List of people from Louisville, Kentucky

Following are notable people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area:

Name	Description
Terry Adams	Musician, founding member of NRBQ.
James S. Albus	Engineer and Senior NIST Fellow, developer of Digital Solar Aspect Sensor, Real-time Control System, Robocrane.
Muhammad Ali	Multiple heavyweight boxing champion and one of the most iconic figures in 20th-century American sports.
Martha-Bryan Allen	Broadway actress, aunt of Elizabeth Montgomery.
Derek L. Anderson	Former Professional Basketball Player. Graduate of Doss High School in Louisville, Kentucky. In Derek Anderson 1996 helped the University of Kentucky win the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. 1997 Graduate of University of Kentucky in Pharmacy. He was first selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 13th overall pick to the 1997 NBA Draft; He was traded to the Miami Heat in 2006. And, the 2006 Miami Heat subsequently won the 2006 NBA Championship. who played against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Final; He was listed on the 1997-98 NBA All-Rookie Team He played for several teams over the course of his 11-year NBA career (1997-2008) including the Clippers, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Bobcats.
Major Robert Anderson	Union Army officer in the Civil War, known for his command of Fort Sumter at the start of the war.
John James Audubon	Ornithologist, naturalist and painter. Lived in Louisville for about two years.
Marty Bass	Television news reporter, weatherman, and Presidential candidate. Born and raised in Louisville.
Matt Battaglia	Actor and producer in more than 100 films and TV and producer of such projects as Brothers (2009 film) with Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, and Co-founder of Derby Eve cancer benefit The Mint Jubilee
Ned Beatty	Character actor in films, TV and on stage, has appeared in a wide variety of roles ranging from dramatic to comedic in movies such as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Deliverance, Superman (1978), Network and 1941.
James Best	Character Actor, best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Barry Bingham, Jr.	Publisher of The Courier-Journal.
Barry Bingham, Sr.	Publisher of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times, and led both papers to national prominence.
Static Major	American record producer who gained fame posthumously for featuring in Lil Wayne's Lollipop
Larry Birkhead	American entertainment photojournalist
Rob Bironas	Professional Football player. Tennessee Titans NFL.
Phil Bond	Former Professional Basketball Player for the Houston Rockets.
Anne Braden	Civil rights activist.
Louis Brandeis	Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Namesake of the University of Louisville School of Law.
Ulysses "Junior" Bridgeman	Louisville businessman. Former basketball star at the University of Louisville who went on to a long NBA career, mostly with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brian Brohm	Buffalo Bills Quarterback.
Foster Brooks	Actor and Comedian. Renowned for his "Lovable Lush" character, Brooks was a long-time Las Vegas headliner and appeared on numerous TV programs from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s, as well as appearing in cameo roles in such films as The Villain and Cannonball Run II.
Odell Brown	Jazz organist
Pete Browning	19th century Major League Baseball player, first to use custom bats, uncle of Tod Browning.
Tod Browning	Film Actor and Director. Directed several films starring silent screen legend Lon Chaney Sr., among them, The Unholy 3 (1925) and West of Zanzibar (1928). Best known for directing the horror classic Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi as well as the cult classic Freaks (1932).
Lance Burton	Stage magician.
LaVerne Butler	Pastor of 9th & O Baptist Church in Louisville, 1969-1988; president of Mid-Continent University, 1988-1997
Paul Byrd	Professional Baseball Player for the Boston Red Sox
Harry Carter	Silent film actor. Appeared in the 1921 serial "The Hope Diamond Mystery" and numerous other films.
Jennifer Carpenter	Actress best known for work on Showtime's Dexter as the character Debra Morgan.
Charley Chase	Pornographic actress.
George Rogers Clark	The preeminent military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War.
William Conrad	Actor and narrator in radio, film and television from the 1930s through the 1990s. Provided the voice for Marshal Matt Dillion in the radio version of "Gunsmoke. Later became famous as TV detective Frank Cannon.
Jim Cornette	Noted professional wrestling manager and promoter.
Joe Creason	Journalist for The Courier-Journal, most famous for his columns on the everyday lives of Kentuckians.
Bernie Crimmins	Former University of Notre Dame football player and head football college football coach at University of Indiana, as well as assistant football coach at Notre Dame and Purdue University.
