Top 20 Famous People From Oakland

Top 20 Famous People From Oakland

A sizable population of some of the most extraordinarily talented and well-known people in the world reside in Oakland, California. The city is known for producing individuals who have had a lasting impact on the world, from artists to activists to performers. In addition to continuing to be the origin of people who desire to improve the world, Oakland is renowned for being a refuge for talents that are flourishing.

Numerous people’s lives and legacies are shaped in large part by Oakland, with the majority making their marks in various spheres of life. Due to their unwavering determination, motivational journeys, and extraordinary skills, these people have excelled in these particular fields and received recognition on a national and international level. 

Despite their numerous triumphs and struggles along the road, these people serve as role models for young people all across the world. Let’s learn about 20 well-known Oakland natives as the city continues to produce the most powerful people.

1. Kamala Harris

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H.E. Kamala Harris, the country’s first female vice president, is also the first Asian American to hold the Vice president position in the country. Having roots in both India and Jamaica, Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964.

Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, is an immigrant from India, while her father, Donald J. Harris, is of Jamaican descent. Before being chosen as the American vice president, Harris served as the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017 and as a senator from California from 2017 to 2021.

2. Billie Joe Armstrong

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American musician Billie Joe Armstrong, who was born in Oakland, is the main singer, guitarist, and significant songwriter for the rock group Green Day, which he co-founded in 1987 with Mike Dirnt. He also performs lead vocals for Green Day’s side ventures Foxboro Hot Tubs, The Network, The Longshot, and The Coverups. Armstrong is regarded by many as one of the all-time greats of punk rock guitar.

3. Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman

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Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is an actress and singer from the United States. Zendaya started her career as a child model and backup dancer in Oakland, California.

Zendaya has received several honours, including a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys. She was nominated for inclusion in TIME magazine’s yearly list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

4. Mark Hamill

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Mark Richard Hamill is an Oakland, California-born American actor, voice artist, and writer. He is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movie series. In animation and video games, Hamill is a well-known voice actor. In various DC Comics projects, beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, he is most recognized for portraying the Joker.

5. Damian Lillard

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American basketball player Damian Lillard, a native of Oakland, plays for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. After being selected by Portland with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Lillard was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He is the only player in the history of the Trail Blazers club to be chosen for both an NBA All-Star and an All-NBA team seven and six times respectively.

Lillard is known as “Dame Time” for his penchant for making clutch baskets. In Space Jam 2, he played Chronos, a gold robotic Goon Squad member and Lillard’s time-bending avatar. Lillard’s moniker “Dame Time” served as inspiration for the character.

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6. G-Eazy

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G-Eazy, a rapper in the United States, is from Oakland, California. His first big label album, These Things Happen, was released at number three on the US Billboard 200 on June 23, 2014, solidifying his position as a major player in the music business. One of its featured singles, “I Mean It,” reached number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

His second studio album, When It’s Dark Out, was released on December 4, 2015, and it peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200, further solidifying his notoriety.

7. Mahershala Ali

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Mahershala Ali is an American actor who comes from Oakland, California. He has received several awards, including two Oscars, a Golden Globe, and a Primetime Emmy. In 2019, Time magazine ranked him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, The New York Times named him one of the top 25 actors of the twenty-first century.

8. Brandon Lee

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Brandon Bruce Lee Born in Oakland, California, to Bruce Lee and Linda Emery, was a famous American actor and martial artist. When he was chosen to play Eric Draven in the dark fantasy film The Crow (1994), he became known as a budding action star in the early 1990s. However, Lee’s untimely passing while filming The Crow ended his life and career.

9. Paul Pierce

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American former basketball player Paul Anthony Pierce hails from Oakland, California. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 19 seasons, most of which he spent with the Boston Celtics. The Jump and NBA Countdown on ESPN featured him as an analyst most recently.

Also Read: Top 20 Famous People From Orlando

10. Shemar Moore

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American actor Shemar Franklin Moore hails from Oakland, California. Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless (1994–2005), Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds (2005–2016), and Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the lead role on S.W.A.T. (2017–2024) are some of his well-known roles from CBS. From 1999 through 2003, Moore served as Soul Train’s third regular presenter.

Moore won eight NAACP Image Awards and the 2000 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on The Young and the Restless.

