Michael TortorichGonzales Weekly Citizen
When you think of areas like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the southeastern Louisiana parishes, which celebrities come to mind?
The region of Louisiana has been called home by many famous people through the decades.
Nestled along the Gulf coast, the area known for the mighty Mississippi River as well as picturesque bayous and tranquil lakes has produced many famous actors, music legends, and sports icons.
Take a look at some of the most well-known faces that started out in southeast Louisiana.
Louis Armstrong
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential figures in jazz during his career as a trumpet and cornet player, bandleader, singer, soloist, film star, and comedian.
New Orleans' Louis Armstong Park, dedicated in 1980, includes a statue of the famous musician with a trumpet in hand.
The house where he lived for nearly 28 years was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and was turned into a museum.
Fats Domino
New Orleans native Antoine Dominique Domino Jr., known professionally as Fats Domino, was a singer, pianist, and songwriter who was one of the pioneers of rock and roll music.
An influence on legends like Elvis Presley and the Beatles, Domino was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of its first group of inductees in 1986.
According to the Associated Press' estimates, he sold more than 110 million records during his career.
Mahalia Jackson
Known as the Queen of Gospel, New Orleans' Mahalia Jackson was one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century.
She sang at the inauguration of PresidentJohn F. Kennedyin January 1961, as well as for a crowd of more than 200,000 in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech.
Jackson was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein the Early influence category in 1997.
Britney Spears
After growing up in Kentwood, Britney Spears became the best-selling teenage artist of all time with her first two studio albums, ...Baby One More Time and Oops!...I Did It Again.
Kentwood is a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish near the Mississippi state line.
Her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, starred in the Nickelodeon teen sitcom Zoey 101.
Donna Douglas
Born Doris Ione Smith in the community of Pride in northeastern East Baton Rouge Parish, Donna Douglas was best-known for her role as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies television series, which ran from 1962-1971.
After her acting career, she was a real-estate agent, gospel singer, inspiration speaker, and author.
Before moving to New York to pursue a career in show business, she was named Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans.
Patricia Clarkson
Born in New Orleans, Patricia Clarkson has starred in several leading roles as well as supporting roles in major films.
Her awards include a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards.
She has been nominated for an Academy Award and a Tony Award.
Peyton Manning
One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, New Orleans native Peyton Manning played 18 seasons in the NFL.
The son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of former NFL quarterback Eli Manning, he was a five-time league Most Valuable Player and 14-time Pro Bowl selection.
Manning has been inducted in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Lil Wayne
Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. in New Orleans, Lil Wayne is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive.
Billboard has ranked him among the best rappers of all time.
He has won five Grammy Awards, 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and eight NAACP Image Awards.
Randy Jackson
Born Randall Darius Jackson in Baton Rouge, Randy Jackson is well-known as one of the judges on the hit show American Idol from 2002 to 2013.
After graduating from Southern University, Jackson began his career as a musician playing bass guitar for jazz, pop, rock, and R&B artists.
He moved on to work in production and in the A&R department at Columbia Records and MCA Records.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres, born and raised in the New Orleans suburb Metairie, is a comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer.
She starred in the sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002.
DeGeneres went on to host the syndicated television talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2003 to 2022, which won 33 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Tyler Perry
Born Emmitt Perry Jr. in New Orleans, Tyler Perry is an actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright.
He is well-known as the creator and performer of the Madea character, who appears in many of his movies.
In recent years he had an exclusive partnership with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network.
DJ Khaled
Born Khaled Mohammed Khaled in New Orleans, DJ Khaled is a disk jockey, record executive, record producer, and rapper.
Reese Witherspoon
Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon in New Orleans, Reese Witherspoon is an actress and producer known for such hit movies as Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, and Walk the Line.
Ian Somerhalder
Born in Covington, Ian Somerhalder is an actor known for his portrayal of Boone Carlyle in the television drama Lost, Damon Salvatore in The CW's The Vampire Diaries, and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's V Wars.
Anne Rice
Born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien in New Orleans, Anne Rice was an author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature, best known for her series of novels The Vampire Chronicles.
Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons, a New Orleans native, is a fitness personality known for his weight-loss programs and his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of exercise videos.
Boosie
Torence Ivy Hatch, known professionally as Boosie, is a rapper from Baton Rouge.
James Carville
James Carville, a well-known political consultant, grew up in the Carville area of Iberville Parish.
He attended Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville and LSU.
Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie, an actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is from New Orleans.
Carl Weathers
Born and raised in New Orleans, Carl Weathers is an actor and former professional football players well-known for his roles as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films.
The list goes on and on...
- New Orleans native Truman Capote was a novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor, best known for Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood.
- Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., best known as Dr. John, was a New Orleans singer and songwriter.
- Harry Connick Jr. of New Orleans isa singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host.
- Kitty Carlisle, born in New Orleans, was an actress and singer who starred in the Marx Brothers movie A Night at the Opera.
- Shane West, an actor, singer, and songwriter, is from Baton Rouge.
- New Orleans native Phil Anselmo is a heavy metal vocalist best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down, and Superjoint.
- Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, is a rapper from Baton Rouge.
- Lynn Whitfield, a native of Baton Rouge, is an actress.
- Terius Gray, known professionally as Juvenile, is a rapper from New Orleans.
- Denham Springs native Rosalie Marie Ashton-Washington, known as Lady Tambourine, is a gospel musician well-known for her skill at tambourine.
- Pruitt Taylor Vince, an actor, is from Baton Rouge.
- Percy Robert Miller Sr., known professionally as Master P, is a rapper, record executive, record producer, and entrepreneur from New Orleans.
- Baton Rouge native Don Lemon is a well-known journalist who works as a CNN host.
- Wesley Eure, an actor, singer, author, producer, director, and educator, is from Baton Rouge.
- Cleouna Moore, who went by Cleo Moore, was an actress born in Galvez and raised in Gonzales.
- Bryan Batt is an actor from New Orleans.
- Faith Domergue, a native of New Orleans, was a film and television actress.
- Gloria Henry, an actress from New Orleans, was best known for role in the sitcom Dennis the Menace.
- Leatrice Joy, an actress during the silent film era, was from New Orleans.
- Dorothy Lamour, an actress and singer who appeared with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, was from New Orleans.
- Actor John Larroquette is a New Orleans native.
- New Orleans native Garrett Morris, an actor, comedian, and singer, was part of the original cast of Saturday Night Live.
- Wendell Pierce, an actor, is from New Orleans.
- Ben Turpin, an actor and comedian who worked in silent films, was a New Orleans native.
- Cora Witherspoon, who was from New Orleans, was a stage and film actress for nearly a half a century.
- co*kie Roberts was a journalist and author from New Orleans who worked for NPR, PBS, and ABC News.
- Greg Gumbel, a New Orleans native, is a well-known television sportscaster.
- Bryant Gumbel, also from New Orleans, is a television journalist and sportscaster.
- Freddie Ross Jr., professionally known as Big Freedia, is a rapper known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music.
- Aaron Neville, an R&B and soul singer, is from New Orleans.
- Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, a New Orleans native, played 13 seasons in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
- New Orleans native Tom Benson was a businessman, philanthropist and franchise owner of the NFL team the New Orleans Saints and the NBA team the New Orleans Pelicans.
- Wynton Marsalis, who is from New Orleans, is a trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director.
- Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr., known professionally as Pete Fountain was a jazz clarinetist from New Orleans.
- Known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas is a singer who was born in Ponchatoula.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Pettit was from Baton Rouge.
- Todd Graves, the founder of the Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers restaurant chain, was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge.
- New Orleans native Al Copeland was the founder of the Popeyes restaurant chain.
- Ruth Fertel, born in New Orleans, founded Ruth's Chris Steak Houses.
- Cosimo Matassa, a New Orleans native, was a recording engineer and studio owner who worked on R&B and early rock and roll recordings.
- Jon Batiste of Metairie is a singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality.
- Leah Chase, who was born in New Orleans and grew up in Madisonville, was an author, television personality, and chef known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine.
Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow atfacebook.com/WeeklyCitizenandfacebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.