Iman Crosson	Actor, Internet celebrity and Obama impersonator who became an example of professional promotion using the Internet.
Tom Cruise	Actor. (Actually born in Syracuse, New York, lived in Louisville until his mid-teens.) Star of the films Risky Business, Top Gun, A Few Good Men, and Mission: Impossible, among others.
Denny Crum	Former University of Louisville men's basketball head coach; member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.
Vadim Dale	Australian reality television personality (Outback Jack); currently an officer with the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Roger Davis	Actor, Dark Shadows and Alias Smith and Jones; currently a custom home designer and builder in Los Angeles.
Frederick Detweiler	American sociologist, born in Louisville in 1881
George Devol	Inventor of the first industrial robot.
Irene Dunne	Actress, starred in 1931 Academy Award Best Picture Cimarron.
Thomas Alva Edison	Before fame lived in Butchertown. House now a museum.
Bob Edwards	Radio Broadcaster, National Public Radio.
Jimmy Ellis	Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Pervis Ellison	Basketball player. Born in Savannah, Georgia. "Never Nervous Pervis" was the starting center for the University of Louisville for four years, including the 1986 national championship year. Ellison was the second freshman ever to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four and the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Norris Embry	Expressionist painter.
Abraham Flexner	American educator.
Pat Forde	Sportswriter; former reporter and columnist for The Courier-Journal and ESPN.com, now with Yahoo! Sports. Still lives in Louisville.
Dian Fossey	Nurse at Kosair Children's Hospital. Ethologist interested in gorillas.
Fontaine Fox	Nationally syndicated cartoonist, creator of "The Toonerville Trolley" (aka "Toonerville Folks"), one of the most popular strips of the World War I era.
Gertrude Ganote	All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player from 1944 through 1945.
Billy Gilbert	Film actor during the 1930s and 1940s, appeared in supporting roles in Laurel & Hardy shorts The Music Box and County Hospital, also the model and voice for Sneezy in Disney's Snow White.
Sam Gilliam	Abstract expressionist painter.
William Girdler	Director/producer of 1970s B-grade films such as Abby, Asylum of Satan and Grizzly.
C. W. Grafton	Author.
Sue Grafton	Author
Petey Greene	American television and radio talk show host, and two-time Emmy Award-winner.
D. W. Griffith	Film director and innovator. Credited with originating many camera techniques that are still commonly used in films today. Directed numerous films, among them The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance and Way Down East. Lived several years in the Brown Hotel, until his death in 1948.
Darrell Griffith	Basketball Player. Won 1980 NCAA basketball championship and John R. Wooden Award; 1980 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player; 1981 NBA Rookie of the Year Award; played 11 seasons with the Utah Jazz; nicknamed "Dr. Dunkenstein" for aerial exploits.
David Grissom	Guitarist for Storyville (band), Joe Ely, The Allman Brothers Band, John Mellencamp and others.
Scott Harrington	Former racing driver. Indianapolis 500 Veteran and Indycar Rookie of the Year.
Lionel Hampton	Band Leader and Jazz Musician.
Heather French Henry	Miss America 2000.
John Hensley	TV and film actor, regular cast member on the cable TV program Nip/Tuck.
Mildred & Patty Hill	Composers of the song "Happy Birthday to You".
Charles T. Hinde	Railroad executive, founder of the Hotel del Coronado, and successful businessman
Doan Hoang	Movie Director, Movie Producer, Documentary "Oh Saigon" (2007) and short film "Hard Times" (2012). Graduate of Seneca High School Redskins (1990) in Louisville.
Audrey Hollander	Pornographic actress.
Telma Hopkins	Singer and Television Actress, member of the 1970s pop music trio Tony Orlando and Dawn
James Horan	Television and Film Actor.
Paul Hornung	Football player with the National Football League's Green Bay Packers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Allan Houston	Former NBA player, most notably with the New York Knicks.
Wade Houston	Current Louisville businessman; former player and assistant coach at the University of Louisville and former head men's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee. Also father of Allan Houston.
Edwin Hubble	Astronomer/Astrophysicist, Basketball Coach at New Albany, IN High School and namesake of the Hubble Space Telescope. Lived in the Highlands.
Henry Hull	Stage and film actor, star of the 1935 film Werewolf of London.