11. Max Baer Jr.

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American actor, producer, comedian, and director Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. is well-known for his portrayal as Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies, the dimwitted uncle of Jed Clampett (played by Buddy Ebsen). The son of boxing champion Max Baer and his wife Mary Ellen Sullivan, Baer was born Maximilian Adalbert Baer Jr. in Oakland, California, on December 4, 1937.

12. Kehlani

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 American singer-songwriter Kehlani Ashley Parrish is originally from Oakland, California. Kehlani rose to prominence in 2011 as a member of the teenage band Poplyfe.

Kehlani’s first commercial mixtape, titled Cloud 19, was released in 2014. You Should Be Here (2015), their second commercial mixtape, debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart at position five. 2017 saw the release of SweetSexySavage, Kehlani’s first studio album.

In 2020, they issued their second studio album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. On April 29, 2022, they dispersed their third studio album, Blue Water Road.

13. Keyshia Cole

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American R&B singer Keyshia Myeshia Cole is from Oakland, California. She first met MC Hammer when she was 12 years old before meeting rapper Tupac Shakur a year later.

She moved to Los Angeles when she was 15 years old when she ultimately ran into A&M Records. She released her debut album, The Way It Is (2005), which spawned five singles: “Never” (featuring Eve), “I Changed My Mind”, “(I Just Want It) To Be Over”, “I Should Have Cheated”, and “Love”.

It was certified gold within 17 weeks, and then platinum just eight weeks later. During its longer-than-year-long run on the charts, the album sold over 1.6 million copies.

14. Gary Payton

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Gary Payton is a former professional basketball point guard from Oakland, California. His 13-year career with the Seattle SuperSonics, during which he established franchise records for assists and steals, is most known for establishing him as one of the greatest point guards of all time.

He also had stints with the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat with Payton as a member won the NBA championship in 2006.

15. MC Hammer

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American rapper and dancer Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known by his stage moniker MC Hammer (or just Hammer), is from Oakland, California. He is renowned for his catchy tunes like “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit,” as well as for his lavish choreography, fast dance moves, and signature Hammer trousers.

Hammer, who gained notoriety quickly, has also worked as a celebrity ambassador and an entrepreneur. As a multiple award-winning musician who first achieved diamond status for an album, Hammer is recognized as a “forefather” and a pioneering inventor of pop rap (fusing aspects of freestyle music).

16. Ryan Coogler

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American director Ryan Kyle Coogler is from Oakland, California. In addition to being nominated for a Golden Globe Award and two Academy Awards, he has won four NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards.

In 2013, he made his debut in a feature-length film with the independent film Fruitvale Station, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

17. Marshawn Lynch

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Marshawn Lynch, a retired American football player from Oakland who played professionally for 12 seasons, was a running back for the NFL. He played with the Seattle Seahawks for the lion’s share of his career. Lynch established himself as the second-most prolific rusher in school history while playing college football with the California Golden Bears, where he was a first-team All-American.

He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, where he spent three full seasons before signing for Seattle in the 2010 season.

18. Sheila E.

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American drummer and vocalist Sheila Cecilia Escovedo, well known by her stage name Sheila E., hails from Oakland. She began her career as a vocalist and drummer with The George Duke Band in the middle of the 1970s.

Sheila launched a successful solo career after quitting the band in 1983, starting with her highly praised first album, which featured the song that would define her career, “The Glamorous Life.”

Following the success of the singles “The Belle of St. Mark,” “Sister Fate,” and “A Love Bizarre,” the latter of which became one of her hallmark songs, she broke into the public as a solo artist in 1985. The “Queen of Percussion” is a frequent moniker for her.

19. Timothy B. Schmit

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American musician Timothy Bruce Schmit is from Oakland, California, and is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has played as the bassist and singer with Poco and the Eagles, taking Randy Meisner’s places in both roles. Schmit has also performed alone and in sessions for many years. His involvement with the Eagles earned him entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

20. Marty Paich

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American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor Martin Louis Paich was born in Oakland, California. Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Ray Charles, and Mel Tormé were among the jazz musicians with whom he collaborated as a musician and arranger.

He worked for cinema and television during the following three decades, as well as with pop performers like Andy Williams and Jack Jones. 

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