Quickly accessible, concise information about each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia!
Louisiana
People
Every state of the Union has given birth to people who have left a lasting impression on our history and culture. The following native Louisianians (or Louisianans) have played distinctive roles.
Born in Louisiana
| Famous Louisianians | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Born / Died | Place | ||||
| Louis Daniel Armstrong
(nicknames: Satchmo, Pops) Musician, Singer |
Born: | August 4, 1901 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | July 6, 1971 | Corona, Queens, New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Evelyn Ashford
Olympic track & field athlete |
Born: | April 15, 1957 | Shreveport | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Daniel Moses "Danny" Barker
Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Author |
Born: | January 13, 1909 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | March 13, 1994 | New Orleans | ||||
| Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Confederate General, Author, Politician, Inventor |
Born: | May 28, 1818 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | February 20, 1893 | New Orleans | ||||
| Geoffrey Beene
Fashion designer |
Born: | August 30, 1927 | Haynesville | |||
| Died: | September 28, 2004 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Terry Paxton Bradshaw
Football player |
Born: | September 2, 1948 | Shreveport | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Truman Capote
(born Truman Streckfus Persons) Writer |
Born: | September 30, 1924 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | August 25, 1984 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Kitty Carlisle Hart
(born Catherine Conn, pronounced Co-hen) Game show panelist, Singer, Actress |
Born: | September 3, 1910 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | April 17, 2007 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Clifton Chenier
Zydeco musician |
Born: | June 25, 1925 | Opelousas | |||
| Died: | December 12, 1987 | Lafayette | ||||
| Van Cliburn
(born Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr.) Pianist |
Born: | July 12, 1934 | Shreveport | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Amie Noelle Comeaux
Singer |
Born: | December 4, 1976 | Brusly | |||
| Died: | December 21, 1997 | Lacombe | ||||
| Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr.
Singer, Pianist, Actor |
Born: | September 11, 1967 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Michael Ellis DeBakey
(born Michel Dabaghi) Surgeon |
Born: | September 7, 1908 | Lake Charles | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino
Singer, Songwriter, Pianist |
Born: | February 26, 1928 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Pete Fountain
(born Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr.) Musician |
Born: | July 3, 1930 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Composer, Pianist |
Born: | May 8, 1829 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | December 18, 1869 | Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||||
| Ronald Ames "Ron" Guidry
Baseball player |
Born: | August 28, 1950 | Lafayette | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Bryant Charles Gumbel
Television news and sports personality |
Born: | September 29, 1948 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| George "Buddy" Guy
Musician, Singer |
Born: | July 30, 1936 | Lettsworth | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Lillian Florence Hellman
Playwright |
Born: | June 20, 1905 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | June 30, 1984 | Oak Bluffs, Mass. | ||||
| Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt
Jazz Trumpeter |
Born: | November 7, 1922 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | April 27, 1999 | New Orleans | ||||
| Mahalia Jackson
Singer |
Born: | October 26, 1901 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | January 27, 1972 | Evergreen Park, Ill. | ||||
| Bertram Hays "Bert" Jones
Football player |
Born: | September 7, 1951 | Ruston | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Douglas James Kershaw
Musician, Singer |
Born: | January 24, 1936 | Tiel Ridge | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Dorothy Lamour
(born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton) Actress, Singer |
Born: | December 10, 1914 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | September 22, 1996 | North Hollywood, Calif. | ||||
| Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly)
Folk/blues singer, 12-string guitarist |
Born: | January 29, 1888 (?) | Jeter Plantation near Mooringsport | |||
| Died: | December 6, 1949 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Jerry Lee Lewis
Singer, Songwriter, Pianist |
Born: | September 29, 1935 | Ferriday | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Huey Pierce Long
(nickname: The Kingfish) Politician |
Born: | August 30, 1893 | near Winnfield | |||
| Died: | September 10, 1935 | Baton Rouge | ||||
| Eli Manning
Football player |
Born: | January 3, 1981 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Peyton Williams Manning
Football player |
Born: | March 24, 1976 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Branford Marsalis
Musician |
Born: | August 26, 1960 | Breaux Bridge | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Wynton Learson Marsalis
Musician, Trumpeter, Composer |
Born: | October 18, 1961 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton
(born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe) Composer, Pianist |
Born: | September 20, 1885 or October 20, 1890 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | July 10, 1941 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Aaron Neville
Singer |
Born: | January 24, 1941 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Dr. Huey Percy Newton
Social activist, Co-founder: Black Panther Party |
Born: | February 17, 1942 | Monroe | |||
| Died: | August 22, 1989 | Oakland, Calif. | ||||
| Carly Rae Patterson
Olympic Gold Medal winning gymnast, Singer |
Born: | February 4, 1988 | Baton Rouge | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Louis Prima
Entertainer, Singer, Actor, Songwriter |
Born: | December 7, 1910 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | August 24, 1978 | New Orleans | ||||
| Paul Prudhomme
Chef |
Born: | July 13, 1940 | Opelousas | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Mac "Dr John" Rebbenack
Musician, Singer, Songwriter |
Born: | November 21, 1940 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Cokie Roberts
(born Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs) Journalist, Author |
Born: | December 27, 1943 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Kordell Stewart
(nickname: Slash) Football player |
Born: | October 16, 1972 | Marrero | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Howard Kingsbury Smith
Journalist, Reporter, Commentator |
Born: | May 12, 1914 | Ferriday | |||
| Died: | February 15, 2002 | Bethesda, Md. | ||||
| Ray Walston
(born Herman Walston) Actor |
Born: | December 2, 1914 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | January 1, 2001 | Beverly Hills, Calif. | ||||
| Edward Douglass White
Supreme Court Chief Justice, Politician, Lawyer |
Born: | November 3, 1845 | near Thibodeauxville (now Thibodaux) | |||
| Died: | May 19, 1921 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
Actress |
Born: | March 22, 1976 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Andrew Jackson Young, Jr.
Civil Rights activist, Politician, Statesman |
Born: | March 12, 1932 | New Orleans | |||
| Died: | ||||||
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