List of Famous people born in Tennessee, United States of America
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut in the family film Holiday in the Sun (2001). This was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, as well as a starring role in the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith (2004–2006). Fox went on to make her feature film debut in the teen musical comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004).
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Noted for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans a range of styles, from pop and country pop to hip hop, experimental and rock. Cyrus is the best-selling artist born in the 1990s, and has attained the most US Billboard 200 top-five albums in the 21st century by a female artist, with a total of thirteen entries. Her personal life, public image, and performances have often sparked controversy and received widespread media coverage.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by nonlinear storylines, dark humor, aestheticization of violence, extended scenes of dialogue, ensemble casts, references to popular culture and a wide variety of other films, soundtracks primarily containing songs and score pieces from the 1960s to the 1980s, alternate history, and features of neo-noir film.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s, before her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records. She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick is an American professional football coach who serves as the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He exercises extensive authority over the Patriots' football operations, effectively making him the team's general manager as well. He holds numerous coaching records, including winning a record six Super Bowls as the head coach of the Patriots, and two more as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. Born and raised in Tennessee, he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child. In the late 1990s, Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC, which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Timberlake won two Grammy Awards for his R&B-focused debut solo album Justified (2002) and its single "Cry Me a River". Another single from the album, "Rock Your Body", was also successful.
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, director and narrator. He has appeared in a range of film genres portraying character roles and is particularly known for his distinctive deep voice. Freeman is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Yo Gotti
Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper and songwriter. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017) and Untrapped (2020).
Mookie Betts
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, while with the Red Sox, he became the first player in MLB history to win the Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, batting title, and World Series in the same season. Betts is regarded by many to be one of the best players of his generation, as well as one of the best players in baseball.
Trevor Lawrence
William Trevor Lawrence is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). Considered among the best collegiate quarterbacks of all time, he went undefeated as a freshman at Clemson, concluding with a victory in the 2019 National Championship Game. Lawrence set the Clemson record for career quarterback wins, losing only the 2020 National Championship and 2021 Sugar Bowl. Following his collegiate success, he was selected first overall by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Key Glock
Markeyvius LaShun Cathey (born August 3, 1997 better known by his stage name Key Glock, is an American rapper and songwriter. The protégé & cousin by marriage of late Memphis rapper Young Dolph, he rose to fame in 2017 with his mixtape Glock Season.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, and television director. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in Little House on the Prairie (1982–1983), Maggie Malene in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), Kris Witherspoon in Our House (1986–1988), Heather Duke in Heathers (1988), Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–94), 90210 (2008-2009) and again in BH90210 (2019); and Prue Halliwell in Charmed (1998–2001).
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a career in the music business and has issued three albums. She has been married four times, including to singer Michael Jackson and actor Nicolas Cage, and her fourth husband is music producer Michael Lockwood, father of her twin daughters.
Leslie Jordan
Leslie Allen Jordan is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as Lonnie Garr in Hearts Afire (1993–1995), Beverly Leslie in Will & Grace, several characters in the American Horror Story franchise (2011–present), and Sid in The Cool Kids (2018–2019). One of his best-known onstage performances was in Sordid Lives, where he played Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram, a role he took to the big screen in the popular cult film of the same name.
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr, better known as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestling manager and retired professional wrestler signed to WWE, appearing on the Raw brand as the manager of Lacey Evans.
Austin Riley
Michael Austin Riley is an American professional baseball third baseman and outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Riley was drafted by the Braves in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft and made his MLB debut with them in 2019.
Randall Cobb
Randall Ladonald Cobb II is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kentucky, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Michael Peterson
Michael Iver Peterson is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December 9, 2001. After eight years, Peterson was granted a new trial after the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to time already served and freed.
Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Memphis, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Herman Cain
Herman Cain was an American businessman and activist for the Tea Party movement within the Republican Party. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Cain grew up in Georgia and graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He then earned a master's degree in computer science at Purdue University while also working full-time for the U.S. Department of the Navy. In 1977, he joined the Pillsbury Company where he later became vice president. During the 1980s, Cain's success as a business executive at Burger King prompted Pillsbury to appoint him as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza, in which capacity he served from 1986 to 1996.