This is a list of well-known persons who were either born in, or lived in, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Arts
Black Wall Street, Little Africa, Tulsa, Oklahoma (full version) - The Date Was June 1, 1921, "BLACK WALLSTREET" The Tulsa lynching of 1921 a hidden story of the first 9/11 The name fittingly given to one of the most affluent All-BLACK Communities in America,...
- Joe Andoe, painter
- Charles Bell (1935â€"1995), artist
- Ted Berrigan, poet
- Willie George, children's show actor and pastor
- James Pepper Henry, artist and Gilcrease Museum director
- Roman Jasinski, ballet dancer and teacher
- Ron Padgett, poet
Business
- Frank Abagnale, fraud expert, former con man, subject of Catch Me If You Can
- Tareq Al-Suwaidan, economist, Kuwait Investment Authority
- Cyrus Avery (1870â€"1963), businessman and "father of Route 66"
- Bill Bartmann, businessman, named as "One of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs of the Last 100 Years"
- W. Tate Brady (1870â€"1925), businessman, owner of the Brady Hotel
- James A. Chapman (1881â€"1966), oilman and philanthropist
- Robert Galbreath Jr. (1863â€"1955), oilman who moved to Tulsa after he drilled the first oil well in Glenn Pool Field
- J. Paul Getty (1892â€"1976), oilman founder of Getty Oil Company, who made his first million in Tulsa between 1914 and 1916
- Thomas Gilcrease (1890â€"1962), oilman, founder of Gilcrease Museum
- J. M. Hall (1851â€"1935), pioneer merchant in Tulsa, organized First Presbyterian Church
- George Kaiser, chairman of BOK Financial Corporation
- Henry Kravis, co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
- P. C. Lauinger, Tulsa business leader, headed the PennWell Corporation
- James H. McBirney (1870â€"1944), co-founder and president National Bank of Commerce in Tulsa
- Sam P. McBirney (1877â€"1936), football coach and co-founder National Bank of Commerce in Tulsa
- Robert M. McFarlin (1866â€"1942), oilman and philanthropist
- Waite Phillips (1883â€"1964), oilman and philanthropist
- Carolyn Mary Skelly (1905â€"1996), eccentric daughter of William Grove Skelly; oil heiress; dubbed the most robbed woman in the U.S. by the Boston Globe; socialite; hosted fundraisers for President George H.W. Bush, and Texas Governor John Connally
- William G. Skelly (1877â€"1957), founder of Skelly Oil Company, Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan School of Aeronautics
- William K. Warren Sr. (1897â€"1990), founder of Warren Petroleum Corporation; philanthropist
Music
- Admiral Twin (Mark Carr, Jarrod Gulihare, John Russell, Brad Becker), rock band
- The Agony Scene, metalcore band
- Elvin Bishop
- Derek Blankenship, musician, record producer, Grammy Awards (TV) production staff
- Garth Brooks, country music singer
- Broncho, punk rock band with Ryan Lindsey, Johnathon Ford of Roadside Monument, and Nathan Price
- Anita Bryant, singer
- J. J. Cale, songwriter and musician, an originator of The Tulsa Sound
- Capital Lights, pop rock band
- Rodney Carrington country music singer and comedian
- Chuck Cissel, singer and dancer
- Annie Clark (St. Vincent)
- Roy Clark, country musician
- David Cook, 2008 American Idol winner
- Denny Cordell, record producer, signed Tom Petty as part of Mudcrutch
- Wayne Coyne, singer/ guitarist Flaming Lips
- Ester Dean, singer, songwriter
- Joe Diffie, country musician
- Phil Driscoll, trumpet player and singer, Christian and jazz musician
- Ronnie Dunn (Brooks and Dunn)
- Annie Ellicott, jazz, swing singer
- Ester Drang, indie band
- Rocky Frisco, pianist for J.J. Cale; 2008 inductee into Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame
- The Gap Band, Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, R&B, funk, and soul band
- David Gates, musician (Bread)
- Hanson, Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, rock band
- Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, jazz band
- William Johns, opera singer
- Jim Keltner, drummer for the Traveling Wilburys
- Tosca Kramer (1903â€"1976), violinist, violist, and music educator
- Fredell Lack (b. 1922), violinist
- Rodney Lay, Jr., Dove Award-winning songwriter, performer and radio personality
- Lega-C, rapper
- John D. LeVan, early pioneer in Tulsa music, singer, guitarist, inducted into National Rockabilly Hall of Fame 2004
- Eddie Livingston, rock drummer, Evildead, Terror, Social Distortion, Veruca Salt, Billy Preston
- Leon McAuliffe, steel guitarist Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys
