The people listed below were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Cleveland , Ohio .
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(September 2008 )
Downtown Cleveland
Tony Abbott , author of children's books
Richard F. Abel , U.S. Air Force Brigadier General
Tony Adamle , football player
Steven Adler , original drummer of Guns N' Roses
Corey Allen , film and television director, writer, producer, and actor
RaShaun Allen , football player
Gordon Allport , psychologist
Ernie Anderson , radio and TV personality
Ray Anthony , bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor
William Appling , music educator, conductor, pianist and arranger
Graham Armstrong , football player
Daniel Arsham , visual artist
Avant , singer
Max M. Axelrod , businessman and sports pioneer
Nathaniel Ayers , musician
Albert Ayler , musician
Brian Azzarello , comic book writer
Catherine Bach , actress (The Dukes of Hazzard )
Jim Backus , actor (Gilligan's Island , Mister Magoo )
Benny Bailey , musician
Rodney Bailey , football player
Edward M. Baker , investment broker
Jerome Baker , Ohio State linebacker drafted by the Miami Dolphins [1]
Newton D. Baker , mayor, Secretary of War
Bill Balas , screenwriter , director and producer
Kaye Ballard , actress
John Banaszak , football player, current coach at Robert Morris University
Robert Bardwell , former organist for the Cleveland Indians
Majel Barrett , actress
Vanessa Bayer , comedian, Saturday Night Live
William Bayer , author
Brian Michael Bendis , comic book writer
Peter Bergman , actor and comedian, Firesign Theatre
Haley Bennett , actress
LeCharles Bentley , football player
Halle Berry , Academy Award -winning actress
Leon Bibb , TV news anchor
Charles Biederman , artist
Earl Billings , actor
David Birney , actor
Nina Blackwood , radio personality
Randy Blake , kickboxer
Hanne Blank , historian
Mark Bloch , artist
Max Bohm , artist
Flesh-n-Bone , rapper
Layzie Bone , rapper
Emma Scarr Booth , writer
Lynn Borden , actress
Marvin Bower , business theorist
Earl Boykins , basketball player
Christopher A. Boyko , United States Federal Judge
Alva Bradley , Indians owner, 1927–46
Lynn Brenne , Illinois state representative
Regina Brett , author, inspirational speaker and newspaper columnist
Jim Brickman , songwriter
Dana Brooke , pro wrestler, bodybuilder, fitness competitor, model
Robert Elton Brooker , business executive
Chris Broussard , sports analyst
Jim Brown , Hall of Fame football player
Paul Brown , NFL coach
Yvette Nicole Brown , actress (Drake & Josh , Community )
Charles Brush , inventor
Christian Bryant , football player
Eliza Bryant (1827–1907), humanitarian
Henrietta Buckmaster (1909–1983), journalist and author
Jan Buckner Walker , cruciverbalist, author and games creator
Hy Buller (1926–1968), All-Star NHL ice hockey player
Isabel Burgess , Arizona state legislator
Beatrice Burton , romance writer
Steve Burton , actor
Judith Butler , philosopher
Anthony O. Calabrese Jr. , judge
Jerrod Calhoun , basketball coach for the Youngstown State Penguins
Jane L. Campbell , mayor
Drew Carey , comedian (The Drew Carey Show , host of popular game show The Price Is Right )
Mary Carey , adult film actress
Eric Carmen , singer and musician
Wynona Carr , gospel singer
Wesley Carroll , football player
Drew Carter , football player
Janis Carter , actress
William Case , 12th mayor of Cleveland
Ray Cash , rapper
Ariel Castro , kidnapper
Andy Cannavino , football player
Richard Celeste , Ohio governor
Chris Chambers , football player
Jason Champion , singer
Tracy Chapman , singer[2]
Tim Cheatwood , Ohio State and pro football player, Cleveland Gladiators of Arena Football League and Canadian Football League all-star
Cheetah Chrome (Eugene Richard O'Connor), punk rock guitarist for Rocket from the Tombs and The Dead Boys
Charles Chesnutt , author
Howie Chizek , radio personality
Kristina Cho , cookbook author and blogger
John Choma , football player
Frank Clark , football player
Gilby Clarke , musician
Bill Cobbs , actor
Henry D. Coffinberry , industrialist
Marc Cohn , musician
Carl Cohen , executive, father of Corey Allen
Davon Coleman , football player
George E. Condon , journalist, writer, and local historian
Tim Conway , comedian and actor
David Conte , composer
Rita Corrigan , All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
Tom Cousineau , football player
James Cotton , football player
Franklin Cover , actor
Delbert Cowsette , football player
