List of people from Columbus, Georgia

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Columbus, Georgia. Steve Reese. NFL player New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers BJ Wilbanks Singer/ Songwriter, born in Columbus, Ga

Arts and culture

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Bartlett, BoBo Bartlett		Dec 29, 1955		Realist painter	Born in Columbus	[1]
Blake, MeganMegan Blake				Miss Georgia 1983	Born in Columbus
Brady, WayneWayne Brady		Jun 2, 1972		Actor, singer, comedian, and television personality	Born in Columbus
D'Errico, DonnaDonna D'Errico		Mar 30, 1968		Actress and model; Playmate of the Month (September, 1995); Donna Marco on Baywatch (1996 to 1998)	Graduate of Pacelli High School in Columbus (1986)	[2]
Johnson, NunnallyNunnally Johnson		Dec 5, 1897	Mar 25, 1977	Academy Award-nominated filmmaker (The Grapes of Wrath, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit)	Born in Columbus; graduated from Columbus High School (1915)	[3]
McCullers, CarsonCarson McCullers		Feb 19, 1917	Sep 29, 1967	Writer (The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Member of the Wedding, and The Ballad of the Sad Café)	Born in Columbus	[4]
Peabody, George FosterGeorge Foster Peabody		Jul 27, 1852	Mar 4, 1938	Banker and philanthropist; namesake of the Peabody Award	Born in Columbus	[5]
Rachels, JamesJames Rachels		May 30, 1941	Sep 5, 2003	Philosopher, focusing on ethics and animal rights	Born in Columbus	[6]

Music

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Barr, Robert M.Robert M. Barr		1918	1988	Conductor of the Jordan High School Band in Columbus (1946–1963)	Lived in Columbus; chorus director in Fort Benning	[7]
Cray, RobertRobert Cray		Aug 1, 1953		Five-time Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist and singer	Born in Columbus
Guarini, JustinJustin Guarini		Oct 28, 1978		Singer, songwriter, and actor; runner-up on American Idol season 1 (2002)	Born in Columbus	[8]
Hess, JakeJake Hess		Dec 24, 1927	Jan 4, 2004	Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer	Lived in Columbus	[9]
Matheny, DmitriDmitri Matheny		Dec 25, 1965		Jazz flugelhornist, composer, educator, producer and recording artist	Grew up in Columbus	[10]
Money, CurleyCurley Money		Mar 20, 1925	Dec 23, 2003	Rockabilly musician and songwriter	Lived in Columbus	[11]
Norman, BeboBebo Norman		May 29, 1973		Contemporary Christian musician	Lives in Columbus	[12]
Rainey, MaMa Rainey		Apr 26, 1886	Dec 22, 1939	Among the earliest known professional blues singers; billed as The Mother of the Blues	Born in Columbus	[13]
Thomas, KeniKeni Thomas				Country music singer and United States Army Ranger	Lives in Columbus	[14]
Thomas, RozondaRozonda Thomas (a.k.a. Chilli)		Feb 27, 1971		Singer, songwriter, actress and television personality; founding member of girl group TLC	Lives in Columbus
Whitten, DannyDanny Whitten		May 8, 1943	Nov 18, 1972	Musician and songwriter, known for his work with Neil Young's band Crazy Horse	Born in Columbus	[15]
Wiggins, Blind TomBlind Tom Wiggins		May 25, 1849	Jun 14, 1908	African-American musical prodigy on the piano	Owned as a slave in Columbus	[16]
Wilson, TimTim Wilson		Aug 5, 1961	Feb 26, 2014	Stand-up comedian and country music artist	Born and died in Columbus	[17]

Business

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Pemberton, JohnJohn Pemberton		Jul 8, 1831	Aug 16, 1888	Pharmacist; inventor of Coca-Cola	Lived in Columbus	[18]
Hatcher, Claud A.Claud A. Hatcher		Aug 20, 1876	Dec 31, 1933	Pharmacist; inventor of RC Cola beverages	Lived in Columbus	[19]
Woodruff, Robert W.Robert W. Woodruff		Dec 6, 1889	Mar 7, 1985	President of The Coca-Cola Company (1923–1954)	Born in Columbus[20]

