This is a list of individuals who are natives of, or are notable in association with, the city of Birmingham, Alabama.

Academia

  • Monnie T. Cheves, Samford University professor; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960; died in Birmingham in 1988
  • Frank Moore Cross, religious scholar
  • Angela Davis, social activist and author
  • Richard Nelson Frye, scholar of Iran and Central Asia
  • Roland Frye, scholar
  • Carol Garrison, ex-president of University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Zenkei Blanche Hartman, first abbess of the San Francisco Zen Center
  • Freeman Hrabowski III, educator
  • Herman H. Long, president of Talladega College and United Negro College Fund
  • J. Gordon Melton, religious scholar
  • Emil Wolfgang Menzel, Jr., emeritus professor in psychology
  • Edward Taub, behavioral neuroscientist and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Julia Tutwiler, educator and social reformer

Arts and literature

  • Allen Barra, journalist, sportswriter
  • John Beecher, activist poet
  • Edgar Peters Bowron, art historian
  • Joe David Brown, journalist, novelist
  • Mark Childress, author
  • Jon Coffelt, artist
  • Clayton Colvin, artist
  • Dennis Covington, journalist, writer
  • George R. Ellis, author, art historian and director of Honolulu Academy of Arts
  • Fannie Flagg, author
  • Charles Gaines, novelist, screenwriter
  • Charles Ghigna, poet, children's author
  • Christopher Gilbert, poet
  • Gail Godwin, novelist
  • John Green, author
  • Joe Hilley, novelist
  • Caitlín R. Kiernan, novelist and paleontologist
  • Kerry James Marshall, artist
  • Harold E. Martin, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman
  • Spider Martin, photojournalist
  • Robert R. McCammon, novelist
  • Kevin McGowin, novelist, reviewer
  • Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
  • Walker Percy, author
  • Howell Raines, New York Times editor
  • James Redfield, novelist
  • John Rhoden, sculptor
  • Sonia Sanchez, poet
  • Rowland Scherman, Grammy-award-winning photographer
  • Melissa Springer, photographer
  • Ann Waldron, author
  • Margaret Walker, poet and author
  • Daniel Wallace, novelist
  • Mary Ware (1828–1915), poet, prose writer
  • John Weld, newspaper reporter, writer, Hollywood stunt man
  • Tobias Wolff, author

Business and economics

  • Cynthia Bathurst, animal rights activist, former mathematical analyst, founder/director of Safe Humane Chicago and Court Case Dog Program
  • Ashton B. Collins, Sr., inventor, creator of Reddy Kilowatt
  • Newton Collins, businessman and community builder
  • Samuel DiPiazza, former chairman and chief executive officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • A. G. Gaston, prominent African-American businessman
  • Franklin Potts Glass, Sr., newspaper editor
  • Jay Grinney, president and chief executive officer of HealthSouth Corporation
  • John M. Harbert, billionaire and founder of Harbert Corporation
  • Elmer Harris, chief executive officer of Alabama Power
  • Ron Holt, CEO and founder of Two Maids & A Mop
  • Charles Linn, founder of First National Bank of Birmingham (AmSouth Bancorporation)
  • Don Logan, chief executive officer of Time Inc.; chairman of Warner Media; chief executive officer of Southern Progress, owner of Birmingham Barons baseball team
  • Michael K. Powell, Federal Communications Commission chairman
  • Rufus N. Rhodes, founder of Birmingham News
  • Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation
  • James Sloss, industrialist and founder of Sloss Furnaces
  • Skippy Smith (1913–2003), founder of Pacific Parachute Company in San Diego, California, stunt skydiver
  • Alvin Vogtle, chairman and CEO of Alabama Power and Southern Company
  • Allen Harvey Woodward, industrialist and baseball team owner

Entertainment

  • Mary Anderson, actress
  • R. G. Armstrong, actor (Pleasant Grove, Alabama)
  • Mary Badham, juvenile actress
  • Candace Bailey, actress
  • Amber Benson, actress
  • Anna Lee Carroll, actress
  • Lynne Carver, actress
  • Nell Carter, actress and singer
  • Courteney Cox, actress (Mountain Brook, Alabama)
  • Paul Finebaum, radio/TV personality
  • Jordan Fisher, actor, singer, and dancer
  • Fannie Flagg, author, actress
  • Louise Fletcher, actress
  • David F. Friedman, director and producer
  • Lili Gentle, actress
  • Betty Lou Gerson, actress
  • Gladys Gillem, wrestler
  • Walton Goggins, actor
  • Hank Green, Internet personality, podcaster
  • Paula Hill, actress
  • Alan Hunter, MTV VJ
  • Tamisha Iman, drag queen
  • Kate Jackson, actress
  • David Jaffe, video game designer (God of War and Twisted Metal)
  • Jasika Nicole, actress, illustrator
  • Gail Patrick, actress, television producer
  • Ibrehem Rahman, Survivor: Palau contestant
  • Rick and Bubba, radio/TV personalities
  • Wayne Rogers, actor
  • Dorothy Sebastian, film actress
  • Daniel Scheinert, music video and film director
  • Glenn Shadix, actor (Bessemer, Alabama)
  • Rickey Smiley, radio personality
  • Trinity the Tuck, drag queen
  • Roy Wood, Jr., comedian
  • Byron York, conservative author and journalist
  • Tom York, television personality

