List of people from Arizona

The following are people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the state of Arizona and/or the Arizona Territory.

Art, Literature, Journalism, and Poetry

Art

Max Cannon (born 1962) - alternative cartoonist
Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born 1943) - fine artist (real name of Superstar Billy Graham)
Paolo Soleri (1919-2013) - architect

Literature

Diana Gabaldon (born 1952) - novelist
Kevin Hearne (born 1970) - novelist
Stephenie Meyer (born 1973) - author, teen literature novelist, Twilight series
Barbara Park (1947 - 2013) - author of the Junie B. Jones series
Brady Udall (born 1971) - author

Journalism

Jonathan Rauch (born 1960) - author, journalist and activist

Poetry

Ai (1947–2010) - poet and educator
Jon Anderson (1940-2007) - poet and educator
Jayne Cortez (1934-2012) - poet, activist, small press publisher and spoken-word performance artist
Norman Dubie (born 1945) - poet, educator, Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University
Alberto Ríos (born 1952) - poet, author, Arizona's first state poet laureate, Regents Professor and Katharine C. Turner Endowed Chair in English at Arizona State University
Richard Shelton (born 1933) - poet, writer, and emeritus Regents Professor of English at the University of Arizona
Jim Simmerman (1952–2006) - poet and editor
Luci Tapahonso (born 1953) - poet and educator
Ofelia Zepeda (born 1952) - poet and educator

Film and theater

Erika Alexander (born 1969) - actress
Steve Allen (1921–2000) - comedian, actor, composer, author, known as "The Father of TV Talk Shows"
Samaire Armstrong (born 1980) - actress, Juliet Darling on Dirty Sexy Money and Anna Stern on The O.C.
Jules Asner (born 1968) - actress and host of E!'s show Wild On!
Jaime Lyn Bauer (born 1949) - soap opera actress, played Lauralee Brooks on The Young and the Restless and Laura Spencer Horton on Days of Our Lives
Sandra Bernhard (born 1955) - actress, comedian
Michael Biehn (born 1956) - actor, The Terminator, Tombstone
Mika Boorem (born 1987) - actress, The Tom Show
Jordan Capri (born 1984) - model, actress
Lynda Carter (born 1951) - actress and singer, known for "Wonder Woman", 1972 Miss World U.S.A.
Brady Corbet (born 1988) - actor
Matt Dallas (born 1982) - actor, Kyle XY
Ted Danson (born 1947) - actor, Cheers, CSI
Rosemary DeCamp (1910–2001) - actress, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Bob Cummings Show
Andy Devine (1905–1977) - actor, Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Charles Dudley (1883–1952) - stage and film actor, studio make-up artist
Barbara Eden (born 1934) - actress, I Dream of Jeannie
Gail Edwards (born 1952) - actress, known for her roles in It's a Living, Blossom, and Full House
Jack Elam (1918–2003) - actor
Michael Ensign (born 1944) - actor, Boston Legal
Pablo Francisco (born 1974) - stand-up comedian, actor
Sammi Hanratty (born 1995) - child actress, The Unit, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Alexa Havins (born 1980) - actress, All My Children, One Life to Live, Torchwood
Amelia Heinle (born 1973) - actress, Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless; also played Mia Saunders on All My Children
David Henrie (born 1989) - actor, Wizards of Waverly Place, How I Met Your Mother, That's So Raven
Catherine Hicks (born 1951) - actress, 7th Heaven, Child's Play
Earl Hindman (1942–2003) - actor, Ryan's Hope, Home Improvement
Gregg Hoffman (1963–2005) - film producer
Michael Horse (born 1951) - artist, actor, Twin Peaks, Passenger 57
Dominic Janes (born 1994) - teen actor, ER, Out of Jimmy's Head, Dexter
Brad Johnson (born 1959) - actor
Tanner Maguire (born 1998) - child actor, Young Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives
Taryn Manning (born 1978) - actress, fashion designer, singer/songwriter
Abigail Mavity (born 1993) - actress
Josh McDermitt (born 1978) - actor, comedian, Dr. Eugene Porter on The Walking Dead
Rachel Melvin (born 1985) - actress, Chelsea Brady on Days of Our Lives
Jenny Mollen (born 1979) - actress
Heather Morris (born 1987) - actress, Brittany Pierce on Glee
Tarah Paige (born 1982) - actress, dancer, gymnast, Make It or Break It
Mary Louise Parker (born 1964) - actress, Weeds, graduated from Marcos de Niza High School, Tempe
Valerie Perrine (born 1943) - actress, Superman, Lenny
Larry Pine (born 1945) - actor
Greg Proops (born 1959) - actor, comedian
Liz Renay (1926–2007) - actress
Terry Rhoads (born 1951) - actor
Jennifer Rubin (born 1962) - actress, model
Kylee Saunders (born 1994) - Japanese-American singer
Garry Shandling (born 1949) - actor, comedian, The Larry Sanders Show
David Spade (born 1965) - actor, comedian, Saturday Night Live, Tommy Boy, Just Shoot Me
Fay Spain (1932–1983) - actress
Chelsea Staub (born 1988) - actress, singer, Jonas L.A., Fish Hooks
Emma Stone (born 1988) - actress, The Help, Crazy, Stupid, Love., The Amazing Spider-Man
Janet Varney (born 1976) - actress, On the Lot
Kate Walsh (born 1967) - actress, Dr. Addison Montgomery on Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice
Scott William Winters (born 1965) - actor, Oz, NYPD Blue
Jason Zumwalt (born 1975) - actor, comedian, known as voice of Roman in Grand Theft Auto IV

