10 Famous People From North Carolina

Here are 10 famous people from North Carolina. How many of these did you know about?

John Coltrane (1926 – 1967)

The famous saxophonist was born in Hamlet and grew up in High Point, where he lived until shortly after he graduated from high school (source: High Point Museum).

Charlie Daniels (born 1936)

Singer-songwriter Charlie Daniels was born in Wilmington in a family that raised tobacco. Throughout his childhood, he traveled with his family throughout the Southeast. In the early years of his band, he found work playing in local clubs in Jacksonville, NC. (Source: NCpedia.org)

Clay Aiken (born 1978)

American Idol runner-up and Congressional candidate Clay Aiken grew up in Raleigh and studied at UNC-Charlotte (source: ClayAiken.com).

Sugar Ray Leonard (born 1956)

Olympic boxing champion and professional boxer Sugar Ray Leonard was born in Wilmington before moving to Maryland, where he eventually began his fighting career (source: Wikipedia).

Andy Griffith (1926-2012)

Most famous for his starring roles in The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, Griffith was born in Mount Airy, NC. Griffith also studied at UNC in Chapel Hill, where he eventually met his wife, Barbara Edwards. (Source: Biography.com)

Edward R. Murrow (1908 – 1965)

Journalist Edward R. Murrow was born in Polecat Creek, just outside of Greensboro, where he lived the first six years of his life in a small log cabin. (Source: The North Carolina History Project).

Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001)

NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis and lived in North Carolina throughout most of his life. He started his career racing at local tracks throughout North Carolina (source: Automotive Hall of Fame).

Howard Cosell (1918 – 1995)

The famous sportscaster was born in Winston-Salem before moving to New York, where he eventually studied law before beginning his career in sports journalism (source: BaseballChronology.com).

James Taylor (born 1948)

James Taylor was born in Boston, but grew up in Chapel Hill, where his family stayed for most of his childhood. He eventually graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. The Chapel Hill Museum has dedicated an exhibit to James Taylor (source: Chapel Hill Museum).

Michael Jordan (born 1963)

Michael Jordan was born in New York, but moved with his family to Wilmington. Before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls, Jordan played for UNC-Chapel Hill. When playing in the NBA, he continued to wear his UNC shorts under his Bulls shorts as a good luck charm (source: 23Jordan.com).

Do you know of any more to add to this list? Feel free to contribute them in the comments below!