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Benning, Henry L.Henry L. Benning		Apr 2, 1814	Jul 10, 1875	Judge on the Georgia Supreme Court; Confederate Army general; namesake of Fort Benning	Born and died in Columbus	[21]
Bullard, EugeneEugene Bullard		Oct 9, 1895	Oct 12, 1961	First African-American military pilot	Born in Columbus	[22]
Calley, WilliamWilliam Calley		Jun 8, 1943		United States Army officer convicted of ordering the My Lai Massacre	Lived in Columbus

Politics

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Gingrich, NewtNewt Gingrich		Jun 17, 1943		58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives	Graduated from Baker High School in Columbus (1961)	[23]
Lamar, Mirabeau B.Mirabeau B. Lamar		Aug 16, 1798	Dec 19, 1859	2nd President of the Republic of Texas	Lived in Columbus and founded the Columbus Enquirer newspaper	[24]

Sports

Baseball

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Abercrombie, ReggieReggie Abercrombie		Jul 15, 1981		Center fielder for Florida Marlins and Houston Astros	Born in Columbus	[25]
Davis, GlennGlenn Davis		Mar 28, 1961		Two-time All-Star first baseman for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Hanshin Tigers	Lives in Columbus; Columbus City Council member	[26]
Hudson, TimTim Hudson		Jul 14, 1975		Four time All-Star pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants	Born in Columbus	[27]
Ingram, GareyGarey Ingram		Jul 25, 1970		Second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers	Born in Columbus	[28]
Jackson, EdwinEdwin Jackson		Sep 9, 1983		All-Star pitcher for MLB teams; World Series champion (2011)	Attended Shaw High School in Columbus	[29]
Mallette, BrianBrian Mallette		Jan 19, 1975		Relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes	Attended Columbus State University	[30]
Pierce, TonyTony Pierce		Jan 29, 1946	Jan 31, 2013	Pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics	Lived and died in Columbus; Attended Jordan High School in Columbus	[31]
Rasmus, ColbyColby Rasmus		Aug 11, 1986		Center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays	Born in Columbus	[32]
Rasmus, CoryCory Rasmus		Nov 6, 1987		Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	Born in Columbus	[33]
Register, StevenSteven Register		May 16, 1983		Relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies	Born in Columbus	[34]
Thomas, FrankFrank Thomas		May 27, 1968		2014 Hall of Fame Inductee – Five-time All-Star first basemen for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays; Two-time AL MVP (1993, 1994)	Born in Columbus	[35]

Basketball

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Mitchell, SamSam Mitchell		Sep 2, 1963		NBA Coach of the Year Award (2007) for the Toronto Raptors; assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves	Born in Columbus	[36]

Bodybuilding

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Murray, LendaLenda Murray		Feb 22, 1962		Female bodybuilding champion

