List of people from Knoxville, Tennessee

Military

• Alexander Bonnyman Jr. (1910–1943), Medal of Honor recipient; killed in action during the Battle of Tarawa
• Roddie Edmonds (1919–1985), World War II POW credited with saving the lives of Jewish service members; honored as Righteous Among the Nations
• David Farragut (1801–1870), Civil War (Union) admiral
• Norman C. Gaddis (1923–2024), Air Force general and Vietnam War POW
• Thomas C. Hindman (1828–1868), Civil War (Confederate) general
• Bruce K. Holloway (1912–1999), Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command (1968–1972)
• Lawrence Tyson (1861–1929), World War I general and United States Senator
• Maurice F. Weisner (1917–2006), admiral, Commander-in-Chief of United States Pacific Command, 1976–1979

Music

• Roy Acuff (1903–1992), country music singer
• Sheila Aldridge (b. 1956), country music singer, the Aldridge Sisters
• Sherry Aldridge (b. 1954), country music singer, the Aldridge Sisters
• Chet Atkins (1924–2001), country music guitarist
• Rodney Atkins (b. 1969), country musician
• Kelsea Ballerini (b. 1993), country music artist
• Ava Barber (b. 1954), country music singer, featured performer from The Lawrence Welk Show
• Dave Barnes (b. 1978), singer/songwriter/musician
• Brian Bell (b. 1968), guitarist for the band Weezer
• Didi Benami (b. 1986), singer/songwriter, top-ten American Idol finalist
• Chris Blue (b. 1990), singer/songwriter, The Voice season 12 winner
• Kenny Chesney (b. 1968), country musician
• Ashley Cleveland (b. 1957), gospel musician
• Mary Costa (b. 1930), opera singer, voice of Briar Rose / Princess Aurora in Disney's 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty
• Jerome Courtland (1926–2012), actor and director
• John Davis (b. 1974), musician, lead singer of Superdrag
• The Dirty Works, punk band
• Don Everly (1937–2021), early rock-and-roll singer, the Everly Brothers
• Phil Everly (1939–2014), early rock-and-roll singer, the Everly Brothers
• Con Hunley (b. 1945), country music artist
• Ryan Kinder (b. 1988), country music artist
• Phil Leadbetter (b. 1962), bluegrass musician
• Briston Maroney (b. 1998), folk rock musician
• Harry McClintock (1882–1957), folk musician, "The Big Rock Candy Mountains"
• Mary McDonald, sacred music composer
• Brownie McGhee (1915–1996), blues musician
• Stick McGhee (1917–1961), blues musician
• Ashley Monroe (b. 1986), country singer
• Grace Moore (1898–1947), opera singer
• Joseph Patrick Moore (b. 1969), jazz composer, bassist, arranger, producer
• Bobby Ogdin (b. 1945), musician
• Nick Raskulinecz (b. 1970), Grammy Award-winning record producer
• Florence Reece (1900–1986), folk songwriter; coal mining labor activist
• Emily Ann Roberts (b. 1998), singer/songwriter, The Voice runner-up
• Brent Smith (b. 1978), rock singer, lead vocalist for Shinedown
• Ed Snodderly (b. 1952), folk musician and songwriter
• Richard Aaker Trythall (1939–2022), composer and pianist
• Myra Brooks Turner (1936–2017), composer
• 10 Years, alternative rock band
• Whitechapel, deathcore band

Politics and law

• Robert H. Adams (1792–1830), United States Senator from Mississippi
• Alexander O. Anderson (1794–1869), United States Senator
• Victor Ashe (b. 1945), former mayor, U.S. Ambassador to Poland
• George W. Baxter (1855–1929), territorial governor of Wyoming
• William Blount (1749–1800), Constitutional Convention delegate, Governor of the Southwest Territory, United States Senator
• William G. "Parson" Brownlow (1805–1877), publisher of the Knoxville Whig, Governor of Tennessee, United States Senator
• Tim Burchett (born 1964), U.S. representative for Tennessee
• John Hervey Crozier (1812–1889), U.S. congressman
• James Alexander Fowler (1863–1955), U.S. Assistant Attorney General and Knoxville mayor
• Lizzie Crozier French (1851–1926), women's suffragist
• Lucius F. C. Garvin (1841–1922), former governor of Rhode Island
• Sion Harris (1811–1854), member of the Liberian legislature
• Bill Haslam (b. 1958), Governor of Tennessee, former mayor of Knoxville
• William H. Hastie (1904–1976), U.S. Virgin Islands governor, first African American federal appellate court judge
• Leonidas Houk (1836–1891), U.S. congressman
• Ray Jenkins (1897–1980), attorney, Senate counsel during the Army-McCarthy Hearings
• Horace Maynard (1814–1882), U.S. congressman and postmaster general
• William Gibbs McAdoo (1863–1941), U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
• Lee McClung (1870–1914), U.S. Treasurer
• John Randolph Neal, Jr. (1876–1959), law professor, Scopes Trial attorney
• T.A.R. Nelson (1812–1873), U.S. congressman
• John Reinhardt (1920–2016), diplomat
• Glenn Reynolds (b. 1960), legal academic and blogger
• James Herman Robinson (1907–1972), clergyman, founder of Operation Crossroads Africa
• Edward Terry Sanford (1865–1930), U.S. Supreme Court justice
• John Sevier (1745–1815), pioneer and soldier, first governor of Tennessee
• William Henry Sneed (1812–1869), U.S. congressman
• Oliver Perry Temple (1820–1907), attorney, judge, and historian
• Hugh Lawson White (1773–1840), United States Senator, presidential candidate
• James White (1747–1820), pioneer, founder of Knoxville
• John Williams (1778–1837), United States Senator
• William F. Yardley (1844–1924), attorney, first African American to run for governor of Tennessee

