List of people from Bakersfield, California

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A list of notable people from Bakersfield, California, in order to be included they need to have an article and clear connection to the city;

Notable people[]

Arts[]

Designers[]

  • Marc Davis – animator and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, born in Bakersfield.
  • Poy Gum Lee – architect, died in Bakersfield[1]

Visual artists[]

  • Greg Colson – visual artist
  • Tyrus Wong – calligrapher, artist, animator, married in 1937 in Bakersfield[2]

Business, entrepreneur[]

  • Ric Drasin – designer of Gold's Gym and World Gym logos, retired professional wrestler, actor, author

Crime[]

  • Vincent Brothers – convicted murderer; shot and stabbed five members of his family to death
  • Rodolfo Cadena – Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, one of the founders of the Mexican Mafia, basis of character played by Edward James Olmos in the film American Me

Entertainment[]

Film, television, actors, models[]

  • Ana Lily Amirpour – filmmaker, director, writer
  • Noah Beery – actor
  • Robert Beltran -– actor
  • Justin Berry – former teenage webcam pornographer and public speaker
  • Kelli Garner – actress
  • Frank Gifford – television sportscaster, college and professional football player
  • Justin Gordon – actor, producer, artist
  • Fay Helm – actress
  • Brian Hooks – actor, Soul Plane, Three Strike
  • Nathan Jung – actor, martial artist, stunt coordinator
  • Dalene Kurtis – model, former Playboy Playmate of the Year
  • Joanne Linville – actress
  • Guy Madison – actor
  • Roger Mathey – theatrical director, actor, playwright, producer
  • Derek Mears – actor and stuntman
  • Michelle St. John – actress, singer, director, producer; born in Bakersfield.[citation needed]
  • Sigrid Valdis – actress

Musicians[]

  • David Benoit - jazz pianist
  • Jo Ann Castle - pianist, The Lawrence Welk Show'
  • Brandon Cruz - punk musician and former child actor
  • Merle Haggard - singer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
  • Michael Lockwood - guitarist and music producer
  • Kareem Lopez - musician
  • Mary Osborne - jazz guitarist
  • Buck Owens - singer, musician Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
  • Jon Pardi - country singer, songwriter
  • Gregory Porter - singer
  • Sheléa - singer, songwriter
  • Lawrence Tibbett - baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera
  • Grant Whitson - drummer for Arlington (band)[3]
Bands[]
  • Adema – rock band (Tim Fluckey, Dave DeRoo, Kris Kohls, Mark Chavez, Mike Ransom)
  • Burning Image - deathrock band (Moe Adame, Tony Bonanno, Paul Burch, Anthony Leyva)
  • The Def Dames - female rap duo, hip hop musicians
  • Korn – Grammy Award-winning metal band
    • Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
    • Jonathan Davis
    • James "Munky" Shaffer
    • David Silveria
    • Brian "Head" Welch

Government, law, politics[]

The Bush House in Bakersfield: In 1949, George H. W. Bush (41st President) moved here to sell oil field equipment with son, George W. Bush (43rd President), who was three years old at the time.[4][5]
  • Leonard L. Alvarado - Medal of Honor Recipient, Specialist 4th Class, United States Army - Republic of Vietnam 1969
  • General Edward Fitzgerald Beale - Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada (1850s), Surveyor General of California and Nevada (1860s), U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1870s), founder of Tejon Ranch
  • Vince Fong - Politician in California State Assembly[6]
  • Harvey Hall - past Mayor of Bakersfield (2001-2016)
  • Kevin McCarthy - California Congressman, House Republican Leader
  • Ken Mettler - past president (2008-2010) of the California Republican Assembly
  • Erik Paulsen - Minnesota Congressman
  • Walter W. Stiern - California Democratic State Senator
  • Earl Warren - Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, former governor of California

Science, medicine, academia[]

  • Hans Einstein - world's foremost authority on Valley Fever
  • Carver Mead - pioneer in the field of VLSI design, inventor of the concept of neuromorphic computing

Sports[]

Olympics[]

  • Jake Varner - Olympic Gold Medalist, 2012 London Games (2x NCAA Div. 1 Champion)

Baseball[]

  • Larry Barnes - California Angels first baseman
  • Corbin Burnes - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher
  • Johnny Callison - Philadelphia Phillies right fielder
  • Phil Dumatrait - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, first-round draft pick
  • Jack Hiatt - catcher
  • Leon Lee - Nippon Professional Baseball player and manager
  • Colby Lewis - Texas Rangers pitcher, first-round draft pick
  • William "Buckshot" May - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher
  • Brent Morel - Chicago White Sox third baseman
  • Kurt Miller - pitcher for Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs
  • Steve Ontiveros - infielder for San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs
  • Dave Rader - catcher
  • Rick Sawyer - pitcher for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres
  • Todd Walker - second baseman
  • Bruce Walton - pitcher for Montreal Expos, pitching coach for Toronto Blue Jays
  • Jake Woods - Seattle Mariners pitcher