Wes Craven , film director
George Washington Crile , co-founder of the Cleveland Clinic , gave first successful blood transfusion
George Washington Crile Jr. , surgeon
George Washington Crile III , CBS news, journalist and producer
Susan Crile , painter
Dartanyon Crockett , competitive Judo athlete
Matt Cross , professional wrestler
Francis Earl Curran , 28th mayor of San Diego , California
Harvey Cushing , neurosurgeon
DaBaby , rapper
Tadd Dameron , composer
Dorothy Dandridge , actress
David A. Dangler (born 1826), member of the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate[3]
William H. Daniels , cinematographer
Mac Danzig , mixed martial artist
Khashyar Darvich , documentary filmmaker
Harry L. Davis , mayor, governor
Ruby Dee , actress
Donald DeFreeze , leader of Symbionese Liberation Army
Ed Delahanty , baseball player[4]
Cheri Dennis , singer
Dominic Dieter , radio personality
Tony Discenzo , football player
Charles Dolan , media mogul
Larry Dolan , owner of the Cleveland Indians
Patty Donahue , singer
Phil Donahue , television personality
Stephen R. Donaldson , novelist
Conya Doss , singer
Mike Douglas , singer and television personality
Herbert H. Dow , industrialist, Dow Chemical founder
Sharon Draper , educator
Stan Drayton , football coach
Keir Dullea , actor (2001: A Space Odyssey )
Jerry Dybzinski , baseball player
Mike Easler , baseball player
Dennis E. Eckart politician
Geraldine Edwards , baseball player
Kevin Edwards , basketball player
Eric Ehrmann , journalist
Paul Eiding , voice actor
Judyann Elder , actress
Jayrone Elliott , football player
Harlan Ellison , author
John A. Ellsler , acting teacher
Joe Eszterhas , screenwriter
Lee Evans , football player
John C. Ewers , ethnologist[5]
Sean Faris , actor
William Feather , publisher and author
Ed Feighan , politician
Bob Feller , Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
Dick Feagler , newspaper columnist, playwright and TV personality
Frederick Fennell , conductor
Cristina Ferrare , TV personality
George Fett , cartoonist
Bobby Few , musician
Rich Fields , meteorologist
Antwone Fisher , writer
London Fletcher , football player
Miriam Flynn , actress
Quinton Flynn , voice actor
Dezső Földes (1880–1950), Hungarian-born two-time Olympic champion saber fencer[6]
William Perry Fogg , author and adventurer
George L. Forbes , president of Cleveland City Council , 1974–1989
Dave Ford , baseball player
Mark Foster , lead singer and founding member of Foster the People
Alan Freed , radio personality
Jonathan Freeman , Broadway and voice actor
Benny Friedman (1905–1982), Hall of Fame NFL football quarterback
Dan Friedman , graphic designer[7]
Dan Fritsche , hockey player
William Otto Frohring , biochemical researcher, inventor, and business executive
Dorothy Fuldheim , television journalist
Caroline Furness , astronomer
Neil Giraldo , singer
Denise Galik, actress
Michael X. Garrett , soldier
James A. Garfield , 20th President of the United States
Johnny Gargano , professional wrestler
Teri Garr , actress
Joe Gentile , author
Zelma George , opera singer and philanthropist
Sonny Geraci , musician
Redmond Gerard , Olympic snowboarder
Willie Gilbert , playwright
Ted Ginn Jr. , football player
Ted Ginn Sr. , Glenville High School football and basketball coach
Donald A. Glaser , Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Gary Glover , baseball player
Jim Glover , folk singer
Carlin Glynn , actress
Brad Goldberg , MLB baseball pitcher
Bob Golic , football player
Mike Golic , football player
Anthony Gonzalez , football player and politician
Jim Graner , sportscaster
Elvis Grbac , football player
Danny Greene , mobster
Norm Greeney , football player
Dorian Gregory , actor
Joel Grey , actor
Roger William Gries , bishop
Hiram Griswold (1807–1881), member of the Ohio Senate and defense lawyer of John Brown [8]
Tom Griswold , radio personality
DeJuan Groce , football player
Gordon Gund , NBA and NHL team owner
Mark Gunn , football player
John Guzik , football player
Stephen Gyllenhaal , film director, writer, and producer
Kathryn Hahn , actress
Imani Hakim , actress
Arsenio Hall , television personality
Roy Hall , football player
Charles Hamilton , rapper
Margaret Hamilton , actress, the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz
Anthony Hancock , football player
Greg Harbaugh , astronaut
Bill Hardman , musician
Dorothy Hart , actress
Kevin Hart , baseball player
Steve Harvey , comedian, actor
