Have you ever heard of Billy Connolly?

[Heather Wallace]

Just wondered if anyone has ever heard or seen someone called Billy Connolly?

He is a great comedian stand up, film star etc.

He is from my home city of Glasgow which is in Scotland.

Is there anyone form your place of birth who is now famous??

[TheAntiPam]

The most famous person from my home town is an actress that had a one-line role in the Mel Gibson movie "What Women Want".

We obviously still need our 15 minutes of fame!


Oh, and Yes Heather, I know about Billy - he's become a good actor - and I remember seeing a TV biography about him - and his home town!

[mugsy]

Heather, wasn't he also on a sitcom here in the states???

[lynnestankard]

HEATHER - LOVE THAT MAN TO BITS! HE REALLY HAS MY SENSE OF HUMOUR! AND HE;S PROVED HE'S A GOOD ACTOR TOO.

MUGSY - YES HE DID APPEAR IN A USA SITCOM - CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT.

MANCHESTER HAS LOTS OF STARS TO IT'S CREDIT - GROUPS FROM THE SIXITES LIKE THE HOLLIES AND HERMANS HERMITS AND OF COURSE DAVY JONES FROM THE MONKEES.
ACTORS GALORE INCLUDING IAN McSHANE AND BEN KINGSLEY.

MORE RECENTLY THE GROUP OASIS. AND THE WONDERFUL VOICE OF RUSSELL WATSON - WHO SANG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES LAST NIGHT

OH MUSTN'T FORGET THE HALLE ORCHESTRA AND L.S. LOWREY.

COME ON PET TALKERS - WHO'S FAMOUS FROM YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS?!

LYNNE

[Heather Wallace]

Originally posted by mugsy
Heather, wasn't he also on a sitcom here in the states???

Yes thats right, he was a teacher I think, we alsohad it over here too.

Billy Connolly is one of Glasgows most famous sons, I love him yo death, hes the best.

Yes Lynne so many famous people have come from Manchester, its a shame, as like Glasgow the media gives it a bit of a hard time. I would like to visit there someday.

[jennifert]

I don't think I know who Billy Connolly is? I'll have to see a picture....
BUT, believe it or not, there are soem famous people from my hometown!

First, Tom Cruise was born here and lived some of his childhood here before moving to Long Island I think.

Richard Gere lived here all through high school and his mother still lives in North Syracuse! When he was married to Cindy Crawford, they came home every Christmas and went to midnight mass at a local church. Needless to say, that church membership increased tenfold!

All the Baldwin(Alec,Billy, Steven) brothers are from here too and their mother still lives here also. They are all actually very active in the community. They participate in lots of local events and do tons of fundraising for breast cancer research. I've spotted them at the mall a few times myself!!!

And of course, there are also the athletes that attend Syracuse University and make it to the pros....And sportscasters like Bob Costas, that attended SU or Al Roker, who went to Oswego ( ~ 30 minutes from here)

So for a city of ~180,000 we have quite a few "claims to fame"

[Karen]

The most famous person from the town where I grew up was Clara Barton, a nurse who, among her other accomplishments, founded the American Red Cross. She was born up the street from my parent's house, I went to Clara Barton Elementary School, traveled by the birthplace and down Clara Barton Road every day, and grew up thinking she was the most famous women ever!

[Logan]

If you're a baseball fan, you will remember "Shoeless Joe Jackson", who was from Greenville. A memorial to him was unveiled last week, as a matter of fact.

Another "famous" one who was born here (and I'm telling you this for information only, not bragging, for sure) is Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is not one of my favorite people.

I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now. Karen, I think that is really neat that Clara Barton was born in your hometown. What a contribution she made that still affects so many people's lives.

Logan

[mugsy]

Let's see...Shawn Kemp and Rod Woodson are from Fort Wayne and so is Shelly Long.

I remembered the sitcom...Head of the Class!!! I loved that show. Billy is a very funny man!

Lynne...I have a friend who was born and raised in Stockport. He came to the states on a soccer (football) scholarship and stayed. He's played professional indoor soccer and his brother is a big name in Canadian football. Does the name Ridgway sound familiar??

[Edwina's Secretary]

Mugsy....

Don't forget Bill Blass -- who just died a few weeks ago. I keep asking my husband (who is from Fort Wayne and 20 years younger than Blass was) if he knew him!

My home town -- Rockford Illinois -- Janet Lynn -- an Olympic figure skater grew up there (she was in my class from grade school through graduation) Jane Addams of Hull House attended college there and lived there for a while, and Rockford claims -- although she was really from Belvidere -- Judy Ford -- a Miss America whose talent was the trampoline!

[Paul]

   Photos and a filmography of Billy Connolly are here at the Internet Movie DataBase. Once people see his photo more people will recognize him. (Unless there is another Billy Connolly from Glasgow.)

      Paul

[Gio]

Do I know Billy Connolly... I LOVE Billy Connolly. When I lived in England I used to watch all the stuff he was in. I even went to the pictures to see "Water"

[ramanth]

No one from my home town had any 15 minutes of fame, but my mom's cousin was in Home Alone. He was on the airplane sitting behind the parents.

[mugsy]

Thanks Sara....I knew I was forgetting someone. HEY!! I remembered somone else....ok, old movie buffs.... how about Carole Lombard? She's from here. Her old home is now a B&B owned by one of my former teachers.

[catland]

From the Portland area - two of my favorites...

the late, great Mel Blanc - voice of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, etc....

Matt Groening - the creator of The Simpsons.

A little bit of Portland/Simpson trivia. Our streets in the northwest grid of town are from the early days of the city and are alphabetical. They include Ankeny, Burnside, Couch, Davis, Everett, Flanders, Glisan, Hoyt, Johnson, Kearny, Lovejoy, Marshall, Northrup, Overton, Pettygrove, Quimby, Raliegh, Savier, Thurmon and Vaughn. (hope I got that right - did it from memory)

Simpson fans, recognize a few of the character names from the above list?