This is a list of notable people from Bakersfield, California. In order to be included, subjects need to have an article and clear connection to the city.
Notable people Arts Designers Marc Davis – animator and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, born in Bakersfield Poy Gum Lee – architect, died in Bakersfield
Visual artists Greg Colson – visual artist Tyrus Wong – calligrapher, artist, animator, married in 1937 in Bakersfield
Business, entrepreneurs Ric Drasin – designer of Gold's Gym and World Gym logos, retired professional wrestler, actor, author
Crime Vincent Brothers – convicted murderer; shot and stabbed five members of his family to death Rodolfo Cadena – Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, one of the founders of the Mexican Mafia, basis of character played by Edward James Olmos in the film American Me Steven David Catlin – serial killer on California's death row for the murders of his adoptive mother and one of his wives; also killed another wife, for which he received a sentence of life without parole
Entertainment Film, television, actors, models Ana Lily Amirpour – filmmaker, director, writer Noah Beery – actor Robert Beltran – actor Justin Berry – former teenage webcam pornographer and public speaker Kelli Garner – actress Frank Gifford – television sportscaster, college and professional football player Justin Gordon – actor, producer, artist Fay Helm – actress Brian Hooks – actor, Soul Plane, Three Strike Nathan Jung – actor, martial artist, stunt coordinator Dalene Kurtis – model, former Playboy Playmate of the Year Joanne Linville – actress Guy Madison – actor Wayne Mallory – actor Roger Mathey – theatrical director, actor, playwright, producer Derek Mears – actor and stuntman Michelle St. John – actress, singer, director, producer Sigrid Valdis – actress Anjelika Washington – actress, Stargirl, Tall Girl
Musicians David Benoit – jazz pianist Jo Ann Castle – pianist, The Lawrence Welk Show Brandon Cruz – punk musician and former child actor Merle Haggard – singer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Michael Lockwood – guitarist and music producer Kareem Lopez – musician Mary Osborne – jazz guitarist Buck Owens – singer, musician Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Gregory Porter – singer Gloria Roe – composer, pianist and singer Sheléa – singer-songwriter Lawrence Tibbett – baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera Grant Whitson – drummer for Arlington
Bands Adema – rock band (Dave DeRoo, Kris Kohls, Mark Chavez, Mike Ransom) Burning Image – deathrock band (Moe Adame, Tony Bonanno, Paul Burch, Anthony Leyva) The Def Dames – female rap duo, hip hop musicians Korn – Grammy Award-winning metal band Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu Jonathan Davis James "Munky" Shaffer David Silveria Brian "Head" Welch
Government, law, politics
Leonard L. Alvarado – Medal of Honor recipient, specialist 4th Class, United States Army – Republic of Vietnam 1969 General Edward Fitzgerald Beale – superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada (1850s), surveyor general of California and Nevada (1860s), U.S. ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1870s), founder of Tejon Ranch Vince Fong – California congressman, former California state assemblyman Harvey Hall – mayor of Bakersfield (2001–2016) Kevin McCarthy – California congressman, House Republican leader, 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives Joe Neguse – U.S. representative for Colorado Erik Paulsen – Minnesota congressman Walter W. Stiern – California Democratic state senator Earl Warren – chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, former governor of California
Science, medicine, academia Hans Einstein – world's foremost authority on Valley Fever Carver Mead – pioneer in the field of VLSI design, inventor of the concept of neuromorphic computing
Sports Olympics Kamren Larsen – Pan American Games gold medalist BMX racing at 2023 Pan American Games Jake Varner – Olympic gold medalist wrestler at 2012 London Games Gabe Woodward – Olympic bronze medalist 4 × 100 relay at 2004 Athens Games
Baseball Larry Barnes – California Angels first baseman Corbin Burnes – Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Johnny Callison – Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Phil Dumatrait – Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, first-round draft pick Jack Hiatt – catcher Leon Lee – Nippon Professional Baseball player and manager Colby Lewis – Texas Rangers pitcher, first-round draft pick William "Buckshot" May – Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Brent Morel – Chicago White Sox third baseman Kurt Miller – pitcher for Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs Steve Ontiveros – infielder for San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs Dave Rader – catcher Rick Sawyer – pitcher for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres Todd Walker – second baseman Bruce Walton – pitcher for Montreal Expos, pitching coach for Toronto Blue Jays Allan Winans – pitcher Jake Woods – Seattle Mariners pitcher
