#26. Lionel Richie Was Raised In Alabama
Alabama is the home of the All Night Long singer, Lionel Richie. He was born and raised on the campus of Tuskegee Institute in the city of the same name, where his grandfather worked for several years.
It was after he enrolled himself at Tuskegee that some freshmen invited him to join a musical group because he owned a saxophone. Richie ended up dropping out of college to become a member of The Commodores and pursue his musical dreams. In an interview, he once described Alabama as a “bubble”:
“In the bubble, I learned no limitations. My grandmother’s a classical pianist. Country music is outside the community. R&B is in the community and the gospel choir is on the campus. Jazz. It was all just music to me“.
#25. Lynda Carter Was Raised In Arizona
Our beloved Lynda Carter, more commonly known as Wonder Woman, was born in Phoenix, Arizona. After graduating from high school, she attended Arizona State University, but she quickly dropped out to follow her dream of becoming a music and film star.
Although Wonder Woman started her acting career at a very young age, her first true passion was music. It was only after she moved to Los Angeles that she pursued a career in acting. However, this is not all! Lynda also took part in several beauty pageants in the early 70s and became Miss Phoenix, Miss Arizona, and last but not least, Miss World USA, representing her home state.
#24. Tim Allen Was Raised In Colorado
Does Tim Allen ring a bell? You probably know him from his roles in Mystic River and Home for Improvement, or maybe from giving voice to Buzz Light Year in the Toy Story franchise. You’d be surprised to know that Allen was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. However, at the age of 11, Allen lost his father in a car accident, and when his mother remarried two years later, he and his family relocated to Michigan.
Even though he moved out of Denver at a very young age, he always promised himself he would come back someday. And let me tell you that he’s a man of his word because many years later he married Jane Hajduk in Grand Lake, Colorado, where they hosted a small and private ceremony for friends and family.
#23. Bette Midler Was Raised In Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii is the birthplace not only of former president Barack Obama, but also of the very talented singer and actress Bette Midler. She graduated from high school in the Hawaiian capital and went on to study drama at the University of Hawaii. She began her career in acting as an extra in the 1966 film Hawaii.
Even though Midler doesn’t live in Hawaii anymore, she still calls it home and in 1988 she bought a 38-acre property in Kauai. Her love for Hawaii is so deep that in 1974 when interviewed by Andy Warhol, she said:
“[Hawaii] is the only place in the world that smells like that… it’s freedom.”
#22. Betty White Was Born In Illinois
The one and only Betty White was born in Oak Park, Illinois as the only child of Christine Tess and Horace Logan White. However, when she was only two years old, her family moved to Los Angeles where she then started her acting career.
Even though White moved at a very young age, this golden girl is an Illinois native. If her name doesn’t ring a bell, you should know she’s one of the first actresses to ever work both onscreen and behind the camera, as well as one of the businesswomen with the longest careers in television.
#21. Stephen King Was Raised In Maine
The American author of horror novels Stephen King was born and raised in Portland, Maine. When King grew up, he studied at the University of Maine where he used to write a column for the school newspaper, which he called Steve King’s Garbage Truck.
Nowadays, the author of Carrie lives in Bangor, Maine. Here’s a fun fact you probably didn’t know! Many of his books are set in the town of Derry, and this fictional town was modeled after Bangor. Slide down to see who comes next!
#20. Bob Dylan Was Raised In Minnesota
The American singer Bob Dylan, born under the name Robert Zimmerman, was born and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota. It was back in Hibbing where he formed his own bands and started performing at local cafes while still at high school. After graduating, he enrolled in the University of Minnesota, and it was only then when he took on his artistic name Bob Dylan.
Dylan has honored his hometown in many ways. For example, his 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited was named after the road that connects Minnesota to the southern cities like Memphis, New Orleans and the Delta blues area of Mississippi.
#19. Oprah Winfrey Was Raised In Mississippi
The well-known and beloved TV host Oprah Winfrey wasn’t always as rich and successful as she now is. On the very contrary, she was born to a humble family on a small farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah’s mother had her when she was a teenager, which is why she was mainly raised by her grandmother.
In her website, Winfrey recalled her early childhood days, where they would grow their own food and have very little money to spare:
“I was raised on a tiny farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi, by my grandmother, and she grew everything. Never went to town for food. Other than baking powder, baking soda, and maybe some yeast, we bought nothing“.
#18. David Lynch Was Raised In Montana
Missoula, Montana is most famous for being the hometown of the well-known director David Lynch. However, he used to move around quite often as his father was a research scientist that worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Without a doubt, Lynch’s filmmaking was shaped by his love for Montana.
