Which famous people are from Northwest Louisiana? Some names might surprise you

When you think of areas like Shreveport, Bossier City or Webster Parish, celebrity isn’t necessarily the word that springs to mind. Yet Northwest Louisiana has been home to many famous people over the decades.

The area on the border of Texas and Arkansas has produced top-class actors, music legends and sports icons.

Check out some of the most famous faces from Northwest Louisiana.

Jared Leto

Jared Leto, a native of Bossier City, lived there until he was eight years old, before moving from city to city across the United States with his grandfather, who was in the Air Force.

Although the enigmatic actor is best known for his roles in American Psycho, Requiem for a Dream, Suicide Squad, House of Gucci, the new Sony Marvel entry Morbius, He also served as lead singer for 30 Seconds to Mars.

Leto can currently be seen in the Apple+ series as controversial WeWorks CEO Adam Neuman. We crashed.

Hank Williams Jr.

The music legend was born in Shreveport in 1949 and developed into one of country music’s greatest singer-songwriters, following in his father’s footsteps.

Contemporary musicians who influenced and taught him as a child included Merle Haggard, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. With a musical style that blends Southern rock, blues and country, Williams found his own place in the music industry.

In August 2020, he was selected for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in March 2022 he released his 56th studio album, “Rich White Honky Blues.”

Mrs CJ Walker

Born in Delta, the African-American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist rose from poverty to become one of the richest black women of her time.

She made her fortune developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women and donated that fortune to organizations she supported. In 1918, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs honored Walker for making the largest single donation to preserve Frederick Douglass’s home in Anacostia.

Before her death, Walker donated $5,000 (more than $77,000 today) to the NAACP’s anti-lynching fund, the largest donation they had received from an individual at the time. Walker continued to donate after her death, and in her will she designated two-thirds of the future net profits of her estate to charity.

Tim McGraw

Before becoming the title of Taylor Swift’s debut single, Tim McGraw was born and raised in the unincorporated community of Start, LA.

McGraw is a country music legend who has released 16 successful studio albums since his debut in 1994, 10 of which reached the number one spot on the Top Country Albums charts. He has also honed his acting skills with roles in The big surprise and that Yellowstone spin off 1883.

McGraw’s annual Swampstock softball charity event draws over 11,000 fans each year with its celebrity game and a multi-artist concert. These events have funded new Little League parks and equipment and established scholarship funds for students in northern Louisiana.

Kenny Wayne Shephard

Renowned guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born and raised in Shreveport before becoming a blues music legend.

Shephard has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has won two Billboard Music Awards, two Blues Music Awards and two Orville H. Gibson Awards.

Most recently, Shepherd celebrated the 25th anniversary of his breakthrough The problem is … at the Strand Theatre, where the original release party took place.

Terry Bradshaw

A native of Shreveport, Terry Bradshaw played quarterback for the Pittsburg Steelers for 14 seasons and later became a television sports analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 after becoming the first quarterback to win three and four Super Bowls.

In addition to his successful sports career, Bradshaw also starred in the popular romantic comedy Start error, and released several country music albums. In 2020, Bradshaw and his family premiered on the new E! reality show The Bradshaw family.

Jericho Brown

The poet and writer was born and raised in Shreveport and worked as a lecturer at institutions such as the University of Houston and San Diego State University.

Brown received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his Ph.D. from the University of Houston, where he also served as an adjunct professor. He has taught at numerous conferences and workshops and previously worked as a speechwriter for the Mayor of New Orleans.

His poems appeared in The Nation, New England Review, Oxford American, The Best American Poetry And The New Yorker. Brown’s third collection of poems The tradition received critical acclaim and was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Kix Brooks

The Shreveport native was one half of the country music duo Brooks & Dunn for 20 years before launching solo careers. Brooks studied theater at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston before working in advertising in Maine.

In 2005, Brooks was named a “Louisiana Legend” by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and in 2019, Brooks & Dunn were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Brooks has been an executive producer on many films over the years and played the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 2020 Hallmark film A Christmas story from Nashville.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Þjórsárden as @meredithgwhite and email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Shreveport Times: Which famous people are from Northwest Louisiana?