These 5 Celebrities Hail From Some Of Tennessee's Most Charming Small Towns
By Chris Dodge|Updated on March 22, 2024(Originally published May 25, 2023)
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
From humble beginnings can come greatness — some of Tennessee’s most charming small towns have birthed true American icons. I find it interesting to see where people come from because they will usually hold a little piece of that with them no matter where life takes them. So here are five celebrities from Tennessee who were born in small towns in the Volunteer State. You might not know about the towns — but you have definitely heard of the people.
Tennessee has quite a reputation for famous individuals, but many of them come from our three big cities.
Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville have all seen a fair share of individuals who, in one way or another, rose in their field of expertise to become known by the rest of the world. You would expect a fair share of musicians to come from Music City after all, but plenty of actors, athletes, and historical figures have come from other cities and towns in Tennessee. It wasn’t just the big cities that produced stars -- no, there are a few small towns where stars were born.
David Crockett was born and raised in East Tennessee. Despite helping settle and build the road out west, Davy spent much of his time on the fringes of society. Nevertheless, Crockett went on to discover and explore areas yet unknown and is revered as an American hero and folk legend. Known as the "King of the Wild Frontier," he contributed much to this country from the late 18th and early 19th century. Arguably he is the most impactful historical figure from Tennessee.
Roy Acuff is also known, in a sense, as royalty here in the South. He is known as "The King of Country" and he was born in a little town just north of Knoxville known as Maynardville. If you are a fan of country music, then you undoubtedly know that this man-made way for the country stars we have to this day. His contributions to the genre paved the way for another notable singer you might have heard of who is from Tennessee…
It is pretty tough to rank the importance of each of these famous people from Tennessee, but there is no denying the love that people in Tennessee have for Dolly. In a true rags-to-riches story, she was born in a one-room cabin in a little town in Sevier County called Pittman Center. She started singing early on at church and quickly rose to be the country music star she is to date. Many of our state's top tourist attractions owe Ms. Parton a huge “thank you” because her entrepreneurial ways lead the way to make some of the biggest draws to the Smoky Mountain area, aside from our national park of course.
It seems as though a lot of people from Tennessee are considered royalty because Tina Turner is known as “The Queen of Rock N’ Roll." Born in a little town north of Memphis called Brownsville, Turner worked her way to stardom with a powerful voice and commitment to the arts.
Dave Ramsey is colloquially known as “America’s Accountant” and was born in Antioch, Tennessee. Antioch isn’t technically a small town, per se, but it is a small neighborhood within Nashville. Mr. Ramsey has risen to the ranks and is considered a hero to all who want financial freedom -- many people have experienced a new way of living and have taken control of their money following his steps. He runs a daily radio show where he makes money talk fun and even funny, which is quite a feat when discussing finances. If you haven't heard it before you will just have to trust me, it really is funny.
These celebrities in Tennessee born in small towns might all have very different careers, but they have one thing in common: they have all come from the state’s smallest towns, where they rose through the ranks and now the world knows their name. How many of these small towns in Tennessee have you heard of before? If you are like me and are proud of your home then check out our friends at Wear Your Roots and quite literally wear your state pride.
For more small-town fun in Tennessee, check out the lovely town of Union City.
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