Basketball Nikki Blue – New York Liberty guard (WNBA) Fred Boyd – NBA player Chris Childs – ABA/NBA guard (1989–2003; New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors) Erica McCall – WNBA player J. R. Sakuragi (formerly J.R. Henderson) – player for Memphis Grizzlies Lonnie Shelton – Seattle SuperSonics all-star Robert Swift – Tokyo Apache (Japan) center Tyrone Wallace – Los Angeles Clippers guard
Football
Mike Ariey – offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers Jon Baker – NFL and CFL player Krys Barnes – linebacker for Arizona Cardinals Theo Bell – wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, earned Super Bowl rings in 1979 and 1980 Steve Boadway – NFL player Jeff Buckey – starting offensive lineman for Miami Dolphins Vern Burke – tight end for San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons David Carr – quarterback, first overall selection in 2002 NFL draft (Houston Texans), won Super Bowl with New York Giants Derek Carr – quarterback for New Orleans Saints, Mountain West Conference Player of the Year for Fresno State Frank Gifford – Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, broadcaster Cory Hall – safety for Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington Redskins Joe Hawley – center for Tampa Bay Buccaneers A.J. Jefferson – free safety for Arizona Cardinals Cody Kessler – quarterback for Cleveland Browns and USC Trojans Rodney Leisle – defensive tackle for New Orleans Saints, member of 2009 Super Bowl-winning team Jordan Love – quarterback for the Green Bay Packers Bob McCaffrey – center for USC Trojans and Green Bay Packers Brent McClanahan – running back for Minnesota Vikings Ray Mansfield – center for Pittsburgh Steelers Brock Marion – Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl player Jerry Marion – wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, father of Brock Ryan Mathews – running back for Philadelphia Eagles and former Fresno State All-American Aaron Merz – offensive lineman for University of California and Buffalo Bills Stephen Neal – lineman for New England Patriots, Super Bowl champion, NCAA wrestling champion, world gold medalist, Olympian Mark Nichols – wide receiver for Detroit Lions Jared Norris – NFL player Larry Parker – wide receiver for USC Trojans and Kansas City Chiefs Joey Porter – All-Pro and Pro Bowl outside linebacker, member of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion team in 2006 Rocky Rasley – guard for Detroit Lions D. J. Reed – free safety for New York Jets Randy Rich – defensive back for Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns Greg Robinson – defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos, University of Michigan Ken Ruettgers – offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers Colton Schmidt – punter for Buffalo Bills Rashaan Shehee – running back for Kansas City Chiefs L. J. Shelton – offensive tackle for Arizona Cardinals Jeff Siemon – Pro Bowl linebacker for Minnesota Vikings, inducted to College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 Kevin Smith – tight end for UCLA, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers Jeremy Staat – defensive lineman for Pittsburgh Steelers, United States Marine Jason Stewart – defensive tackle for Indianapolis Colts in 1994 Michael Stewart – safety for Miami Dolphins John Tarver – running back for New England Patriots in 1970s Leonard Williams – defensive lineman for Seattle Seahawks Dick Witcher – wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers Louis Wright – All-Pro defensive back for Denver Broncos, member of 1970s NFL all-decade team Rodney Wright – wide receiver for Fresno State and Buffalo Bills
Motorsports Kevin Harvick – NASCAR driver, 2007 Daytona 500 winner and 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion Casey Mears – NASCAR driver Rick Mears – 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner Roger Mears – Baja 1000 winner Blaine Perkins – NASCAR driver Ryan Reed – NASCAR driver Bruce Sarver – NHRA champion George Snider – 22-time competitor, Indianapolis 500
Boxing Ruben Castillo – WBO and NABO lightweight champion, WBC featherweight and super featherweight contender Michael Dallas, Jr. – Golden Gloves silver medalist, light welterweight contender Jerry Quarry – national Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight professional boxer, fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier Mike Quarry – light-heavyweight professional boxer
Track & field Lonnie Spurrier – middle-distance runner, Olympian (1956), set world's record in the half-mile run in 1955
Soccer Quincy Amarikwa – forward Esteban Arias – defender Cami Privett – former NWSL soccer player for the Houston Dash
Mixed martial arts Josh Hokit – mixed martial artist
Writers, poets, journalists Mary Hunter Austin (1868–1934) – writer of prose, married in Bakersfield Frank Bidart – poet James Chapman – novelist and publisher Robert Duncan – poet (lived in Bakersfield 1927–32) Georgie Starbuck Galbraith – writer of light verse Gerald Haslam – author Amber Hollibaugh – writer, filmmaker, activist and organizer Lawrence Kimble – Hollywood screenwriter
References
External links City of Bakersfield official website Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Bakersfield Downtown Business and Property Owner's Association