Music

  • Inez Andrews, gospel singer
  • Barry Beckett, pianist and record producer
  • Adolphus Bell, electric blues musician, best known as a one-man band
  • Benny Benjamin, drummer
  • Bo Bice, singer, American Idol runner-up (Helena, Alabama)
  • Helvetia Boswell, singer with The Boswell Sisters
  • Piney Brown, R&B and blues singer-songwriter
  • Oteil Burbridge, bassist
  • Dorothy Love Coates, gospel singer
  • J.R. Cobb, songwriter and guitarist
  • Sam Dees, soul music singer
  • Diana DeGarmo, American Idol 3rd season runner-up
  • Big Joe Duskin, blues pianist
  • Dennis Edwards, soul music singer
  • Erra, progressive metalcore band
  • Al Gallodoro, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist
  • Gucci Mane, rapper
  • Hardrock Gunter, rockabilly pioneer
  • Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist and bandleader
  • Emmylou Harris, singer
  • Erskine Hawkins, composer, trumpeter and bandleader
  • Haywood Henry, jazz saxophonist / clarinetist
  • Taylor Hicks, soul music singer, American Idol winner
  • Odetta Holmes, folk singer
  • Jo Jones, jazz drummer
  • Bill Justis, musician
  • Eddie Kendricks, soul music singer
  • William King, singer, founding member of The Commodores
  • Baker Knight, songwriter and bandleader
  • Sammy Lowe, jazz trumpeter and arranger
  • Rebecca Luker, Broadway singer, actress
  • Hugh Martin, songwriter and film composer
  • Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Southern rock/metalcore band
  • Johnny O'Neal, jazz pianist
  • Avery Parrish, composer and jazz pianist
  • Hank Penny, Western swing musician
  • Ray Reach, jazz vocalist and pianist
  • St. Paul and The Broken Bones, neo soul band
  • Dan Sartain, rock musician
  • Johnny Smith, jazz guitarist
  • Ruben Studdard, singer, American Idol winner
  • Sun Ra, jazz composer and bandleader
  • Maria Taylor, singer
  • Through the Sparks, indie rock band
  • Verbena, indie rock band
  • Virgos Merlot, hard rock band
  • Wild Sweet Orange, indie rock band
  • Paul Williams, soul singer
  • Tammy Wynette, country singer
  • YBN Nahmir (Nick Simmons), rap/hip hop artist
  • Jerry Yester, singer

Government, law and politics

  • Arthur Alber, Los Angeles City Council member, 1927–29
  • John Amari, District 10 Circuit Court judge, former member of both houses of the Alabama State Legislature
  • Douglas Arant, attorney and co-founder of Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings
  • Richard Arrington, first African-American mayor of Birmingham
  • B. B. Comer, former governor of Alabama
  • Eugene "Bull" Connor, former commissioner of Public Safety
  • Hugh Culverhouse, lawyer and owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Russell McWhortor Cunningham, governor of Alabama
  • Mike Fair, Oklahoma state legislator
  • John Grenier, Republican politician in Alabama
  • Art Hanes, mayor of Birmingham
  • Gil Hill, Detroit, Michigan city council president and actor
  • Perry O. Hooper, Sr., 27th chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; born in Birmingham in 1925; later lived in Montgomery
  • Bernard Kincaid, mayor of Birmingham
  • Michael Landsberry, Marine and math teacher
  • Raymond Lee Lathan, Wisconsin state legislator
  • Helen Shores Lee, District 10 Circuit Court judge, first African-American woman to serve
  • Chris McNair, Alabama state legislator and businessman
  • Warren A. Morton, Wyoming state legislator
  • Bert Nettles, lawyer in Birmingham; Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from Mobile (1969–1974)
  • Charles Redding Pitt, chairman of Alabama Democratic Party
  • Cecil F. Poole, federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit
  • Condoleezza Rice, United States secretary of state
  • George G. Siebels, Jr., first Republican to serve as mayor of Birmingham (1967–1975)
  • Luther Strange, attorney general of Alabama 2011–2017 and former senator of Alabama, born in Birmingham
  • Margaret Tutwiler, diplomat
  • Randall Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham
  • Robert S. Vance, chairman of Democratic Party, plaintiff's lawyer, federal judge United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

