List of North Carolinians

Famous people who were born in or lived in North Carolina.

Children

• Virginia Dare — first English child born in the New World
• Conrad Reed — found gold nugget while fishing, causing the first gold rush in North Carolina

Public Figures

• William Blount (1749-1800) — First NC signer of the United States Constitution, a Tennessee Senator
• Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr. (1758-1802) — Second NC signer of the US Constitution, eighth NC Governor
• Hugh Williamson (1735-1819) — Physician and third NC signer of the US Constitution,
• Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) — Seventh President of the United States of America and Democratic Party founder, Leading General in the Battle of New Orleans, Governor of the Florida Territory, Lost all family in the Revolutionary War, nicknamed Old Hickory
• James Knox Polk (1795-1849) — Eleventh President of the United States of America and Democrat (his administration gained the most territory for the United States of any administration and was also only one term in length), gained the Mexican cession and the Oregon territory specifically, Tennessee Governor and US Representative, nicknamed Young Hickory
• Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) — Seventeenth President of the United States of America and Democrat, First President to be impeached and nearly removed by the Congress, involoved in the purchase of Alaska
• Elizabeth Dole — current Republican US Senator from North Carolina, former president of the American Red Cross
• John Edwards — former Senator (Democrat), who ran for Vice President with John Kerry in 2004
• Sam Ervin — Former Democratic Senator, chaired the Senate Watergate committee
• William Friday — Head of the University of North Carolina system and host of North Carolina People.
• Jesse Helms — Five-term conservative Republican US Senator
• Terry Sanford — Former governor and President of Duke University
• Charlie Duke — One of twelve astronauts to have walked on the Moon
• Michael Smith — astronaut killed on the Space Shuttle Challenger
• Curtis Brown — astronaut
• Dolley Madison — wife to President James Madison
• Billy Graham — Protestant Chrisitan evangelist
• Levi Coffin — fought against slavery and helped set up the Underground Railroad
• Adolph Dial — historian who wrote about the Lumbee tribe
• John Hope Franklin — historian, and professor at Duke University
• Alexander Martin — Four times Governor of the State, Col 2nd NC Continental Regt, US Senator and member of the Constitutional Convention
• Daniel McFadden — Nobel Prize winner
• John Merrick — founded North Carolina Mutual and Provident Insurance Company in Durham in 1898. By 1948, it was the largest African American owned business in the country.
• Wilmer Mizell —(1930-1999) Professional baseball player for the Pirates, Cardinals, and Mets. Served as a North Carolina Congessman from 1968 to 1974.

Writers

• Maya Angelou — award-winning novelist and poet who teaches at Wake Forest University
• Jerry Bledsoe — journalist from Asheboro who has written several bestselling "true crime" books (including "Blood Games").
• Orson Scott Card — novelist who lives in the Greensboro area, author of the "Ender's Game" series and other bestselling science fiction novels. He teaches writing workshops through Appalachian State University.
• Sarah Dessen — novelist writer of young-adult novels, from Chapel Hill. Two of her novels formed the basis for the movie How to Deal starring Mandy Moore.
• Clyde Edgerton — novelist
• Kaye Gibbons — novelist who wrote "Ellen Foster" and "A Cure for Dreams."
• Allan Gurganus — author ("Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All")
• William Sydney Porter — famed short story writer is better known by his pen name, O. Henry
• Tom Robbins — a modern, best-selling novelist and journalist.
• Lee Smith — author ("Family Linen," "Fair and Tender Ladies")
• Thomas Wolfe — Born in Asheville, Wolfe was a noted novelist and author of books such as "Look Homeward, Angel" and "You Can't Go Home Again."
• Carl Sandberg — famous writer

Journalists

• David Brinkley — tv news reporter
• Howard Cosell — Sports Commentator and original host of Monday Night Football
• Josephus Daniels; founder, publisher, and editor of the Raleigh News and Observer daily newspaper; served as Secretary of the Navy from 1913-1921 under President Woodrow Wilson; gave Franklin D. Roosevelt his first job with the federal government by appointing him Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
• Charles Kuralt — Emmy winning CBS news anchor
• Edward R. Murrow — A five-time Emmy winning journalist and member of the Television Hall of Fame
• Sam Ragan — Former editor of The Pilot; He was honored as North Carolina's Poet Laureate in 1982
• Gene Roberts — Former editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Charlie Rose — An Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist and interviewer
• Vermont Royster; editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1957 to 1970; earned two pulitzer prizes during his career.