Basketball[]

Football[]

  • Mike Ariey - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers
  • Jon Baker - NFL and CFL player
  • Theo Bell - wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, earned Super Bowl rings in 1979 and 1980
  • Jeff Buckey - starting offensive lineman for Miami Dolphins
  • Vern Burke - tight end for San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons
  • David Carr - quarterback, first overall selection in 2002 NFL Draft (Houston Texans), won Super Bowl with New York Giants
  • Derek Carr - quarterback for Oakland Raiders, Mountain West Conference Player of the Year for Fresno State
  • Frank Gifford - Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, broadcaster
  • Cory Hall - safety for Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington Redskins
  • Joe Hawley - center for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • A.J. Jefferson - free safety for Arizona Cardinals
  • Cody Kessler - quarterback for Cleveland Browns and USC Trojans
  • Rodney Leisle - defensive tackle for New Orleans Saints, member of 2009 Super Bowl-winning team
  • Jordan Love- backup quarterback for the Green bay packers
  • Bob McCaffrey - center for USC Trojans and Green Bay Packers
  • Brent McClanahan - running back for Minnesota Vikings
  • Ray Mansfield - center for Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Brock Marion - Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl player
  • Jerry Marion - wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, father of Brock
  • Ryan Mathews - running back for Philadelphia Eagles and former Fresno State All-American
  • Aaron Merz - offensive lineman for University of California and Buffalo Bills
  • Stephen Neal - lineman for New England Patriots, Super Bowl champion, NCAA wrestling champion, world gold medalist, Olympian
  • Mark Nichols - wide receiver for Detroit Lions
  • Jared Norris - NFL player
  • Larry Parker - wide receiver for USC Trojans and Kansas City Chiefs
  • Joey Porter - All-Pro and Pro Bowl outside linebacker, member of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion team in 2006
  • Rocky Rasley - guard for Detroit Lions
  • D. J. Reed - free safety for Seattle Seahawks
  • Randy Rich - defensive back for Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns
  • Greg Robinson - defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos, University of Michigan
  • Ken Ruettgers - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers
  • Colton Schmidt - punter for Buffalo Bills
  • Rashaan Shehee - running back for Kansas City Chiefs
  • L. J. Shelton - offensive tackle for Arizona Cardinals
  • Jeff Siemon - Pro Bowl linebacker for Minnesota Vikings, inducted to College Football Hall of Fame in 2006
  • Kevin Smith - tight end for UCLA, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers
  • Jeremy Staat - defensive lineman for Pittsburgh Steelers, United States Marine
  • Jason Stewart - defensive tackle for Indianapolis Colts in 1994
  • Michael Stewart - safety for Miami Dolphins
  • John Tarver - running back for New England Patriots in 1970s
  • Leonard Williams - defensive lineman for USC Trojans
  • Dick Witcher - wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
  • Louis Wright - All-Pro defensive back for Denver Broncos, member of 1970s NFL all-decade team
  • Rodney Wright - wide receiver for Fresno State and Buffalo Bills

Motorsports[]

  • Kevin Harvick - NASCAR driver, 2007 Daytona 500 winner and 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion
  • Casey Mears - NASCAR driver
  • Rick Mears - 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner
  • Roger Mears - Baja 1000 winner
  • Ryan Reed - NASCAR driver
  • Bruce Sarver - NHRA champion
  • George Snider - 22-time competitor Indianapolis 500

Boxing[]

  • Ruben Castillo - WBO and NABO lightweight champion, WBC featherweight and super featherweight contender
  • Michael Dallas, Jr. - Golden Gloves silver medalist, light welterweight contender
  • Jack Johnson - first African-American heavyweight champion, member of World Boxing Hall of Fame
  • Jerry Quarry - national Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight professional boxer, fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
  • Mike Quarry - light-heavyweight professional boxer

Track & Field[]

  • Lonnie Spurrier - middle-distance runner, Olympian (1956), set world's record in the half-mile run in 1955

Writers, poets, journalists[]

  • Frank Bidart - poet
  • James Chapman - novelist and publisher
  • Robert Duncan - Poet (lived in Bakersfield 1927-32)
  • Gerald Haslam - author
  • Lawrence Kimble - Hollywood screenwriter

References[]

  1. ^ "Funeral Scheduled for China Architect Poy Lee". Bakersfield Californian News. 1968-03-26.
  2. ^ "Tyrus Timeline". pbs.org. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  3. ^ "Alt-rock trio Arlington ready to debut"Jackson County"". bakersfield.com. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  4. ^ President Bush's one-time Bakersfield home to be museum, KGET, January 19, 2009, Accessed August 8, 2009.
  5. ^ The Bush House Archived 2009-01-31 at the Wayback Machine, thebushhouse.net, Accessed August 8, 2009.
  6. ^ Harvey, Kyle (January 8, 2016). "Longtime McCarthy aide Vince Fong enters Assembly race". bakersfieldnow.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.

External links[]

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