Military and war

Ira Hayes (1923–1955) - United States Marine Corps, World War II, helped to raise United States flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima
Ralph S. Johnson (1906–2010) - aviator and former member of the Wyoming House of Representatives who retired to Scottsdale and Tempe
Frank Luke (1897–1918) - World War I fighter pilot, Medal of Honor Recipient
Lori Piestewa (1979–2003) - United States Army, first Native American woman from Arizona to be killed in war; Iraq War, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War Medal recipient
Pat Tillman (1976–2004) - United States Army, Afghanistan Silver Star recipient, college and NFL football player

Music

Jim Adkins (born 1975) - lead singer and guitarist for the band Jimmy Eat World
Rex Allen (1920–1999) - singer-songwriter, actor, known as "The Arizona Cowboy"
Ryan Avery - musician, comedian, performance artist
Chester Bennington (born 1976) - singer for the band Linkin Park
Dierks Bentley - country singer (Phoenix)
Derrick Bostrom (born 1960) - Meat Puppets drummer
Jess Bowen (born 1989) - alternative rock musician, drummer of The Summer Set
Michelle Branch (born 1983) - singer-songwriter, guitarist
Kennedy Brock (born 1989) - alternative rock musician, guitarist of The Maine
Glen Campbell - singer, musician and actor; inductee to Country Music Hall of Fame
Alice Cooper (born 1948) - rock and roll singer
Brian Dales (born 1989) - alternative rock musician, lead singer of The Summer Set
Duane Eddy – singer, inductee of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Linda Eder (born 1961) - singer, Broadway star and recording artist
Travis Edmonson (1932–2009) - singer-songwriter, part of folk duo Bud & Travis
David Ellefson (born 1964) - bass guitar player and co-founder of the metal band Megadeth
Dolan Ellis (born 1935) - singer-songwriter, official State Balladeer since 1966, original member of New Christy Minstrels
Esteban – musician
Frank Fafara - early 1960s pop singer, TV star of Wallace & Ladmo Show^[1]
Steve George - of the group Mr. Mister
John Gomez (born 1991) - alternative rock musician, guitarist of The Summer Set
Stephen Gomez (born 1988) - alternative rock musician, bassist of The Summer Set
Lalo Guerrero (1916–2005) - singer-songwriter, known as "The Father of Chicano Music," recipient of the National Medal of Arts
Waylon Jennings – singer; inductee to Country Music Hall of Fame
Joe Jonas - lead singer of the Jonas Brothers
Maynard James Keenan – actor, frontman for Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer
Patrick Kirch (born 1990) - alternative rock musician, drummer of The Maine
Cris Kirkwood (born 1960) - guitar and vocals for the Meat Puppets
Katie Lee - folk singer
Charles Mingus (1922–1979) - jazz bassist, composer and bandleader
Josh Montgomery (born 1988) - alternative rock musician, guitarist of The Summer Set
Dave Mustaine (born 1961) - frontman and founder of the metal band Megadeth
Jason Newsted - former bassist of heavy metal band Metallica
Wayne Newton (born 1942) - singer, known as "Mr. Las Vegas"
Stevie Nicks (born 1948) - Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, known for solo work and as lead singer with Fleetwood Mac
Buck Owens - country singer and musician; inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame (Mesa)
Richard Page - of the group Mr. Mister
CeCe Peniston - pop singer
Marty Robbins (1925–1982) - country music singer
Linda Ronstadt (born 1946) - singer and songwriter, 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
Nate Ruess (born 1982) - lead singer of Fun. and formerly of The Format
Alvie Self - 1960s musician and singer
Bob Shane (born 1934) - singer, founding member of The Kingston Trio
Jordin Sparks (born 1989) - singer, winner of American Idol Season 6
Tanya Tucker (born 1958) - country singer
Brooke White (born 1983) - indie pop, folk-pop singer

