Lionel Ritchie – Alabama
The smooth and soulful singer Lionel Richie was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. His childhood home was actually on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute as two generations of his family there. It wasn’t that long before he met some Tuskegee freshmen who were forming a musical group and approached him because they’d heard he played saxophone. It didn’t take long for Lionel to drop out of Tuskegee to pursue his musical dreams as a member of The Commodores.
It was his upbringing that helped him redefine musical genres and ultimately led to his success as a musical performer. “Growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama was like a bubble,” Richie said “In this bubble, I learned no limitations. My grandmother’s a classical pianist.”
Lucy Liu - New York
From humble beginnings in Queens, Lucy Liu has ascended to the heights of Hollywood. As badass as she is beautiful, Lucy Liu has worked steadily in television and movies since appearing on the scene in 1990 on the long-running drama Beverley Hills 90210. Born in Queens, Lucy grew up speaking Mandarin at home. Lucy has said that she grew up in a diverse neighborhood. She learned to speak Mandarin at home and began studying English when she was 5.
She was first discovered on the subway. Young Lucy was approached by an agent who wanted to know whether she'd be interested in doing some commercials. Her initial response? No, because, as a born-and-bred New Yorker, she knew better than to talk to someone on the subway, but she did take his business card, and now she has become a household name and arguably the most famous representative of Asian women on U.S. television and film.
Allison Janney - Massachusetts
Allison is possibly one of the most talented and often underappreciated actresses of the late '90s. Allison Brooks Janney may have been born in Boston, Massachusetts, but was raised in Dayton, Ohio. We've all seen her appear in films and T.V. shows over the years, such as 'Juno,' 'The West Wing', and 'I, Tonya.' Allison expressed, "I am proud to be from Dayton, and I am delighted that I will be forever part of Dayton."
As a product of Dayton, the 58-year-old actress grew up in Oakwood and attended the Miami Valley School, where her father, Jervis Janney said she was active in several theatre productions. It was during her student years at Kenyon College, that she showed interest in acting, and got her first role when she successfully auditioned for a play being directed by Paul Newman.
Halle Berry - Ohio
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Halle was born to an African-American father and white mother in 1968. After her parents' divorce, Halle was brought up by her mother, a psychiatric nurse. During her teenage years, she first appeared in the spotlight as the winner of the Pagent show Miss Teen America in 1985 and consequently became a model.
Every star has a beginning, and Ohio been this beginning for many as the state has produced several well-known models, pop singers, actresses, actors, novelists, and several other personalities from other spheres.
Madonna - Michigan
Before she popped into the music scene, Madonna was the child of blue-collar Italian immigrants, attending Rochester Adams High School. She was born to parents Madonna Louise and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan. Madonna's ties to Michigan has been well documented, especially in her recent book called "Madonnaland."
Yes, good or bad, Bay City's reputation precedes it as being a city with a small-town feel, which makes it more surprising that Madonna grew up here. She attended the University of Michigan as a dance student for a brief period before dropping out to move to New York City in 1977.