Football

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Brooks, DerriusDerrius Brooks		May 29, 1988		Defensive back for multiple teams	Born in Columbus	[37]
Buckner, BrentsonBrentson Buckner		Sep 30, 1971		Defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, and Carolina Panthers	Born in Columbus, graduated at G.W. Carver High	[38]
Hood, RodRod Hood		Oct 3, 1981		Cornerback for six NFL teams	Born in Columbus, graduated at G.W. Carver High	[39]
Hubbard, ChrisChris Hubbard		April 23, 1991		Offensive guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers	Born in Columbus. Graduated from G.W. Carver High School
Jones, JarvisJarvis Jones		Oct 13, 1989		Outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers	Graduated at G.W. Carver High School in Columbus
LeGree, MarkMark LeGree		Jul 8, 1989		Safety for seven NFL teams	Attended Pacelli High School in Columbus
McCray, KelcieKelcie McCray		Sep 21, 1988		Free safety for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Kansas City Chiefs	Born in Columbus
Menzie, DeQuanDeQuan Menzie		Jan 11, 1990		Cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers	Born in Columbus, graduated at G.W. Carver High School	[40]
Odomes, NateNate Odomes		Aug 25, 1965		Cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and Atlanta Falcons; 2× Pro Bowl (1992, 1993)	Born in Columbus, graduated at G.W. Carver High School	[41]
Reed, RayshunRayshun Reed		Apr 10, 1981		Defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers	Born in Columbus
Sistrunk, OtisOtis Sistrunk		Sep 18, 1946		Defensive end for the Oakland Raiders; Pro Bowl	Born in Columbus	[42]
Strong, MackMack Strong		Sep 11, 1971		Fullback for the Seattle Seahawks; 2× Pro Bowl (2005, 2006)	Attended Brookstone School in Columbus	[43]
Walker, CleoCleo Walker		Feb 7, 1948		Linebacker for the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons	Born in Columbus	[44]

Soccer

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Leonard, MarshallMarshall Leonard		Dec 29, 1980		Defender for the New England Revolution	Attended both Shaw High School and Brookstone School in Columbus	[45]

Wrestling

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Watson, AustinAustin Watson (a.k.a. Xavier Woods)		Sep 4, 1986		WWE wrestler
Jannetty, MartyMarty Jannetty		Feb 3, 1960		World Wrestling Federation wrestler; member of The Rockers tag team	Born in Columbus

References

1. "Bo Bartlett". Newswise, Inc. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
2. "Donna D'Errico". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
3. Stempel, Tom (1980). Screenwriter, The Life and Times of Nunnally Johnson. A. S. Barnes. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-498-02362-0.
4. "Carson McCullers". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
5. "George Foster Peabody". rjohara.net. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
6. "Alma Thomas". National Museum of women in the Arts. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
7. "Robert M. Barr". High School Band Directors National Association. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
8. "Justin Guarini". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
9. "Jake Hess". Southern Gospel History. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
10. "Dmitri Matheny". azcentral.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
11. "Curley Money". AlabamaMusicOffice.Com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
12. "Bebo Norman". Starpulse.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
13. "Ma Rainey". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
14. "Keni Thomas". Gainesville.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
15. "Danny Whitten". Rovi Corp. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
16. "Blind Tom Wiggins". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
17. Fernandez, Maria Elena (Feb 27, 2014). "Comedic country singer Tim Wilson dies at 52". NBC News. Today. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
18. "John Stith Pemberton". University of Georgia Press. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
19. "About RC Cola International: Our History". Retrieved 11 Sep 2014.
20. "Robert W. Woodruff". University of Georgia Press. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
21. "Henry L. Benning". Benning-Cobb-Russell Family of Georgia. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
22. "Eugene Bullard". University of Georgia Press. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
23. "Newt Gingrich". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
24. President Mirabeau B. Lamar, tsl.state.tx.us; retrieved March 2008
25. "Reggie Abercrombie". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
26. "Glenn Davis". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
27. "Tim Hudson". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
28. "Garey Ingram". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
29. "Edwin Jackson". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
30. "Brian Mallette". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
31. "Tony Pierce". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
32. "Colby Rasmus". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
33. "Cory Rasmus". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
34. "Steven Register". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
35. "Frank Thomas". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
36. "Sam Mitchell". Basketball Reference.com. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
37. "Derrius Brooks". nfl.com. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
38. "Brentson Buckner". Pro-Football Reference. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
39. "Roderick Hood". NFL Enterprises LLc. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
40. "DeQuan Menzie". Alabama Crimson Tide. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
41. "Nate Odomes". NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
42. "Otis Sistrunk". Pro-Football Reference. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
43. "Mack Strong". Pro-Football Reference. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
44. "Cleo Walker". Pro-Football Reference. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
45. "Marshall Leonard". Virginia Cavaliers Men's Soccer. Retrieved 26 March 2013.