Famous People Born in Texas a to z

Matthew McConaughey is an American actor from Texas known for his laid back persona and good looks. He was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2005.

Writer Larry McMurtry is noted for his novels set on the frontier, in contemporary small towns, and in increasingly urbanized and industrial areas of Texas.

Baseball player Joe Morgan won consecutive National League MVP awards 1975–1976, when he led the Cincinnati Reds to back-to-back World Series championships.

The most decorated U.S. soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy returned home a hero and became an actor, starring in his own story, To Hell and Back.

Nelly is an American rapper and singer known for such hits as "Country Grammar" and "Dilemma."

Willie Nelson is a country singer and songwriter best known for hit songs including “Crazy” and “On the Road Again.”

Michael Nesmith rose to fame as a member of the Monkees, a made-for-television group that turned into a real rock success story.

Chester W. Nimitz was commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II. A brilliant strategist, he commanded all land and sea forces in the central Pacific.

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A Republican, she was considered a moderate conservative and served for 24 years.

Singer-songwriter Roy Orbison wrote romantic 1960s pop ballads like "Oh, Pretty Woman." In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Half of the notorious Bonnie and Clyde, Bonnie Parker became one of America's most famous outlaws. She and partner Clyde Barrow robbed banks and small businesses, leaving a bloody train of murder victims in their wake.

Lucy Parsons was an activist who was politically radical for her times and one of the first minority activists.

Actor Bill Paxton has made a name for himself with such films as Apollo 13 and Twister and the television series Big Love.

American businessman Ross Perot ran for the U.S. presidency as an independent candidate twice, in 1992 and 1996. He is one of the most successful third-party candidates in American history.

Republican politician Rick Perry was elected governor of Texas in 2000, and ran for the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential race.

American football player Adrian Peterson returned from a serious leg injury to challenge the single-season rushing record and win the NFL MVP Award in 2012.

Stone Phillips is a television personality and reporter, best known as the host of Dateline NBC and guest host for other NBC shows.

American author Julie Powell is best known for her blog, "The Julie/Julia Project," and the Nora Ephron movie Julie & Julia, which is based in part on Powell's experience.

Dennis Quaid is an actor known for a wide variety of films, from Breaking Away to Dreamscape to Postcards from the Edge.

Actor Randy Quaid is an “everyman” who has appeared in films ranging from dramas such as The Last Detail to comedies like National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Dubbed the "Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez was an American serial killer who broke into Californian homes, raping and torturing more than 25 victims, and killing at least 13, over a two-year rampage.

Dan Rather is one of America’s most well-known journalists, having worked for CBS News for more than four decades.

American artist Robert Rauschenberg is best known for paving the way for pop art of the 1960's with fellow artist Jasper Johns.

Known for her boundless energy and pert demeanor, Reynolds' most memorable turn was in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain.

Lamar State College of Technology

Baseball player Frank Robinson was the first Major League African-American manager. In 1982, he joined the Baseball Hall of Fame.

American writer and producer Gene Rodenberry created the immensely influential Star Trek television series in the 1960s.

Nolan Ryan played professional baseball until age 46. He pitched 3,509th career strikeouts, becoming the first pitcher to surpass Walter Johnson's 1927 record.

Melissa Rycroft is known for her engagement and break-up on the 13th season of The Bachelor, and for winning 2012's Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars.

Army medic Clarence Eugene was awarded the Medal of Honor for treating wounded Vietnam soldiers amidst gunfire despite having been shot in both legs himself.

Known as the "Queen of Tejano Music," Selena was a beloved Latin recording artist who was killed by the president of her fan club.

Jessica Simpson is an American pop singer, actress and fashion empire entrepreneur, and a former MTV reality show star.

Anna Nicole Smith gained early fame as a model for Guess and Playboy magazine, and later became known for her marriage to 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II.

Jaclyn Smith is a model and actress who starred in all five seasons of Charlie’s Angels. She has also launched her own collections for K-Mart.

African-American track and field star Tommie Smith broke both the Olympic and world records and won the 200-meter race in the 1968 Olympics.

Aaron Spelling remains television’s most prolific producer, primarily known for escapist entertainment.

Stephen Stills is an American folk musician, best known as a member of the vocal super group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. He is the first person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame twice in one night.

Actor and writer Matt Stone is the co-creator of the adult cartoon South Park. In 2011, his Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, won nine Tony Awards.

Michael Strahan is a former defensive end for the New York Giants, and co-host of the morning television program Live! With Kelly and Michael.

Born in Texas in 1952, George Strait has been a country music icon since the 1980s. The award-winning singer is known for his traditional country sound.

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger is a former US Airlines pilot, who successfully ditched his passenger plane on the Hudson River after it struck a flock of Canada geese, thereby saving all 155 people aboard.

Percy Sutton was a Freedom Rider, civil rights activist and prominent African-American lawyer best known for representing Malcolm X.

Model and actress Sharon Tate is best remembered for her tragic and untimely death at the hands of serial killer Charles Manson.

Tanya Tucker is an American singer best known for her country hits in the 1970s through 2000s. Tucker is one of the best-selling female vocalists of all time.

Michael Urie is an award-winning theater and television actor best known for his role as the catty Marc St. James on Ugly Betty.

Townes Van Zandt was a critically acclaimed folk-country singer/songwriter known for songs like "If I Needed You," "Loretta" and "To Live's to Fly."

A preeminent bluesman, award-winning guitarist and singer Stevie Ray Vaughan earned critical and commercial success during the 1980s.

Blues guitarist and singer-songwriter T-Bone Walker is best known for his hit song "Stormy Monday"  and has been called the Charlie Parker of Blues guitar.

Tex Watson was a member of Charles Manson's "Family," and was Manson's right-hand man. He was convicted of the family's infamous 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, which were orchestrated by Manson.

Actress Lisa Whelchel co-starred in the popular 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life.

Actor, producer and director Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He’s also known for films like Bird, Ghost Dog and The Butler.

Luke Wilson is a film actor known mostly for his comedic roles in such films as Old School and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Teddy Wilson was an influential pianist of jazz and swing. He played and recorded with jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald.

Robin Wright was born in Dallas, Texas on April 8, 1966 but grew up in San Diego, California. The daughter of a pharmaceutical executive and an independent executive sales director for Mary Kay cosmetics, Wright was a natural beauty and began modeling

Andrea Yates was a mother of five from Houston, Texas, who drowned her children.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1914–1956) was named "Woman Athlete of the Half Century" in 1950 for her skills in basketball, track & field, and golf.

Texas-born actress Renee Zellweger first gained wide-spread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire and later Bridget Jones's Diary.