Mickey Hatcher , baseball player and coach[9]
Jeff Hatrix , musician
Screamin' Jay Hawkins , singer
Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr. , law professor
John Hay , statesman
Patricia Heaton , actress
Anne Heche , actress
John Heisman , football coach
Jerry Heller , music manager
John Henton , actor
Kim Herring , football player
John Hicks , football player
Dave Hill , comedian
Naz Hillmon , WNBA player
Jermale Hines , NFL player
Aubrey Hirsch , writer and illustrator
Wilson Hirschfeld , journalist
Alphonso Hodge , football player
Hal Holbrook , actor
Brian Holzinger , hockey player
Jessica Holmes , news anchor
Bob Hope , iconic comedian and actor
William R. Hopkins , politician, airport namesake
Desmond Howard , football player
Terrence Howard , actor
Stephanie Howse , politician
Andy Hrovat , college and Olympic wrestler
Benjamin Watson Hubbard , politician
Adella Prentiss Hughes , orchestra patron
Langston Hughes , poet and playwright
Jane Edna Hunter , social worker
Ross Hunter , film producer
Michael Hutter , pro wrestler
Diana Hyland , actress
Arthur J. Jackson , Medal of Honor recipient
Frank G. Jackson , former mayor of Cleveland
Tom Jackson , football player, ESPN sportscaster
Jeff Johnson
Larry Johnson , baseball player
Philip Johnson , architect
Cardale Jones , football player
Dre'Mont Jones , football player
Mary Jordan , Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Rajiv Joseph , Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Joe Jurevicius , football player
Sean Kanan , actor
Carol Kane , actress
Roberta A. Kaplan , lawyer
Sidney Katz , physician
Sammy Kaye , bandleader
Roger A. Keats , businessman and politician
Jason Kelce , football player
Travis Kelce , football player
Clark Kellogg , basketball player, sportscaster
Machine Gun Kelly , rapper
Jayne Kennedy , television personality
Kid Cudi , hip-hop artist
Lee Kiefer , Olympic fencer
Mary Jo Kilroy , politician
King Chip , hip-hop artist
Don King , boxing promoter
Fred Kohler , chief of police, mayor
Boris Kolker , language translator
Robert Kovacik , tv journalist
Richard J. Kramer , CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Valdis Krebs , author
Dennis Kucinich , politician
Marshon Lattimore , NFL player
Dale Launer , screenwriter
Peter Laughner , musician, Rocket from the Tombs, Pere Ubu
Frank Lausche , Cleveland mayor, Ohio governor and senator
Jantel Lavender , basketball player
Jerry Lawler , wrestler and commentator
Jerome Lawrence , playwright
Hal Lebovitz , sportswriter
Mike Lebowitz , attorney
Nicole Marie Lenz , actress
Al Lerner , pianist, composer
Gerald Levert , singer
Sean Levert , singer
D. A. Levy , poet
Matthew N. Levy , physiologist
Fannie Lewis , Cleveland's longest serving female council member
Jazsmin Lewis , actress
Peter B. Lewis , businessman
David Lighty , basketball player
Dwight Little , film director
Frank Lockhart , auto racer, Indy 500 champion
Steve Logan , basketball player
Joe Lovano , saxophonist
Michelangelo Lovelace , artist
Jim Lovell , astronaut
G. David Low , astronaut
Chris Lozano , mixed martial arts fighter
James S. Mace , politician
Steve Malovic (1956–2007), American-Israeli basketball player[10]
Henry Mancini , Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer
Madeline Manning , track and field Olympic gold medalist
Nick Margevicius , MLB pitcher
Flora Stone Mather , philanthropist
Samuel Mather , philanthropist, industrialist
Diane McBain , actress
Liz McComb , singer
Michael McElroy , actor
Tim McGee , football player
Tommy Mercer , professional wrestler
Burgess Meredith , actor (Rocky , Grumpy Old Men , Batman )
Biagio Messina , TV producer, filmmaker, actor
Howard Metzenbaum , former State Representative and U.S. Senator
Bill Mitchell , automotive designer
Nick Mileti , sports mogul
Tim Misny , lawyer
The Miz , pro wrestler
Antwaun Molden , football player
Isabela Moner , singer and actress
Richard Montanari
Toccara Montgomery , Olympic wrestler
Fred Moore (tomb sentinel) , first African American tomb guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington) [11] [12] Moore's achievement broke one of the US Army ’s most historic color lines .[13] [14]
Rudy Ray Moore , actor
Anthony Morgan , football player
Daniel E. Morgan , politician
Garrett Morgan , inventor of the Safety Hood
William Alexander Morgan , former soldier who moved to Cuba to help the Cuban Revolution
Lorin Morgan-Richards , author and illustrator, primarily of children's books.
