These 10 Celebrities Hail From Some Of Indiana's Most Charming Small Towns
By Tori Jane|Updated on March 22, 2024(Originally published April 04, 2023)
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
When it comes to… well… just about everything, all too many folks seem to dismiss Indiana as not worth visiting – also known as the dreaded flyover state label. But you, our dear friends and readers, know better than to fall for this; after all, Indiana is one of the most beautiful states in the USA, and it’s unfairly labeled as “not worth it” by folks who have never been here to give it a shot. Did you know, for example, that Indiana is home to more than two dozen notable, famous, or otherwise notorious people? That’s right, forget California – Indiana is the new Hollywood, and these fascinating folks come from our beautiful small towns. Here are nine famous people from Indiana you might not have known were our own:
1. Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and the Jackson Five - Gary
Goodness, what can we say about Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five that hasn't already been said? Easily some of the most famous folks on this list, the Jackson Five - and their young frontman, Michael - hailed from the small town of Gary, where you can actually still visit the house Michael was born in. The Jackson Five were active as a group from 1966 until 1990 and were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997. Well deserved! The Jacksons are among the most famous people from Indiana.
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's never heard of THE James Dean. He was born in Marion in 1931 and went on to become one of Hollywood's most famous heartthrobs, known most for his role as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause.
Jim Davis might just be one of the most famous cartoonists of all time, and he comes from Marion! Known for his beloved feline creation, Garfield, Davis is a shining example of just how brilliant and creative Hoosiers really are. His comics first debuted in 1978, and to this day they can be found in almost every newspaper in the world.
Dean Norris has been in many things but he's most famous for his portrayal of DEA agent Hank Schrader on AMC's Breaking Bad. He's been in other notable projects, too, including movies like Lethal Weapon II, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Little Miss Sunshine, and many more. He was born in South Bend.
Rock n' roll fans will love this one: William Rose Jr. was born in Lafayette in 1962 and would go on to form the super-famous rock band Guns N' Roses with fellow Hoosier Jeff Bell (aka Izzy Stradlin). He started going by the stage name Axl Rose, and the rest is history. He's one of the most talented Indiana famous people.
Florence Henderson, known to most as Carol Brady on the hit sitcom The Brady Bunch, was born in Dale in 1934. She was one of ten children and always dreamed of life as an actress. She was also a singer, though few folks know that, and for a long time she was a steady performer for the pre-race ceremonies for the Indy 500.
If that name rings a bell, it's because you've probably eaten popcorn before. Redenbacher, another famous person born in Indiana, is from the small city of Brazil in 1907. In 1965, he perfected his now-famous popcorn hybrid, and now his name is pretty much synonymous with munchin' on popcorn at the movies (or anywhere else). He's celebrated in our own Hoosier way each and every year at the Clay County Popcorn Festival. Yum!
Born as Benjamin Crothers in Terre Haute in 1910, "Scatman" Crothers was a musician and actor best known for his iconic role as Dick Halloran in The Shining, though his resume is much longer. He also worked as a beloved voice actor, providing his amazingly smooth vocal cords for roles like Scat Cat in the Disney film Aristocats, Meadowlark Lemon in the Harlem Globetrotters animated TV series, Jazz the Autobot in The Transformers, and many more. Talk about a legacy!
Born in Seymour in 1951, John Mellencamp is a famed musician (and painter) with many hits including "R.O.C.K. In the USA", "Crumblin' Down", "The Authority Song", and many more. Some of his accolades include a Grammy, a Billboard Century Award and the Woody Guthrie Award. He still calls Indiana home, and legend has it that he lives in Bloomington. If you'd like to see some of his paintings, you can find them at the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts in Seymour.
Last but certainly not least on this list is David Lee Roth, yet another famous rockstar we Hoosiers get to claim as our own. Born in Bloomington in 1955, Roth is best known as the iconic lead singer in the band Van Halen. One fateful day, after Roth had moved to Los Angeles, he met brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen, and they asked him to sing with the band they were trying to put together. Van Halen was born, and their first album would sell two million copies.
How many of these famous people from Indiana were you already aware of? Most folks already know about Michael Jackson, but the others might come as a surprise! Interestingly, this list is nowhere near all-inclusive; there are literally at least two dozen celebs hailing from the Hoosier State, and we couldn’t be prouder of ’em.
Which folks on this list surprised you the most? Let us know! And if you want to visit any of the small towns on this list, book a stay at one of the many vacation rentals around Indiana.
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