United States Senate

  • Hugo Black (1927–1937), also Supreme Court justice (1937–1971)
  • B. B. Comer (1920), also governor of Alabama (1907–1911)
  • Joseph Forney Johnston (1907–1913)
  • Doug Jones (2018–2021)
  • Richard Shelby (1987–2023)
  • Luther Strange (2017–2018)
  • Oscar W. Underwood (1915–1927)
  • Francis S. White (1914–1915)

United States House of Representatives

  • Truman H. Aldrich (Alabama's 8th congressional district, 1896)
  • Spencer Bachus (6th District, 1993–2015)
  • John H. Bankhead (6th District, 1887–1907)
  • Laurie C. Battle (9th District, 1947–1955)
  • Sydney J. Bowie
  • John H. Buchanan, Jr. (6th District, 1965–1981)
  • Reuben Chapman (6th District, 1843–1847)
  • Newton Nash Clements (6th District, 1880–1881)
  • Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb (6th District, 1847–1861)
  • Artur Davis (7th District, 1982–1992)
  • Edward deGraffenried (6th District, 1949–1953)
  • William Henry Denson (7th District, 1893–1895)
  • Jack Edwards (1st District, 1965–1985)
  • Ben Erdreich (6th District, 1983–1993)
  • Claude Harris, Jr. (7th District, 1987–1993)
  • Thomas Haughey (6th District, 1867–1869)
  • Goldsmith W. Hewitt (6th District, 1876–1879, 1881–1885)
  • Earl F. Hilliard (7th District, 1993–2003)
  • Richmond P. Hobson (6th District, 1907–1915)
  • George Huddleston (9th District, 1913–1935)
  • George Huddleston, Jr. (9th District, 1955–1963)
  • Pete Jarman (6th District, 1937–1949)
  • Burwell Boykin Lewis (6th District, 1879–1880)
  • Elaine Luria (VA 2nd District, 2019–2023), and former United States Navy commander
  • John Mason Martin (6th District, 1885–1887)
  • John P. Newsome (9th District, 1943–1945)
  • William B. Oliver (6th District, 1915–1937)
  • Luther Patrick (9th District, 1935–1943, 1945–1947)
  • Armistead I. Selden, Jr. (6th District, 1953–1965)
  • Terri Sewell (7th district, 2011–present)
  • Richard Shelby (7th District, 1979–1987)
  • William Crawford Sherrod (6th District, 1869–1871)
  • Joseph Humphrey Sloss (6th District, 1871–1875)
  • Albert L. Smith, Jr. (6th District, 1981–1983)
  • Jesse F. Stallings
  • Louis Washington Turpin (9th District, 1893–1895)
  • Oscar W. Underwood (8th District, 1895–1896; 9th District 1897–1915)

Math, science, and technology

  • Mary Anderson, inventor of windshield wipers
  • Andrew Jackson Beard, inventor of automatic railcar coupling
  • Edward M. Burgess, chemist and inventor of the Burgess reagent
  • Lawrence J. DeLucas, biophysical engineer; Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut
  • Annie Easley, mathematician and rocket scientist
  • Clyde Foster, scientist and mathematician
  • Thelma Perry, microbiologist and mycologist
  • E. O. Wilson, entomologist and author

Medicine

  • James Andrews, orthopedic specialist
  • Tinsley Harrison, editor of first five editions of Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine, dean of UAB School of Medicine
  • Alan Heldman, interventional cardiologist and pioneer of the drug eluting stent
  • John W. Kirklin, heart surgeon
  • Larry Lemak, orthopedic surgeon, owner of the Lemak Group
  • Albert Pacifico, heart surgeon
  • Michael Saag, AIDS researcher
  • Luther Leonidas Terry, Surgeon General of the United States