Anna Mae Hutchison	All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player from 1944 through 1949.
Joe Jacoby	Former pro football player for the Washington Redskins.
Ken Jenkins	Stage and film actor, co-founder of Actors Theatre of Louisville and acted in Scrubs, Gone in 60 Seconds, and I Am Sam.
Tom Kennedy	Game show host.
Mark Klein	Nationally known touring comedian.
Wesley Korir	Kenyan marathoner; winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon and member of the National Assembly of Kenya. Ran track at, and graduated from, the University of Louisville. Keeps one of his three homes in Louisville.
James Kottak	Current drummer for legendary metal band Scorpions, Yamaha drums endorser/clinician and former drummer for Kingdom Come, Warrant and Wild Horses.
Tim Krekel	Musician, recording artist, hit songwriter, former member of Jimmy Buffett's band.
Paul Laird	Musicologist, Professor University of Kansas, with interests in Spanish villancicoes, Leonard Bernstein, the Broadway musical theatre, and the Baroque cello.
Increase A. Lapham	Surveyor, Naturalist, helped found the U.S Weather Bureau.
Jennifer Lawrence	Film actress best known for her Oscar-winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook and Oscar-nominated performance in Winter's Bone, and as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
Maggie Lawson	TV actress.
Stefan LeFors	Former quarterback at the University of Louisville, and in the NFL and CFL. Now the head football coach for the high school team of the Christian Academy of Louisville.
Tom London	Bit player and stunt performer in numerous films, primarily westerns, began film career in early silent era and later transitioned to TV roles in the early 1950s. Listed in Guinness World Records as Hollywood's most prolific actor, with over 600 film appearances to his credit.
William Mapother	Film and television actor. Career includes roles on Lost and In the Bedroom.
Herbert Marcus	"Cofounder and CEO of Neiman Marcus."
Joe E. Martin	Olympic boxing coach who trained World Heavyweight Champions Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Ellis, and several National Golden Gloves champions.
Victor Mature	Film Actor. Starred in a wide range of films, including My Darling Clementine, Kiss of Death, Samson and Delilah and The Robe.
Jane Mayhall	poet.
William E. McAnulty, Jr.	First African American to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell	Current U.S. Senate Minority Leader.
Brian McMahan	Rock musician known for work in Squirrel Bait, Slint, Palace Brothers, The For Carnation, and King Kong.
Mary T. Meagher	Olympic gold medalist and multiple world record holder in swimming.
Terry Meiners	Radio talk show host.
Milton Metz	Popular local radio and television personality.
Alexandria Mills	Miss World 2010.
Beverle Graves Myers	Author.
Jack Narz	Game show host.
Carrie Marcus Neiman	"Cofounder and Chair of Neiman Marcus."
Frank Neuhauser	Winner of the first National Spelling Been held in 1925
Bobby Nichols	Professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship, one of the Majors in men's professional golf.
Marsha Norman	American playwright who won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Anne Northup	U.S. Representative from Louisville, 1997–2007; current member of the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Also older sister of Mary T. Meagher.
Grady Nutt	Humorist and television personality (Hee Haw); lived in Louisville from 1960 until his death in 1982; graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Will Oldham	Songwriter and Musician.
Joan Osborne	Singer-songwriter.
Jimmy Osting	Major League Baseball player.
ZZ Packer	Writer. "Actually born in Chicago, Illinois, but lived in Louisville in her teens and graduated from Seneca High School in 1990"
Greg Page	Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Scott Padgett	Professional basketball player for the New Jersey Nets.
David Pajo	Indie musician known for work in Slint, Tortoise, and Zwan.
Bubba Paris	Graduate of Louisville's DeSales High School, offensive tackle for the 1982 Super Bowl-winning San Francisco 49ers.
Clarence M. Pendleton, Jr.	Chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1981 until his death in 1988), born in Louisville in 1930
Fred Pfeffer	Major League Baseball player.
Wilson Pickett	American R&B/Rock and Roll and soul singer
Rick Pitino	Current head men's basketball coach of the University of Louisville. Previously head coach at Providence College, the University of Kentucky and the Boston Celtics.
Marty Pollio	aka Martin Polio. Stand-up comic and mime. Has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and has performed his semi-autobiographical one-man show "Prisoners Of Cheese" at The Montreal Fringe Festival.
