Valerie Plame Wilson* &#8212; Central figure of a Washington DC controversy in which she is alleged to have been outed as a CIA "operative" by members of the Bush Administration.


----------



## Wally (Feb 15, 2006)

I live in a teeny tiny town, but Jamestown NY about 1/2 hour north of me is where Lucille Ball from I Love Lucy is from and about 1/2 South of me in Meadville PA is where the actress Sharon Stone is from.


----------



## tmpadmin (Feb 15, 2006)

Wally said:
			
		

> I live in a teeny tiny town, but Jamestown NY about 1/2 hour north of me is where Lucille Ball from I Love Lucy is from and about 1/2 South of me in Meadville PA is where the actress Sharon Stone is from.


 
How can you forget about Natalie Merchant!?  There really isn't much in Jamestown besides Lucille and Natalie.  Bunch of old stinky factories.  But it is pretty interesting that most of the city is heated by the power plant's hot water output.


----------



## Rav (Feb 16, 2006)

Here in Bedford we have ...

*John Bunyan*, the celebrated writer, was imprisoned in Bedford, where he wrote "Pilgrim's Progress" - a book which has been translated into hundreds of languages. 

*Charles Wells* (1842-1914) was a sea-captain in the 1860s who, in order to win the girl he loved, abandoned the sea and started his now famous brewery. Four generations later the firm still remains with the family. 

*Frederick Burnaby* (1842-1885), famed explorer (Asia) and military officer

*Harold Abrahams* (1899-1978) Born in Bedford, Abrahams was one of Britain's most accomplished athletes. At the 1924 Olympics in Paris, Abraham's main British rival in sprint events, Eric Liddell, was a devout Christian and declined to compete in the 100-metre event, which was held on a Sunday; Abrahams won the gold medal, the first Englishman to win this event. (Liddell instead ran in the 400-metre, winning the gold medal.) Abrahams shared a silver medal as a member of Britain's 400-metre relay team. 
Liddell's and Abrahams' experiences at the 1924 Olympics provided the subject of the 1981 film "Chariots of Fire."

*Glenn Miller*  and his band was based in Bedford during the war. Many of his broadcasts were made in Bedford. 

*Tim Foster*, Olympic Champion, 2000

*Stephanie Cook*, Olympic Champion, 2000

*Paula Radcliffe*, team leader at the 2000 Olympics.

*Martin Bayfield*, former rugby International player

*Ronnie Barker*, comedian.

*Al Murray *, comedian


----------



## Rob (Feb 16, 2006)

Rav said:
			
		

> *Harold Abrahams* (1899-1978) Born in Bedford, Abrahams was one of Britain's most accomplished athletes. At the 1924 Olympics in Paris, Abraham's main British rival in sprint events, Eric Liddell, was a devout Christian and declined to compete in the 100-metre event, which was held on a Sunday; Abrahams won the gold medal, the first Englishman to win this event. (Liddell instead ran in the 400-metre, winning the gold medal.) Abrahams shared a silver medal as a member of Britain's 400-metre relay team.
> Liddell's and Abrahams' experiences at the 1924 Olympics provided the subject of the 1981 film "Chariots of Fire."



Eric Liddell went to my school! Along with Livingstone, Chalmers and Moffat. It was a school for the sons of missionaries, which explains the high religious attendance.

Rob


----------



## Ice (Feb 16, 2006)

the most famous person from my town is me for getting into Yale!  :lmao: but Springfield, MO (close to me and where i used to live) is where Brad Pitt is from! Yay! Brad Pitt!!!!!!!!!! 






j/k don't really like him.


----------



## Soul Rebel (Feb 18, 2006)

John Elway played part of one school year at the HS that I attended. Other than that....I know of nobody famous from Port Angeles.


----------