Science

• William M. Bass (b. 1928), founder of the University of Tennessee's Body Farm; author of Death's Acre
• Randall Collins (b. 1941), sociologist and author
• Weston Fulton (1871–1946), meteorologist, inventor
• Jack Hanna (b. 1947), zoologist
• Lexemuel Ray Hesler (1919–1977), mycologist
• Gerald North (b. 1938), climatologist
• Helen Smith, forensic psychologist

Sports

• Erik Ainge (b. 1986), former NFL quarterback and sports radio personality
• Trevor Bayne (b. 1991), NASCAR driver and 2011 Daytona 500 winner
• Chad Bell (b. 1989), Major League Baseball player
• Ralph Boston (1939–2023), Olympic athlete
• John Bruhin (b. 1964), NFL player
• Ken Burkhart (1916–2004), MLB player and umpire
• Brett Carroll (b. 1982), MLB player
• Joey Clinkscales (b. 1964), NFL player and executive
• Reggie Cobb (1968–2019), NFL running back
• Mike Cofer (1960–2019), NFL linebacker
• Tony Cosey (b. 1974), All-American cross country and track runner; Olympic athlete in the steeplechase at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
• Cartha Doyle (b. 1929), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Chad Finchum (b. 1994), NASCAR driver
• Phillip Fulmer (b. 1950), former head coach of Tennessee Volunteers football team
• Ray Graves (1918–2015), former NFL player and head coach at Florida
• Anthony Hancock (b. 1960), former NFL player
• Todd Helton (b. 1973), Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player
• Adam Henley (b. 1994), professional soccer player
• Paul Hogue (1940–2009), former NBA player
• Scott Holtzman (b. 1983), mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor
• Garth Iorg (b. 1954), Major League Baseball player and coach
• Tim Irwin (b. 1958), former NFL offensive lineman
• Todd Kelly (b. 1970), NFL linebacker
• Pete Kreis (1900–1934), race car driver
• Terry McDaniel (b. 1965), NFL defensive back
• Raleigh McKenzie (b. 1963), NFL lineman
• Reggie McKenzie (b. 1963), NFL linebacker, General Manager of the Oakland Raiders
• Kathleen Malach (1926–2011), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Billy Meyer (1893–1957), Major League Baseball player and manager
• Robert Neyland (1892–1962), University of Tennessee football coach
• Kevin O'Connell (b. 1985), NFL player
• Rafaello Oliveira (b. 1982), mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor
• Peter Oppegard (b. 1959), Olympic figure skater
• Randy Orton (b. 1980), professional wrestler, actor
• Jackie Parker (1932–2006), CFL football player
• Chad Pennington (b. 1976), NFL quarterback
• Jerry Punch (b. 1953), ESPN analyst
• Fuad Reveiz (b. 1963), NFL placekicker
• Ovince St. Preux (b. 1983), mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor
• Doris Sams (1927–2012), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Aaron Schoenfeld (b. 1990), American-Israeli Major League Soccer player
• Steve Searcy (b. 1964), former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Harrison Smith (b. 1989), NFL safety for Minnesota Vikings
• Lee Smith (b. 1987), NFL tight end
• Pat Summitt (1952–2016), former head coach, Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team
• Davis Tarwater (b. 1984), Olympic swimmer
• John Tate (1955–1998), Olympic and professional boxer
• Ben Testerman (b. 1962), professional tennis player
• Leroy Thompson (b. 1968), former NFL running back
• Bubba Trammell (b. 1971), Major League Baseball player
• Elston Turner (b. 1959), NBA player and coach
• Jackie Walker (1950–2002), All-American linebacker at Tennessee
• Josh Walker (b. 1991) NFL guard
• Jason Witten (b. 1982), NFL tight end
• Chris Woodruff (b. 1973), professional tennis player
• Trey Cabbage (b. 1997), Major League Baseball player

Writers and journalists