Entertainers

• Ryan Adams — singer-song writer from Jacksonville
• Clay Aiken — American Idol finalist
• Tori Amos — Singer and pianist. Born in Newton, North Carolina.
• Spencer Chamberlain — Vocalist for Underoath. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
• George Clinton —funk musician. Born in Kannapolis.
• John Coltrane — jazz musician
• Charlie Daniels — Singer of "Devil Went Down to Georgia". Born in Wilmington, North Carolina.
• Chris Daughtry — American Idol Finalist and Lead Singer of Daughtry
• Sammy Davis Sr. — Born in Kinston, North Carolina.
• Rick Dees — radio DJ
• Cecil B. DeMille — film director made famous by The Ten Commandments
• Fred Durst — Raised in Gastonia, North Carolina.
• Roberta Flack — Grammy-winning singer who wrote "Killing Me Softly with His Song"
• Ben Folds — musician
• Gallagher — Comedian. Born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
• Ava Gardner — actress
• Andy Griffith — actor who played on The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock
• Michael C. Hall — Actor famous for playing "David Fisher" in the HBO series Six Feet Under. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Byron Hill — Nashville songwriter, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
• Trey Hill — Nashville guitarist/vocalist, grammy-nominated, from Shelby, North Carolina
• Gill Holland — producer (Spring Forward, Loggerheads) Born in Chapel Hill and raised in Davidson, North Carolina.
• Darwin Joston — actor. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
• Si Kahn — folk singer-songwriter, labor and prison reform activist
• Ben E. King — Singer. Born in Henderson, North Carolina.
• Tim Kirkman — filmmaker (Loggerheads, Dear Jesse)
• Bascom Lamar Lunsford — folk singer
• Terry McMillan, harmonica player from Lexington, NC
• Thelonious Monk — legendary jazz pianist
• Phil Morrison — filmmaker (Junebug)
• Petey Pablo — rapper
• Dian Parkinson — Model (The Price Is Right)
• Jaime Pressly — Actress. Born in Kinston, North Carolina.
• Peyton Reed — filmmaker (Bring It On, Down With Love)
• Earl Scruggs — legendary bluegrass musician
• Nina Simone — singer
• Arthur Smith — Country Music show host
• James Taylor — 1970s singer
• Bob Timberlake — artist
• Randy Travis — country music performer
• Doc Watson — legendary blind bluegrass and folk musician
• Wednesday 13 — Rock musician.
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead — Actress. Born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Athletes

• Jerry Stackhouse — National Basketball Association player who currently plays shooting guard and small forward for the Dallas Mavericks, and formerly the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76'ers. Held title for leading scorer in the NBA. Born in Kinston, North Carolina.
• Dale Earnhardt — One of the most popular NASCAR drivers of all time
• Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Currently of one NASCAR's top drivers
• Ric Flair — Minnesota native who became professional wrestling's most honored champion while based in Charlotte
• Jim "Catfish" Hunter — pitcher in the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Marion Jones — Olympic gold medalist
• Micheal Jordan — hit the winning shot for the UNC Tar Heels in the 1982 NCAA Championship game; won six NBA Titles with the Chicago Bulls. Raised in Wilmington.
• Sonny Jurgensen — former Washington Redskins football player
• Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice — former Washington Redskins football player
• Meadowlark Lemon — played with the Harlem Globetrotters for 24 years
• Sugar Ray Leonard — world famous boxer
• Gaylord Perry — Baseball Hall of Famer who pitched 3,534 strikeouts during his career
• Richard Petty — the King
• Kyle Petty — son of Richard Petty, NASCAR driver
• Adam Petty — NASCAR driver killed in 2000
• Brendan Haywood — Washington Wizards
• Tracy McGrady — Houston Rockets
• Jeff Capel II — assistant coach of the Charlotte Bobcats
• Jeff Capel III — Former Duke basketball player, current NCAA Division I coach.
• Jason Capel — Son of Jeff II, brother of Jeff III. Former UNC basketball player.
• Carl Eller — NFL Hall Of Famer
• Ernie Shore — Former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and NY Yankees, teammate of Babe Ruth and completed a perfect game that Ruth started but was later ejected. Later, he became sheriff of Forsyth County
• Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Shannon Moore — professional wrestlers with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from Moore County, North Carolina
• Lawrence Taylor — All-America football player for the UNC Tar Heels; later helped lead the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories.
• David Thompson — legendary basketball player for NC State University, led NC State to the NCAA Championship in 1974; arguably one of the best basketball players of all time
• Brian Vickers — NASCAR driver
• James Worthy ("Big Game James"), star UNC basketball player who led Tar Heels to 1982 NCAA Title, won three NBA Titles with the Los Angeles Lakers
• Julius Peppers UNC-CH and Carolina Panthers Defensive star.
• Brad Daugherty — UNC and Cleveland Cavs star, born in Black Mountain
• Eddie Pope — American international soccer player, attended UNC. From High Point.
• Scott Riggs — NASCAR driver

Micheal Jordan

External links

• 1987 audio interview of Maya Angelou by Don Swaim of CBS Radio - RealAudio
• 1989 audio interview of Allan Gurganus by Don Swaim of CBS Radio - RealAudio
• 1985 and 1990 audio interviews of Lee Smith by Don Swaim of CBS Radio - RealAudio

brad johnson former tampa bay bucs qb from black mountain