fAMous ArkAnsAns Some

say Bill and Hillary Clinton put Arkansas on the map (though Congressman Wilbur Mills’ fling with Fanne Fox did their bit to draw attention to an Arkansas politician). But politicians aside, several famous folks, from coaches to writers to musicians, were produced in Arkansas. Here are a few:

PAUL WILLIAM BRYANT

(Sept. 11, 1913-Jan. 26, 1983)

Born in Kingsland, this legendary football coach got his nickname after wrestling a bear during a carnival promotion when he was just 13 years old. Paul “Bear” Bryant would go on to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide for 25 years and amass six national championships and 13 conference championships. Upon his retirement in 1982, he held the record for the most wins (323) as a head coach in collegiate football history. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, Paul W. Bryant Hall, Paul W. Bryant Drive, and Bryant–Denny Stadium are all named in his honor at the University of Alabama. He was also known for his trademark black and white houndstooth hat.

GLEN CAMPBELL

(April 22, 1936-Aug. 8, 2017)

Born in Delight, Campbell grew up poor and helped his family make ends meet by picking cotton. He started playing guitar at age 4 and by age 6 he was performing on local radio stations. In the ’60’s he moved to Los Angeles and became a session musician playing with the likes of the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley. Some of Campbell’s most popular songs were “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.” He released 64 albums in a career that spanned five decades, selling over 45 million records worldwide, including 12 gold albums, four platinum albums and one double-platinum album.

JOHNNY CASH

(Feb. 26, 1932–Sept. 12, 2003)

The Man in Black, famous for his baritone and for rocking penitentiaries, was born in the small community of Kingsland. At 3, he and his family moved to Dyess, where he worked cotton fields with his family, singing as they worked. His family’s struggles to make ends meet during the Depression gave him a strong appreciation for the poor working class, a history that is evident in many of his songs. He sold more than 90 million records across the globe and won 18 Grammy awards for songs like “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” and “Hurt.”

(Aug. 19, 1946)

The 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope three months after his father died in a traffic accident. When he was 4 years old, his mother married Roger Clinton and the family moved to Hot Springs. He later took his stepfather’s last name. Clinton was elected Arkansas Attorney General in 1976 and governor in 1978. He lost his first bid for a second term in 1980, but regained the office in 1982. He remained governor until 1993 and served as president 1994-2001.

(Oct. 26, 1947)

Although Hillary Clinton wasn’t born and raised in Arkansas, she did leave a mark in the state’s history with her work on educational and other issues as the state’s first lady. After her husband’s term in office as president ended, she would go on to serve as a U.S. senator from New York 2001-2009, as the Secretary of State 2009-2013, and as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in the 2016 presidential election, becoming the first woman to win a nomination for the country’s highest office. Clinton won the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College, which elected Donald Trump.

This American rock band was formed in Little Rock in 1995 by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody . The band made it big in 2003 with its first full-length album, “Fallen,” which included hit singles “My Immortal” and “Bring Me to Life.”

(April 13, 1946)

Albert Leornes Greene, better known as Al Green, was born in Forrest City. He became a singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer and is known for his soul hit singles “Take Me to the River,” “Love and Happiness” and “Let’s Stay Together.” Green, the winner of 11 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. He was ranked No. 65 on the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 14th on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers.

(Feb. 8, 1955)

Born in Jonesboro, this American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th District of the Mississippi House of Representatives, is known for his popular legal thrillers. Grisham has written 28 consecutive No. 1 fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three authors to have sold 2 million copies on a first printing. Grisham’s first bestseller, “The Firm,” sold more than 7 million copies and later was adapted into a feature film of the same name starring Tom Cruise, and later into a 2012 TV series. Other novels that have also been adapted into films: “The Chamber,” “The Client,” “A Painted House,” “The Pelican Brief,” “The Rainmaker,” “The Runaway Jury” and “Skipping Christmas.”

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