Old West era

Apache Kid (1860–1896?) - outlaw, reported killer of three Arizona lawmen 1889–1890^[2]
Cochise (1812–1874) - chief of the Chiricahua Apache
Geronimo (1829–1909) - leader of Chiricahua Apache who fought against encroachment of European settlers on Native American lands; hero of Native American fight for respect and independence
James Reavis (1843–1914) - self-styled "Baron of Arizona," claimed to have owned much of Arizona

Politics

Thad Allen (born 1949) - retired U.S. Coast Guard admiral; National Incident Commander under President Barack Obama
Joe Arpaio – Maricopa County Sheriff
Bruce Babbitt (born 1938) - former Governor of Arizona (1978-1987), and Secretary of the Interior in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001)
Harriet C. Babbitt (born 1947) - First Lady of Arizona (1978-1987), U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (1993-1997), and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (1997-2001)
William Docker Browning (1931–2008) - federal judge
Dean Burch - former chairman of the Republican National Committee
César Chávez (1927–1993) - labor union leader
Dennis DeConcini - (born 1937) retired U.S. Senator (1977–1994)
Gabrielle Giffords - (born 1970) - U.S. Representative, wounded in the 2011 Tucson shooting
Barry M. Goldwater (1909–1998) - U.S. Senator
Carl Hayden (1877–1972) - U.S. Senator, holds the record for the longest service in the U.S. Congress
Don Lorenzo Hubbell - Arizona State Senator
John C. Keegan - judge, legislator, Mayor of Peoria
Lisa Keegan - legislator, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Denison Kitchel (1908-2002) - Scottsdale lawyer and the Goldwater presidential national campaign manager in 1964^[3]
Rex E. Lee (1935–1996) - United States Solicitor General during the Reagan Administration
John McCain (born 1936) - U.S. Senator, former Navy Officer and Vietnam POW
Sandra Day O'Connor (born 1930) - first female Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Mary Peters (born 1948) - United States Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush
William Rehnquist (1924–2005) - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
John Shadegg (born 1949) - former U.S. representative from Phoenix
Stephen Shadegg (1909-1990) - political consultant associated with Barry Goldwater
John G.F. Speiden (1900–1970) Rancher and political insider. Various state boards.
Glenn Spencer - advocate against illegal immigration
Jack Taylor - mayor of Mesa from 1966 to 1972; member of both houses, consecutively, of the Arizona legislature
David King Udall - Arizona Territorial Legislature
Don Taylor Udall - Arizona State Legislature
Jesse Addison Udall - Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
John Hunt Udall - Mayor of Phoenix
Levi Stewart Udall - Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
Nick Udall - Mayor of Phoenix
Mark Udall - Senator from Colorado
Morris "Mo" Udall (1922–1998) - U.S. Congressman and former pro-basketball player
Stewart Udall (born 1920) - U.S. Congressman and Secretary of the Interior during the JFK and LBJ administrations