Sports

  • Mario Addison, NFL player
  • Mike Anderson, University of Arkansas men's basketball coach
  • Jay Barker, football player, college and pro quarterback
  • Sarah Ashlee Barker, WNBA player
  • Charles Barkley, basketball player, Hall of Famer and TV personality (Leeds, Alabama)
  • Gene Bartow, basketball coach and athletic director for University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Bruce Benedict, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Cornelius Bennett, NFL Pro-Bowler
  • Eric Bledsoe, basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans
  • Neil Bonnett, born in Birmingham, Hall of Fame NASCAR driver, TV personality
  • Th-resa Bostick, born in Birmingham, IFBB professional bodybuilder
  • Lyman Bostock, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Bobby Bowden, football coach
  • Debbie Bramwell-Washington, IFBB professional bodybuilder
  • Dieter Brock, Quarterback NFL Los Angeles Rams and CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers
  • Levert Carr, football player
  • Bubba Church, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Jared Cook, born in Birmingham, football player, tight end
  • Ted Cook, football player
  • Jerricho Cotchery, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
  • Ed Daniel (born 1990), basketball player who plays for Israeli team Maccabi Ashdod
  • Karlos Dansby, football player
  • Marcell Dareus, football player for Buffalo Bills
  • A. J. Davis, NFL player
  • Mike Davis, UAB basketball coach
  • Spud Davis, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Tom Drake, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Vonetta Flowers, bobsledder, Olympic gold medalist
  • Vince Gibson, football coach
  • Harry Gilmer, football player
  • Alex Grammas, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Hubie Green, professional golfer
  • Jerry Hairston, Sr., born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Samuel H. Hairston, baseball player
  • Darrin Hancock, NBA player
  • Trey Hardee, NCAA Division I track and field collegiate heptathlon and decathlon record holder, Olympian
  • Walt Harris, MMA fighter
  • Chandler Hoffman, born in Birmingham, United Soccer League player
  • Bobby Humphrey, football player, Alabama and NFL
  • Tina Hutchinson (born 1964/1965), basketball player
  • Bo Jackson, 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, multi-sport athlete
  • Ron Jackson, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Desmond Jennings, baseball player
  • Ken Jordan, football player
  • Smylie Kaufman, golfer
  • Larry Kenon, born in Birmingham, basketball player
  • Corey Kluber, Major League Baseball pitcher, Cy Young Award winner
  • Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, multiple Olympic gold-medalist and world champion track-and-field athlete
  • Theodore Long, general manager of WWE Smackdown
  • Nealy Martin, soccer player
  • Larry Mason, football player
  • Lee May, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Willie Mays, Major League Baseball player, Hall of Famer
  • KJ McDaniels, NBA player
  • Larry McReynolds, announcer for NASCAR on FOX
  • Charlie Moore, baseball player
  • Tony Nathan, football player and coach
  • Gus Niarhos, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Satchel Paige, Major League Baseball player
  • Sam Raben (born 1997), soccer player
  • Chris Richards, born in Birmingham, professional soccer player for Crystal Palace of the English Premier League and the United States national team
  • David Robertson, Major League Baseball player
  • Oliver Robinson, basketball player
  • Erk Russell, football player
  • Ed Salem, football player and Birmingham restaurateur
  • Jason Standridge, Major League Baseball player
  • Ronald Steele, basketball player
  • Rebel Steiner, football player
  • Pat Sullivan, 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and former head football coach at Samford University
  • Dabo Swinney, born in Birmingham, Clemson University head football coach
  • Tanner Tessmann, professional soccer player, United States international, and Olympian
  • Bryan Thomas, born in Birmingham, linebacker for New York Jets, graduated from Minor High School
  • Dan Thomas, Major League Baseball player for Milwaukee Brewers
  • Andre Tippett, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker
  • Tommy Tolleson, NFL player
  • Virgil Trucks, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Bob Veale, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • Dixie Walker, Major League Baseball player
  • Peahead Walker, born in Birmingham, football coach
  • Adam Warren, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Cat Whitehill, U.S Women’s National Soccer team player
  • Austin Wiley (born 1999), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • JaCorey Williams (born 1994), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • Chris Woods, player of gridiron football
  • Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, Major League Baseball player
  • John Zimmerman, professional pairs figure skater

Other

  • Mel Allen, radio and TV sports personality, primary play-by-play announcer for New York Yankees
  • Mother Angelica, nun and founder of global Catholic network EWTN
  • Robert Joseph Baker, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham
  • Donald Beatty, aviator, explorer and inventor
  • Donald Broadnax, serial killer on Alabama’s death row
  • Angela Davis, activist
  • Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005
  • Samantha Francis, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8
  • Victor Gold, journalist, formerly with The Birmingham News
  • Lola Hendricks, civil rights activist
  • Patti Ruffner Jacobs, suffragist and social reformer
  • Robert B. McNeill, Presbyterian minister
  • James Meissner, World War I flying ace
  • Artemus Ogletree, victim of 1935 unsolved murder in Kansas City
  • Joseph Raya, archbishop and social activist
  • Wallace Rayfield, architect
  • Sonia Sanchez, poet, activist, and educator
  • Jay Sebring, hair stylist, Charles Manson victim, ex-boyfriend of Sharon Tate
  • Courtney Shropshire, founder of Civitan International
  • Fred Shuttlesworth, civil rights activist
  • Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006
  • Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025
  • Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995
  • Louise Wooster, famed madam

See also

  • List of people from Alabama

References