Cape Fear's Celebrity Roster
Cape Fear's Celebrity Roster
Wilmington and the Cape Fear area have played well-known roles throughout the nation's history, but few people are aware of the famous and talented folks who once called this area home:
Henry Bacon, architect
David Brinkley, TV journalist
Frank Capra, Jr., motion picture filmmaker
John Cheek, operatic baritone
Charlie Daniels, country-rock musician
Sammy Davis, Sr., stage performer
Edward B. Dudley, first popularly elected governor of North Carolina
Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science Church
Nelson Eddy, singer
Minnie Evans, visionary painter
Roman Gabriel, NFL Player of the Year, 1969, L.A. Rams
Althea Gibson, tennis champion (U.S. Open 1957-58, Wimbledon 1957-58, French Open 1956)
Thomas Godfrey, first American playwright
Cornelius Harnett, patriot of the American Revolution
William Hooper, signer of the Declaration of Independence
Caterina Jarboro, operatic soprano
Michael Jordan, ACC and NBA basketball superstar
Sonny Jurgensen, NFL Hall of Famer
Charles Kuralt, TV commentator and author
Meadowlark Lemon, basketball star, Harlem Globetrotters
Sugar Ray Leonard, Olympic gold medalist boxer
Hugh Morton, preservationist, naturalist and photographer
Robert Ruark, renowned journalist, traveler and author