Tom Moriarty , football player
Greg Morris , actor
Toni Morrison (1931–2019), Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
Albert Reynolds Morse , businessman and philanthropist
Bob Mrosko , football player
Scott Mruczkowski , football player
Tom Nagel , actor, film director, and producer
Fred Neil , folk singer, songwriter, and dolphin preservationist
Paul Newman , Oscar-winning actor, director, auto racer, philanthropist
Jonathan Newsome , NFL player
Kenneth Nichols , civil engineer and contributor to the Manhattan Project
Chuck Noll , coach of Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers
Andre Norton , science-fiction writer
Charles Oakley , basketball player
John O'Brien , author
Kelly O'Donnell , television journalist
Terrence O'Donnell , judge
Ron O'Neal , actor
Susan Orlean , journalist and author
Benjamin Orr , musician, The Cars
Jesse Owens , iconic athlete, Olympic champion
Walter Owens , Negro league baseball player
Mehmet Oz , doctor, television personality
Lawanda Page , actress
Paul Palnik , artist
Sam Palumbo , football player
Paula Jai Parker , actress
Marc Parnell , author and ornithologist
Rod Parsley , televangelist
Robert Patrick , actor
Gary Patterson , football coach
Ruben Patterson , basketball player
Virginia Patton , actress
Jake Paul , professional boxer
Logan Paul , internet celebrity
Henry B. Payne , politician[15]
Roger Peckinpaugh , baseball player
Harvey Pekar , comic book creator
Roger Penske , auto racing
Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins (1824-1905), minister, social reformer, editor, author
Charles B. Perry , lawyer, politician
Dav Pilkey , children's book author
Terry Pluto , sportswriter
Frank Pokorny , former member of the Ohio House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Ohio
Michael Polensek , member of the Cleveland City Council
John Popper , musician
Jason Popson , singer
James Posey , basketball player
Joe Posnanski , sportswriter
Monica Potter , actress
Beverly Potts , schoolgirl who famously disappeared in 1951
Joe Prokop , football player
Henry Prusoff (1912–1943), tennis player
Bob Ptacek , football player
Stanley Radwan , strongman and professional wrestler
Doria Ragland , mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Raz-B , real name DeMario Thornton, singer
Devine Redding , football player
Marge Redmond , actress
Lili Reinhart , actress
Jack Reynolds , broadcaster and professional wrestling announcer
Trent Reznor , singer-songwriter
James Ford Rhodes , industrialist and historian
Florence Rice , actress
Bill Rieth , football player
Eric Riley , basketball player
Jack Riley , actor
James Riordan ,actor
Barbara Roads , labor activist and flight attendant
Bumper Robinson , actor
John D. Rockefeller Jr. , American financer, philanthropist, son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller
Wilbur M. Root , Wisconsin politician
Terry Rozier , basketball player
Alan Ruck , actor
Michael Ruhlman , author
Rudolph Rummel , political scientist
Michael Rupp , hockey player
Anthony Russo , film director
Joe Russo , director
Steve Ruzich , football player
Joe Ryan , Alaska politician
JaKarr Sampson , pro basketball player
Steve Sanders , former professional football player
Perry Saturn , pro wrestler
Ollie Savatsky , football player
Scott Savol , singer, American Idol
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor
Moe Savransky (born 1929), Major League Baseball pitcher
Tom Schoen , football player
Xen C. Scott , football player, football, baseball, and basketball coach, and sportswriter
Ron Sega , astronaut, Air Force major-general
Ed Seward , 19th-century baseball player
Michael Shane , lawyer, actor
Molly Shannon , comedian and actress
Bonnie Shemie , author and illustrator
André Shepherd , United States Army Specialist who applied for asylum in Germany after deserting his unit
Dwight Shepherd , United States Navy officer and career Naval Flight Officer
Sam Sheppard , physician, convicted murderer
Henry Sherwin , co-founder of Sherwin-Williams paint
Cecil Shorts , football player
Phillip Shriver , historian, former college administrator, and former president of Miami University