George Dennison Prentice	Acclaimed American newspaper editor and journalist for the Louisville Journal
Artimus Pyle	Drummer for legendary Southern Rock and Roll band Lynyrd Skynyrd
Steve Raible	Former NFL Player for the Seattle Seahawks and co-anchor of local KIRO News in Seattle, Washington.
Wes Ramsey	TV and film actor, appearing in episodes of the daytime serial Guiding Light and star of the independent film Latter Days
Jimmy Raney	Jazz guitarist
Jon Rauch	Professional Baseball Player for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Pee Wee Reese	Hall of Fame shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Also noted for his acceptance of Jackie Robinson when the latter broke baseball's color line.
Marco Reguzzoni	Italian politician and entrapreneur, owner of Biocell Center, honorary citizen
Rob Riggle	Actor on The Daily Show, The Office, and Saturday Night Live
Rajon Rondo	Pro-Basketball player with Boston Celtics, also played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Don Rosa	Illustrator of Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters.
Rudy Rucker	Computer scientist and science fiction author.
Colonel Harland Sanders	Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, born, raised, and lived in Henryville, Indiana until adulthood.
Diane Sawyer	Television Journalist and Co-Anchor of ABC's Good Morning America.
Nicole Scherzinger	Actress, singer and dancer best known for her work as the lead vocalist for the Pussycat Dolls.
"Papa" John Schnatter	Founder of Papa John's Pizza, born and raised in Jeffersonville, Indiana until founding his pizza chain.
Phil Simms	Former quarterback for the NFL's New York Giants and currently a television sportscaster.
Donta Smith	Professional basketball player for the South Dragons of the National Basketball League Australia.
James Breckenridge Speed	Businessman and Philanthropist.
James Speed	Lawyer, politician, and professor.
Rudell Stitch	Welterweight Boxer.
John W. Bubbles	Half of the black comedic song and tap dance team "Buck & Bubbles", became a popular vaudeville entertainer and toured extensively with his partner Ford Lee "Buck" Washington. The team also appeared in films such as A Star Is Born ('37) and Cabin in the Sky ('43). Originated the role of the character "Sportin' Life" in George Gershwin's musical Porgy and Bess. Later, he became the first black entertainer to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Danny Sullivan	Former racing driver and winner of the 1985 Indianapolis 500.
Hunter S. Thompson	Journalist and author, long-time contributing writer for Rolling Stone magazine.
Mary Travers	Folk Artist Peter, Paul and Mary.
Dan Uggla	Current player for the Atlanta Braves.
Johnny Unitas	Former quarterback at the University of Louisville who went on to a Hall of Fame career, mainly with the Baltimore Colts.
Gus Van Sant	Film Director, Photographer, Musician, and Author.
Eugene Ulrich	Chief Editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Wes Unseld	Former basketball player and coach in the NBA. Member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.
Britt Walford	Drummer for Slint
Jeff Walz	Current head women's basketball coach at the University of Louisville.
Jack Warden	Film and television actor. Began his career in the early 1950s, performing on such TV shows as Playhouse 90 and Studio One, later appeared in such films as Run Silent, Run Deep, Shampoo and All the President's Men.
Henry Watterson	Founder of The Courier-Journal and namesake of the Henry Watterson Expressway.
Todd Wellemeyer	Major League Baseball Player (Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals)
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand	60 Minutes tobacco informant.
Will Wolford	Former Probowl NFL Offensive Lineman. Played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts. Current radio color analyst for the Indianapolis Colts.
Keke Wyatt	R&B singer, most prominent in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Enid Yandell	Sculptor.
John Yarmuth	U.S. Representative from Louisville, 2007–present. Also founder of the alt-weekly Louisville Eccentric Observer.
York	William Clark's manservant and participant in Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Sean Young	Film and television actress. Began career with supporting roles in such films as Blade Runner, Stripes and Dune
Mia Zapata	Murdered singer of the Seattle punk band The Gits.
John Ziegler	Radio talk show host.
Fuzzy Zoeller	Professional golfer; winner of two major championships (1979 Masters, 1984 U.S. Open). Born, raised, and lives on the Indiana side of the metropolitan area in Floyd County.