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Famous People From Chattanooga

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Updated June 8, 2017 10.8k views 196 items

List of famous people from Chattanooga, including photos when available. The people below are listed by their popularity, so the most recognizable names are at the top of the list. Some of the people below are celebrities born in Chattanooga, while others are simply notable locals. If you're from Chattanooga you might already know that these prominent figures are also from your hometown, but some of the names below may really surprise you. This list includes people who were born and raised in Chattanooga, as well as those who were born there but moved away at a young age.

List people include Caleb Rowe, Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin and many more.

If you want to answer the questions, "Which famous people are from Chattanooga?" or "Which celebrities were born in Chattanooga?" then this list is a great resource for you.
Reggie White is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 43 (1961-2004)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional football player who played defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons during ...more

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#527 of 925 People We Wish Were Still Alive #1,937 of 2,166 The Best Athletes Of All Timelisted on Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative

Lady Bunny is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 56

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Lady Bunny, originally known as "Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock," (born Jon Ingle, August 13, 1962) is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, promoter and founder of the annual Wigstock ...more

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Leslie Jordan is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Leslie Jordan Age: 63

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

Leslie Allen Jordan (born April 29, 1955) is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for his roles as Lonnie Garr in Hearts Afire, Beverly Leslie in Will & Grace and several ...more

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Leslie Jordan Is Making Daily IG Videos About Being Stuck In Quarantine And It's Getting Us Through #113 of 115 The Best Short Actors #160 of 315 American Stand-Up Comedians: The Best Comics In the USA

Bessie Smith is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 43 (1894-1937)

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is ...more

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#199 of 935 The Best Female Vocalists Ever #360 of 1,043 The Best Singers of All Time #1,547 of 2,211 The Best Rock Bands of All Time

Wayne White is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 62

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Wayne White is an American artist, art director, puppeteer, set designer, animator, cartoonist and illustrator.

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#52 of 86 The Best Pop Art Artists #43 of 65 The Greatest Famous Surrealist Artists

Rachel Boston is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 36

Birthplace: Tennessee, USA, Signal Mountain

Rachel Elizabeth Boston (born May 9, 1982) is an American actress and producer. Boston has had leading roles in a number of independent films, and was a regular cast member in several television ...more

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Lori Petty is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 55

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

Lori Petty (born October 14, 1963) is an American actress and director. Her roles include playing Tyler Endicott in the 1991 film Point Break, Kit Keller in A League of Their Own (1992), and the ...more
Clyde Stubblefield is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 75

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

Clyde Austin Stubblefield (April 18, 1943 – February 18, 2017) was an American drummer best known for his work with James Brown. A self-taught musician, he was influenced by the sound of natural ...more

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#192 of 575 The Best Drummers Of All Time #81 of 94 Celebrities Who Died in 2017 #13 of 100 The Best Musical Artists From Wisconsin

Ishmael Reed is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 81

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ishmael Scott Reed (born February 22, 1938) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor and publisher, who is known for his satirical works challenging American ...more

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Yusef Lateef is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 93 (1920-2013)

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community ...more

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Chet Raymo is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 82

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chet Raymo (born September 17, 1936 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a noted writer, educator and naturalist. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts. His ...more
Jimmy Blanton is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 24 (1918-1942)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942) was an American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco bass solos in a jazz context ...more

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#102 of 152 The Greatest Musicians Who Died Before 40 #66 of 102 The Best Musical Artists From Tennessee

Adonis Shropshire is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 41

Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia

Adonis Shropshire or Adonis for short, is an American songwriter and record producer. He has written and or produced singles including: Mariah Carey's "I Stay In Love", Usher Raymond's ...more
James B. Frazier, Jr. is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 88 (1890-1978)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

James Beriah Frazier Jr. (June 23, 1890 – October 30, 1978) was a U.S. Democratic politician.
Andy Moore is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 69 (1902-1971)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Andrew Cecil "Scrappy" Moore Jr. (September 25, 1902 – May 31, 1971) was an American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach ...more
Lewis Smith is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 62

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Lewis Smith is the name of: Lewis Smith (actor) (born 1956), American actor Lewis Smith (baseball) (1858–?), one-game American baseball player 1882 Lewis Smith (cricketer) (1913–1978), English ...more
Roscoe Tanner is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 67

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Roscoe Tanner (born October 15, 1951) is a retired American professional tennis player, who turned pro in 1972 and reached a career-high world singles ranking of World No. 4 on July 30, 1979. ...more

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Brett Rice is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 65

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Brett Rice is an American actor.
Ben Curtis is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 38

Birthplace: Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA

Benjamin Bowmar Curtis (born November 2, 1980), also known as the Dell Dude, is an American actor, singer, guitarist and former promoter for Dell Computers. Curtis was featured in the popular ...more
Bill Brock is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Age: 88

Birthplace: Area code 423, Hamilton County, Tennessee, Chattanooga, Marion County, + more

William Emerson Brock III (born November 23, 1930) is a former Republican United States senator from Tennessee who served one term from 1971 to 1977. He is the grandson of William Emerson Brock ...more
John Rathmell is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
John Rathmell Dec. at 87 (1891-1978)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

John Rathmell was a screenwriter.
Joey Ray is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 54 (1904-1958)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States of America

Joey Ray was an actor.
Frank Bowman is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Frank Bowman Age: 74

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Frank Lee "Skip" Bowman (born 19 December 1944) a retired four-star Admiral, is the former Chief of Naval Personnel and former Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion. In 2006, Bowman was ...more
Bill Akers is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Dec. at 58 (1904-1962)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

William G. Akers (December 25, 1904 – April 13, 1962), nicknamed Bump, was an American baseball infielder and soldier. Akers played professional baseball for 11 seasons from 1924 to 1934, ...more
Anthony Roberts is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Famous People From Chattanooga
Anthony Roberts Dec. at 42 (1955-1997)

Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Anthony Jerome Roberts (April 15, 1955 – March 29, 1997) was an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets and Washington Bullets in the National Basketball Association ...more