Famous People From Mississippi

Internationally recognised American singer, songwriter and actress, Britney Spears entered the entertainment industry at an early age and later became highly successful as a solo artist with her albums, Baby One More Time, and Oops!…I Did It Again. The Princess of Pop has since released a number of albums and dabbled with acting. Her personal life has also garnered frequent media attention.

Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most iconic figures in America who broke many barriers to become one of the most influential women in the country. She is a role model for the black community and is also a fierce feminist. Her path-breaking The Oprah Winfrey Show mostly based on lives of common people catapulted her to unprecedented stardom.

A veteran actor with a career spanning more than seven decades, James Earl Jones has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors. He initially aspired to be a doctor but fate had other plans for him. He began his career as a stage actor and soon joined films as well.

Brett Favre is a former American football player who spent the majority of his National Football League career with the Green Bay Packers. Apart from being a retired player with several achievements and records under his belt, Favre is also a philanthropist; in 1996, he set up the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, which has donated over $2 million to charities.

Jim Henson was an American animator, puppeteer, cartoonist, inventor, actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and composer. He is credited with creating The Muppets, an ensemble cast of puppet characters, for which he achieved worldwide popularity. He is also credited with co-founding Muppets, Inc. in 1958, which eventually became The Jim Henson Company. In 2011, Jim Henson was named a Disney Legend.

Jerry Rice is a former American footballer. He played primarily for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Thanks to his several records and accomplishments, Rice is considered one of the greatest players and the greatest wide receiver in the history of NFL. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him second on its Football's 100 Greatest Players list.

Singer and guitarist Robert Johnson is remembered as a Delta blues legend. Lack of proper documentation of his early life led to various legends surrounding him, such as one that claimed he had made a deal with the Devil to excel in music. He also inspired an award-winning biography. 

The singer of chartbuster songs like The Boy Is Mine, I Wanna be Down and Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy Norwood is known for her raspy and husky voice. Most of her songs are about love, relationships and heartache. She was involved in a car accident in 2006, leading to multiple lawsuits, which were eventually settled out of court.

The oldest of the popular Roberts siblings, Eric Roberts is an acclaimed American actor. In a career spanning more than four decades, Eric Roberts has gathered more than 596 credits, one of few actors to do so since the 1970s. Eric Roberts has been on the wrong side of the law on a couple of occasions for possession of drugs.

Jimmy Buffett is an American musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and businessman. Buffett, who owns the Margaritaville Cafe chain of restaurants, is one of the richest musicians in the world. Also known for his charity work, Jimmy Buffett is credited with founding a non-profit group called Save the Manatee Club, which works towards the conservation of manatees.

Diane Ladd is an American actress, author, and filmmaker. Over the years, Diane Ladd has contributed immensely to the success of several films and TV series. Perhaps, her greatest contribution to Hollywood is guiding and mentoring her daughter and Academy Award-winning actress Laura Dern. Both Ladd and Dern received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for the film Rambling Rose. 

Laura Bailey wanted to become a biologist but ended up being one of the busiest voice actors of the US instead. She was 18 when she debuted as Kid Trunks in the anime Dragon Ball Z and never looked back. She later appeared in the web series Critical Role and Dungeons & Dragons.

Gerald McRaney is an American actor best known for contributing to the success of television shows, such as House of Cards, Simon & Simon, Promised Land, and Major Dad. Having played a Marine Corps officer and a veteran on-screen, McRaney has always been supportive of soldiers and veterans. He has also been a part of the Wounded Warrior Project.

American rapper, singer-songwriter, and controversial figure Ray J made headlines for reasons other than what he is usually known for when he introduced a line of electronics to the US market after founding Raytroniks Inc. Among the products, the Scoot-E-Bike brand grew exponentially and had an impact on the American bike market. 

Dana Andrews was an American actor who achieved popularity during the 1940s. His film career declined in the 1950s, partly due to alcoholism, which he eventually overcame by working with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Later in his life, he started focusing on his real estate business. He died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure in 1992.

Newton Knight was an American soldier, farmer, and Southern Unionist in Mississippi. He is best remembered for leading a band of Confederate army deserters known as the Knight Company, who opposed the Confederacy during the American Civil War. His life and work have inspired films, such as Tap Roots and Free State of Jones.

Stella Stevens is an American actress best known for playing important roles in popular films, such as Girls! Girls! Girls! and The Nutty Professor. Renowned for her good looks, Stevens was one of the world's most photographed women during the 1960s. She also appeared in Playboy pictorials and was adjudged Playmate of the Month in January 1960.

Marty Stuart is an American bluegrass and country music singer, musician, and songwriter. Renowned for his combination of country rock, rockabilly, and bluegrass music style, Stuart has won five Grammy Awards so far. Marty Stuart is currently among the board members of the Country Music Foundation. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2020.

Multiple Grammy-winning legendary opera singer and musical diva Leontyne Price became the first singer of African-American origin who achieved international fame in opera. She soared to fame with her appearance in the TV production of Tosca and later performed at iconic venues, such as London’s Royal Opera House.