Even though Lynch is most famous for his brilliant directorial work, he also excelled in other fields as well. For instance, did you know he wrote an autobiography called Catching the Big Fish? He starts the book boy saying: “I’m just a guy from Missoula, Montana, doing my thing, going down the road like everybody else. We all reflect the world we live in“.
#17. Jimmy Kimmel Was Raised In Nevada
Did you know the well-known late-night host Jimmy Kimmel grew up in Nevada? Kimmel started his career in the entertainment world at a very young age, as he worked as a DJ for the University of Nevada’s radio station KUNV while he was still in high school.
After graduating from high school, he moved to Arizona, where he went to college while continuing working on the radio. He once recalled his early days in an interview by The Hollywood Reporter:
“The first thing I ever did in any kind of show business was a college radio show on Sunday nights in Las Vegas at KUNV. I was in high school at the time“
#16. Dan Brown Was Raised In New Hampshire
Dan Brown, the author of the famous novel Da Vinci Code, was raised in the campus of Philips Exeter Academy located in Exeter, New Hampshire. Brown grew up there because his father worked as a Maths teacher, and the future author went on to study in that very same academy.
Even though Brown continues considering New Hampshire as his home, he currently lives in Rye Beach, New York, in a beautiful countryside home. Rumor has it he has a magnificent library that has nothing to envy the one from Beauty and the Beast. Keep on reading, you’ll never guess who’s our #12!
#15. Michael Jordan Was Raised In North Carolina
Although the great basketball player Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, he spent most of his childhood years in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wanna hear a fun fact? Since he was not tall enough as a teen, he failed to make it to his high school basketball team when he was a sophomore.
Jordan is quite loyal to his home state, and he proved this after turning down offers from Duke, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Virginia while playing for the University of North Carolina’s basketball team under the famous coach Dean Smith.
#14. Josh Duhamel Was Raised In North Dakota
Minot, North Dakota is the birthplace of actor Josh Duhamel. The famous actor grew up and went to college in Minot and became a quarterback for the Minot State University team. Although he eventually moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting, he still loves his home state very deeply.
Duhamel even became the face of a Tourism advertising campaign from North Dakota. When asked to define his home state, he said the following:
“It’s real. It’s authentic. It’s where I can find a quiet spot to fish or go mountain biking or golf around with old friends. I love the open roads, the simplicity of the countryside, the people and the pace. It is the peace I find when I am there that I miss the most.”
#13. Debra Messing Was Raised In Rhode Island
Debra Messing, well-known for her role in Will & Grace, wasn’t born in Rhode Island but he moved there at a very young age. He grew up near Providence, the state’s capital and largest city. Did you know that Messing became Miss Junior Rhode Island in the year 1986?
The actress is so attached to her roots that it took her years to lose her Rhode Island accent when she was studying to be an actor at New York University. In The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, she joked:
“I had to study how to speak for three years and it was intense. I moved to Rhode Island when I was young… You know, ‘You goin’ to the Warwick Mall?‘”
#12. Pharrell Williams Was Raised In Virginia
Pharrell Williams, famous for his signature Disney song Happy, grew up In Virginia Beach, and he became interested in music during his childhood years. While in high school, he was part of the school’s marching band, isn’t it funny? Williams no longer lives in Virginia but he occasionally visits his old friends.
Without a doubt, Williams loves Virginia just as much as Virginia loves Williams! In 2014, June 7 was declared as Pharrell Williams’s day in the state of Virginia. When interviewed by NPR, he said: “I’m just so happy that Virginia gave me my roots“.
#11. John Legend Was Raised In Ohio
John Legend was raised in Springfield, Ohio and he began singing in one of the city’s church choirs. A fun fact about Legend is that he was not only a good singer but also a standout student, so much so that he skipped fourth grade! Wow!
Legend loved growing up in Ohio and he keeps coming back every now and then. In 2016, he cooperated to open the John Legend Theater at the Springfield Center of Innovation, and that very same day, he told the press that “I wouldn’t be here without Springfield“.
#10. Demi Moore Was Born In New Mexico
The beautif|ul movie star Demi Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico but she lived in nearly a dozen states because her mother’s boyfriend would change jobs quite often. Finally, at the age of 15, she settled down in West Hollywood, California.
In 2018, Moore went back to her home state to film Corporate Animals, where she played the role of a CEO who takes her staff on a caving excursion in the Land of Enchantment that goes completely wrong.
