List of people from Bakersfield, California

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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^[1][2]
• Poy Gum Lee - architect, died in Bakersfield^[3]

Visual artists

• Greg Colson - visual artist^[4][5]
• Tyrus Wong - calligrapher, artist, animator, married in 1937 in Bakersfield^[6][7][8]

Business, entrepreneurs

• Ric Drasin - designer of Gold's Gym and World Gym logos, retired professional wrestler, actor, author^[9][10]

Crime

• Vincent Brothers - convicted murderer; shot and stabbed five members of his family to death^[11][12]
• 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

Entertainment

Film, television, actors, models

• Ana Lily Amirpour - filmmaker, director, writer^[13][14]
• Noah Beery - actor
• Robert Beltran - actor^[15][16]
• Justin Berry - former teenage webcam pornographer and public speaker^[17][18][19]
• Kelli Garner - actress^[20][21]
• Frank Gifford - television sportscaster, college and professional football player^[22][23]
• Justin Gordon - actor, producer, artist^[24][25]
• Fay Helm - actress
• Brian Hooks - actor, Soul Plane, Three Strike
• Nathan Jung - actor, martial artist, stunt coordinator^[26][27]
• Dalene Kurtis - model, former Playboy Playmate of the Year
• Joanne Linville - actress^[28][29]
• Guy Madison - actor^[30][31]
• Roger Mathey - theatrical director, actor, playwright, producer
• Derek Mears - actor and stuntman
• Michelle St. John - actress, singer, director, producer
• Sigrid Valdis - actress^[32]
• Anjelika Washington - actress, Stargirl, Tall Girl^[33]

Musicians

• David Benoit - jazz pianist^[34][35]
• Jo Ann Castle - pianist, The Lawrence Welk Show^[36]
• Brandon Cruz - punk musician and former child actor^[37][38]
• Merle Haggard - singer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee^[39][40]
• Michael Lockwood - guitarist and music producer
• Kareem Lopez - musician
• Mary Osborne - jazz guitarist^[41][42]
• Buck Owens - singer, musician Country Music Hall of Fame inductee^[43][44]
• Gregory Porter - singer^[45][46]
• Gloria Roe - composer, pianist and singer^[47]
• Sheléa - singer-songwriter^[48][49]
• Lawrence Tibbett - baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera^[50][51]
• Grant Whitson - drummer for Arlington^[52]

Bands

• Adema - rock band (Dave DeRoo, Kris Kohls, Mark Chavez, Mike Ransom)^[53][54]
• Burning Image - deathrock band (Moe Adame, Tony Bonanno, Paul Burch, Anthony Leyva)^[55][56]
• The Def Dames - female rap duo, hip hop musicians
• Korn - Grammy Award-winning metal band^[57][58]
  • Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu^[59][60]
  • Jonathan Davis^[61][62]
  • James "Munky" Shaffer^[63][64]
  • David Silveria^[65][66]
  • Brian "Head" Welch^[67][68]

Government, law, politics

The Bush House in Bakersfield: In 1949, George H. W. Bush (41st President) moved here to sell oil field equipment with son, George W. Bush (43rd President), who was three years old at the time.^[69][70]

• Leonard L. Alvarado - Medal of Honor recipient, Specialist 4th Class, United States Army - Republic of Vietnam 1969^[71][72]
• 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 - politician in California State Assembly^[73]
• Harvey Hall - mayor of Bakersfield (2001–2016)^[74][75]
• Kevin McCarthy - California congressman, House Republican Leader, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives^[76][77]
• Erik Paulsen - Minnesota congressman^[78][79]
• Walter W. Stiern - California Democratic state senator^[80][81]
• Earl Warren - Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, former governor of California^[82][83]

Science, medicine, academia

• Hans Einstein - world's foremost authority on Valley Fever^[84][85]
• 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^[86][87]
• Jake Varner - Olympic gold medalist wrestler at 2012 London Games^[88][89]
• Gabe Woodward - Olympic bronze medalist 4x100 relay at 2004 Athens Games^[90][91]

Baseball

• Larry Barnes - California Angels first baseman
• Corbin Burnes - Baltimore Orioles pitcher^[92][93]
• Johnny Callison - Philadelphia Phillies right fielder^[94][95]
• Phil Dumatrait - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, first-round draft pick^[96][97]
• Jack Hiatt - catcher
• Leon Lee - Nippon Professional Baseball player and manager
• Colby Lewis - Texas Rangers pitcher, first-round draft pick^[98][99]
• William "Buckshot" May - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher^[100][101]
• Brent Morel - Chicago White Sox third baseman
• Kurt Miller - pitcher for Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs^[102]
• 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^[103][104]
• Todd Walker - second baseman
• Bruce Walton - pitcher for Montreal Expos, pitching coach for Toronto Blue Jays^[105][106]
• Allan Winans - pitcher^[107][108]
• Jake Woods - Seattle Mariners pitcher^[109][110]

Basketball

• Nikki Blue - New York Liberty guard (WNBA)^[111][112]
• Fred Boyd - NBA player^[113][114]
• Chris Childs - ABA/NBA guard (1989–2003; New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors)
• J. R. Sakuragi (formerly J.R. Henderson) - player for Memphis Grizzlies^[115][116]
• Lonnie Shelton - Seattle SuperSonics all-star^[117][118]
• Robert Swift - Tokyo Apache (Japan) center^[119][120]
• Tyrone Wallace - Los Angeles Clippers guard^[121][122]
• Erica McCall - WNBA player

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^[123][124]
• Casey Mears - NASCAR driver^[125][126]
• Rick Mears - 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner^[127][128]
• Roger Mears - Baja 1000 winner
• Blaine Perkins - NASCAR driver
• Ryan Reed - NASCAR driver^[129][130]
• Bruce Sarver - NHRA champion^[131][132]
• George Snider - 22-time competitor, Indianapolis 500^[133][134]

Boxing

• Ruben Castillo - WBO and NABO lightweight champion, WBC featherweight and super featherweight contender^[135]
• Michael Dallas, Jr. - Golden Gloves silver medalist, light welterweight contender^[136][137]
• Jack Johnson - first African-American heavyweight champion, member of World Boxing Hall of Fame
• Jerry Quarry - national Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight professional boxer, fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
• Mike Quarry - light-heavyweight professional boxer^[138][139]

Track & field

• Lonnie Spurrier - middle-distance runner, Olympian (1956), set world's record in the half-mile run in 1955^[140][141]

Soccer

• Quincy Amarikwa - forward^[142][143]
• Esteban Arias - defender^{[144][145][146]}
• Cami Privett - former NWSL soccer player for the Houston Dash^[147][148]

Writers, poets, journalists

• Mary Hunter Austin (1868-1934) - writer of prose, married in Bakersfield^[149][150]
• Frank Bidart - poet
• James Chapman - novelist and publisher
• Robert Duncan - poet (lived in Bakersfield 1927–32)
• Georgie Starbuck Galbraith - writer of light verse^[151]
• Gerald Haslam - author^[152][153]
• Amber Hollibaugh - writer, filmmaker, activist and organizer^[154][155]
• Lawrence Kimble - Hollywood screenwriter