In my best school teacher voice, raise your hand if you can name 5 famous showbiz Floridians…
Anyone? Nope me either, so I thought I would do some research and find out. It’s amazing what you can find with very little effort and Florida has its fair share of stars.
Pat Boone - singer, was born Charles Eugene Boone on June 1st 1934 in Jacksonville, Florida; descendant of American frontier hero Daniel Boone.
Faye Dunaway - actress, was born Jan 14th, 1941 in Bascom, Florida. Best actress Academy Award for her role in the 1976 film Network, as well as nominations for Bonnie & Clyde (1967) and Chinatown (1974).
Stepin Fetchit – comedian, was born Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry on May 30th 1902 in Key West, Florida. Best known film – Won Ton Ton the dog who saved Hollywood. He was the most celebrated black comic actor in Hollywood in the 1930’s.
Frances Langford - singer, was born April 4th 1914 in Lakeland, Florida. She was a forces sweetheart during WW2 and was known as “The Florida Thrush”
Butterfly McQueen - actress, was born Thelma Lincolm McQueen on Jan 8th 1911 in Tampa, Florida. Most famous for her role in Gone with the Wind.
Jim Morrison - singer, was born Dec 8th 1943 in Melbourne, Florida. Lead singer with The Doors.
Sidney Poitier - actor, was born Feb 20th 1947 in Miami, Florida. Won 2 Academy Awards and numerous other awards. Most famous for his role in the film In the heat of the night, and my personal favourite, Guess who’s coming to dinner.
Ben Vereen – actor, was born Oct 10th 1946 in Miami, Florida. For me he will always be remembered as Chicken George from the TV mini series “Roots”.
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley - jazz saxophonist, was born Sept 15th 1928 in Tampa, Florida.
Ray Charles – musician, was born Sept 23rd 1930 in Georgia, although his family had relocated to Florida within a couple of months of his birth.
Wesley Snipes – actor, was born July 31st 1962 in Orlando, Florida.
Slim Whitman – singer, was born Otis Dewey Whitman, Jr. on Jan 20th 1924 in Tampa, Florida.
Debbie Harry – singer/actress was born July 1st 1945 in Miami, Florida.
Vanilla Ice – singer, was born with the unlikely name of Robert Van Winkle (no wonder he changed it) on Oct 31st 1968 in Miami, Florida.
William H Macy – actor was born March 13th 1950 in Miami, Florida. Superb actor in one of my all time favourite films – Fargo.
Johnny Tillotson – singer, was born April 20th 1934 in Jacksonville, Florida. Most famous for the song “Poetry in Motion”.
Anyone? Nope me either, so I thought I would do some research and find out. It’s amazing what you can find with very little effort and Florida has its fair share of stars.
Pat Boone - singer, was born Charles Eugene Boone on June 1st 1934 in Jacksonville, Florida; descendant of American frontier hero Daniel Boone.
Faye Dunaway - actress, was born Jan 14th, 1941 in Bascom, Florida. Best actress Academy Award for her role in the 1976 film Network, as well as nominations for Bonnie & Clyde (1967) and Chinatown (1974).
Stepin Fetchit – comedian, was born Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry on May 30th 1902 in Key West, Florida. Best known film – Won Ton Ton the dog who saved Hollywood. He was the most celebrated black comic actor in Hollywood in the 1930’s.
Frances Langford - singer, was born April 4th 1914 in Lakeland, Florida. She was a forces sweetheart during WW2 and was known as “The Florida Thrush”
Butterfly McQueen - actress, was born Thelma Lincolm McQueen on Jan 8th 1911 in Tampa, Florida. Most famous for her role in Gone with the Wind.
Jim Morrison - singer, was born Dec 8th 1943 in Melbourne, Florida. Lead singer with The Doors.
Sidney Poitier - actor, was born Feb 20th 1947 in Miami, Florida. Won 2 Academy Awards and numerous other awards. Most famous for his role in the film In the heat of the night, and my personal favourite, Guess who’s coming to dinner.
Ben Vereen – actor, was born Oct 10th 1946 in Miami, Florida. For me he will always be remembered as Chicken George from the TV mini series “Roots”.
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley - jazz saxophonist, was born Sept 15th 1928 in Tampa, Florida.
Ray Charles – musician, was born Sept 23rd 1930 in Georgia, although his family had relocated to Florida within a couple of months of his birth.
Wesley Snipes – actor, was born July 31st 1962 in Orlando, Florida.
Slim Whitman – singer, was born Otis Dewey Whitman, Jr. on Jan 20th 1924 in Tampa, Florida.
Debbie Harry – singer/actress was born July 1st 1945 in Miami, Florida.
Vanilla Ice – singer, was born with the unlikely name of Robert Van Winkle (no wonder he changed it) on Oct 31st 1968 in Miami, Florida.
William H Macy – actor was born March 13th 1950 in Miami, Florida. Superb actor in one of my all time favourite films – Fargo.
Johnny Tillotson – singer, was born April 20th 1934 in Jacksonville, Florida. Most famous for the song “Poetry in Motion”.