Famous People from Mississippi

• Arbogast, Jessie (Ocean Springs)

  The boy whose arm was bitten off by a shark

• Buffett, Jimmy (Pascagoula)

  Singer of the pop hit "Margaritaville"

• Diddley, Bo (McComb)

  The early rock 'n' roll inventor nicknamed "The Originator"

• Evers, Medgar (Decatur)

  Assassinated Mississippi civil rights leader

• Faulkner, William (New Albany)

  American author of As I Lay Dying

• Favre, Brett (Gulfport)

  The star 1990s quarterback who keeps un-retiring

• Ford, Richard (Jackson)

  The author of Independence Day and The Sportswriter

• Harris, Charlaine (Tunica)

  The author of the Sookie Stackhouse True Blood books

• Harris, Lusia (Minter City)

  The subject of the 2021 documentary 'The Queen of Basketball'

• Henson, Jim (Greenville)

  The creator of Kermit the Frog

• Hill, Faith (Star)

  Tim McGraw's wife and singer of "Wild One"

• Hoover, Larry (Jackson)

  Jailed leader of the Gangster Disciples street gang

• Johnson, Robert (Hazelhurst)

  The legendary blues guitarist of "Crossroads" fame

• Johnson, Robert L. (Hickory)

  Founder of Black Entertainment Television

• Jones, James Earl (Arkabutla)

  The voice of Darth Vader

• King, B.B. (Itta Bena)

  The blues guitarist who did "The Thrill Is Gone"

• Norwood, Brandy (McComb)

  The R&B singer who starred as TV's Moesha

• Notaro, Tig (Jackson)

  The comedian star of Tig: Boyish Girl Interrupted

• Phelps, Fred Sr. (Meridian)

  The founder of the Westboro Baptist Church

• Presley, Elvis (Tupelo)

  "The King of Rock 'n Roll"

• Rice, Jerry (Starkville)

  Wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, 1985-2000

• Smiley, Tavis (Gulfport)

  Host of The Tavis Smiley Show on TV and radio

• Spears, Jamie Lynn (McComb)

  The younger sister of Britney Spears

• Tartt, Donna (Greenwood)

  Author of The Goldfinch

• Trethewey, Natasha (Gulfport)

  The Pulitzer-winning poet who wrote Native Guard

• Waters, Muddy (Rolling Fork)

  The slide-guitarist bluesman of "Got My Mojo Workin'"

• Wells, Ida B. (Holly Springs)

  The woman journalist who campaigned against lynching

• Welty, Eudora (Jackson)

  Author of Delta Wedding

• Williams, Tennessee (Columbus)

  Pulitzer-winning author of A Streetcar Named Desire

• Winfrey, Oprah (Kosciusko)

  The host of TV's Oprah from 1986-2011

• Wolf, Howlin' (White Station)

  The bluesman who did "Smokestack Lightnin'"

• Wright, Richard (Adams County)

  Author of Native Son

• Young, Lester (Woodville)

  The jazz saxophonist called "The Prez"

See also: Index of all US States