#9. Aaron Paul Was Raised In Idaho
Aaron Paul, most commonly known for his role as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad, grew up in Emmet, Idaho. Paul discovered his passion for acting at a young age, after starring in many church plays. After graduating from high school, he and his mother moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.
Whenever Paul needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, he goes to his beloved Idaho to chill. In an interview with Men’s Journal, he said the following:
“But everyone visualizes Idaho, as this dirt field filled with potatoes … but that’s not accurate at all. It’s just nothing but mountains and rivers and lakes.”
#8. Ashton Kutcher Was Raised In Iowa
Actor and heartthrob Ashton Kutcher was raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa but he later moved to Homestead. He went on to study at the University of Iowa, but after winning a modeling contest, he dropped out of school to go to New York to pursue a career as a model.
Although he left Iowa a long time ago, his love for his home town only grew throughout the years. As he told The De Moines Register in 2017: “I left Iowa wanting to get out of Iowa, and the older I get the more I want to come home”. Slide down to see who’s next!
#7. Jennifer Lawrence Was Raised In Kentucky
Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most beautiful, successful, and well-paid actresses of the moment. She was raised in a little town called Louisville, located in Kentucky. Lawrence’s love for acting began at a very young age and when she was just 14 years old she found a modeling gig in New York.
She won her first Academy Award after her role in the comedy film Silver Linings Playbook and received 3 other Oscar nominations. It’s needless to say that everybody loves her back in her hometown. As her brother once said, “Lousiville’s a blue-collar town. It’s not known for producing movie stars.”
#5. Ariana Grande Was Raised In Florida
The beautiful pop princess Ariana Grande was born and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. She developed her love for singing and acting at a very young age, especially after performing with the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater and taking part in the Beauty and the Beast and Wizard of Oz school plays.
At the age of 13, Ariana moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career, although she never lost her passion for acting. In 2008, she took part in a Broadway musical, winning a National Youth Theatre Association Award for her performance. She also landed a few roles in some Nickelodeon shows.
#6. Ellen DeGeneres Was Raised In Lousiana
The charismatic comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres was raised in Metairie, Lousiana. She moved to Texas at the age of 16 after her parents got divorced, but it didn't take her long to move back to her hometown.
After graduating from high school, Ellen returned to her home state to study at the University of New Orleans. However, she only attended for a semester, as she dropped out to start a career in stand-up. DeGeneres showed big support for Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
#4. Mark Wahlberg Was Raised In Massachusetts
Mark Wahlberg was born and raised along with his brother in the neighborhood of Dorchester, Boston. He had a very troubled childhood, but he eventually became a rapper under the name of Marky Mark, marking the beginning of his career in the entertainment world.
Mark is not the only celebrity in his family, as his brother Donnie Wahlberg is a member of the pop band The New Kids On The Block and together they founded a restaurant chain called Wahlburgers in Hingham, Massachusetts.
#3. Miley Cyrus Was Raised In Tennessee
The actress and pop star grew up in Franklin, Tennessee and attended elementary school there. However, at the age of 8, her family moved to Toronto because his father Billy Rae Cyrus was starring in a Canadian TV series. As soon as she was cast to star in the Hanna Montana series, she moved to Los Angeles.
Despite having moved several times, the Cyrus family found their way back to Tennessee, the place they call home to this day. Even though Miley owns several houses in California, she decided to marry actor and heartthrob Liam Hemsworth at their Tennessee mansion.
#2. Jennifer López Was Raised In New York
J.Lo has always been proud of her roots, and we love her for that. As you probably know, our beloved “Jenny from the block” was raised in the Bronx, New York. Her career as an actress, dancer, and singer has made her travel around the globe, but she never stopped showing her love and affection for New York.
In 2012 she showed her solidarity with the Hurricane Sandy victims in her hometown. As she told Billboard:
“Just knowing how so many people were affected by it and when you really hear the stats of it … there’s not enough you can do“
Can you guess who’s are #1?
#1. Beyoncé Was Raised In Texas
The popular and gorgeous singer and dancer Beyoncé grew up in Houston, Texas. As she was growing up, she took part in several singing and dancing competitions, and it should come as no surprise that she won most of them! The talented Ms. Knowles then made it into the TV show Star Search, which helped her rise to fame.
Her love for Houston runs deep, as she donates lots of money each time a hurricane strikes the city. She’s also showed her support for Beto O’Rourke, the Houston-born Democrat politician. Beyonce became famous after her hometown catchphrase she sings in the song Flawless: “H-Town Vicious“.