Don Shula , Hall of Fame football coach
Joe Shuster , co-creator of Superman
Larry Shyatt , basketball coach
Jerry Siegel , co-creator of Superman
Ruth Simpson , lesbian activist, author
Eric Singer , musician, Kiss
Matija Škerbec , priest
Barbara Smith , activist
Beverly Smith , activist
Chuck Smith , baseball player and current mayor of Woodmere , Ohio, a Cleveland suburb
Martha Smith , actress, Animal House
Patricia Haynes Smith , member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Troy Smith , football player
Frank Solich , football player and current head coach for Ohio University
Ray Solomonoff , founder of artificial intelligence
Charles Somers , coal and baseball exec
Kath Soucie , voice actress
Tris Speaker , Hall of Fame baseball player
Nancy Spero , artist
Frank Stalletto , pro wrestler
Michael Stanley , singer-songwriter
George Steinbrenner III , owner of the New York Yankees
Brian Stepanek , actor
Lucy Stanton , abolitionist
Tom Stincic , football player
Carl B. Stokes , first African American mayor of a major US city, mayor of Cleveland 1968–71
Louis Stokes , 15-term U.S. Representative to Congress
Lori Stokes , American journalist and news anchor
Amasa Stone , philanthropist, railroad magnate, bridge builder
Robert D. Storey , philanthropist, university trustee, corporate director
Rich Stotter , football player
Vernon Stouffer , founder of Stouffer's foods and restaurants; Cleveland Indians owner
Brad Stuver , professional soccer player
Ed Sustersic , football player
Michael Symon , chef, restaurateur, TV personality
Nicholas Tatonetti , biomedical researcher
James Terry (born 1960), American-Israeli basketball player
Josh Robert Thompson , actor, voice actor, and impressionist
John Patrick Treacy , Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse
Jack Trice , football player; first African-American athlete at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University ); Jack Trice Stadium is currently the only Division 1 stadium or arena to be named after an African-American
Joseph Trohman , musician, Fall Out Boy
Demetrius Treadwell , basketball player
Hal Trosky Jr. , baseball player
Stephanie Tubbs Jones , politician
Barbara Turner , former WNBA basketball player who currently is an assistant coach for the Atlanta Dream
Julia Tuttle , businesswoman, the "mother of Miami"
Stephen Waldschmidt , playwright, actor
Neal Walk (1948–2015), basketball player
Joe Walsh , musician, The Eagles
Carl Walz , astronaut
Larry Wanke , football player
Denzel Ward , NFL cornerback with the Cleveland Browns [16]
Robert Ward , composer
Josephine Turpin Washington (1861–1949), educator and writer
Ted Wass , actor
Lew Wasserman , entertainment agent
Bill Watterson , artist, author of Calvin and Hobbes
Sharon Waxman (born c.1963), journalist
Mary Ellen Weber , astronaut
Scott Weiland , musician, Stone Temple Pilots
Tom Weiskopf , golfer
Jayson Wells (born 1976), basketball player
Bill Wertz , baseball player
Roland West , film director
Jack Weston , actor
Michael R. White , mayor of Cleveland 1990–2002
Kym Whitley , actress
Donte Whitner , football player
Eric Wilkerson , football player
Archibald Willard , painter
Fred Willard , actor
Aaron Williams , boxer
Doc Williams , singer
Jawad Williams , basketball player
Debra Winger , actress
Alexander Winton , Scottish-born auto racer
Lindsey Witten NFL player
Bobby Womack , singer
Cecil Womack , singer
Mike Woods , football player
Pierre Woods , football player
Evan Wright , writer
Frank Wright , jazz musician
Shane Wynn , NFL player
Clyde X , leader in the Nation of Islam
"Dan Friedman" . Collections . Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Retrieved 1 October 2012 .
The US Department of Defense. “First African American Tomb Guard Recalls ‘Walking the Mat’.” JACQUELINE M. HAMES, SOLDIERS MAGAZINE. NEWS. FEB. 18, 2015.
U.S. Army. “First African-American Tomb Guard recalls journey.” Staff Sgt. Megan Garcia, 3rd U.S. Inf. Regt. "The Old Guard" Public Affairs. February 27, 2012.
Hilltop Times. “BLACK HISTORY MONTH: FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TOMB GUARD.” By Jacqueline M. Hames, Soldiers Magazine. February 26, 2015.