- Little Joe McLerran, singer, guitarist, recording artist and winner of 2009 International Blues Challenge
- Leo Okeke, engineer, producer, keyboards Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, New Kids on the Block, Lady Soul
- John Moreland, singer, songwriter
- Jamie Oldaker, drummer, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger
- Patti Page, singer
- PDA, rapper
- Pillar, band
- Johnny Polygon, rapper
- Carl Radle, musician, bassist for Derek and the Dominos
- Ben Rector, singer-songwriter
- Steve Ripley, engineer, producer, singer, songwriter and guitarist for The Tractors and Bob Dylan
- Leon Russell, singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist
- SafetySuit, pop rock band
- Dick Sims, keyboardist, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, Joan Armatrading
- Natalie Sims, musician, songwriter and music executive
- Andy Skib, guitarist, keyboardist in David Cook's band
- Ryan Tedder, producer, songwriter, lead singer of OneRepublic
- David Teegarden, rock drummer with Teegarden & Van Winkle and with Bob Seger
- David Terry, leader of the band Aqueduct
- Hank Thompson, musician
- Neal Tiemann, lead guitarist in David Cook's band
- Wayman Tisdale (1964â€"2009), jazz musician and former professional basketball player
- Dwight Twilley, musician
- Jared Tyler, singer-songwriter and producer
- Unwed Sailor, instrumental indie rock
- David T. Walker, session guitarist, famous for his work with Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder among others
- Bob Wills, western swing bandleader for the Texas Playboys
- Johnnie Lee Wills, western music band leader, brother of Bob Wills
- Charlie Wilson, R&B singer and lead singer of The Gap Band
- Bob Wootton, lead guitarist for the Tennessee Three
Mark Haugh and Scott Jones guitarist and drummer for Caroline's Spine
Politics
- Tom Adelson, member of the Oklahoma State Senate
- Bob Ballinger, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, reared in Tulsa
- Dewey F. Bartlett, former Governor of the state of Oklahoma and U.S. Senator
- Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., former Mayor of Tulsa (2009â€"2016)
- G. T. Bynum, Mayor of Tulsa (2016â€"present)
- Jim R. Caldwell, retired Church of Christ minister and former member of the Arkansas State Senate
- Floyd D. Culbertson Jr., attorney in three states; mayor of Minden, Louisiana, from 1940 to 1942; spent last years in Tulsa, where he is interred
- David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- David Hall, former Governor of the state of Oklahoma
- James Inhofe, U.S. Senator
- James R. Jones, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, chairman of the American Stock Exchange
- Frank Keating, former Governor of the state of Oklahoma
- John Albert Knebel, Secretary of Agriculture in the Carter Administration
- Sheila Kuehl, former actress, now California State Senator
- Steve Largent, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Jim McConn, former Mayor of Houston, Texas, 1979â€"1981
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, former Democratic U.S. Senator representing New York
- George E. Nowotny, retired Tulsa businessman and former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Fort Smith
- John A. Sullivan, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Kathy Taylor, Mayor of Tulsa (2006â€"2009)
- John Volz, attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, died in Tulsa in 2011
- R. James Woolsey Jr., former director, Central Intelligence Agency
- Terry Young, former Mayor of the City of Tulsa
- Mildred Grosberg Bellin, Jewish cookbook author
- Denver Nicks, journalist
- William Bernhardt, mystery/suspense fiction author
- Daniel J. Boorstin, historian and writer; former Librarian of Congress
- P.C. Cast, author
- John Hope Franklin, African American historian; namesake of John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park in Tulsa
- Martin Gardner, author of works on philosophy, mathematics and literature
- Sterling Gates, comic book writer (Supergirl, Action Comics)
- S.E. Hinton, author (The Outsiders, That Was Then, This Is Now, Tex)
- Mercedes Lackey, science-fiction author
- R.A. Lafferty, science-fiction author
- Billie Letts, author, Where the Heart Is
- Tracy Letts, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actor (August: Osage County)
- Joe McGuff, journalist and newspaper editor
- Russell Myers, cartoonist, Broom-Hilda comic strip
- Dan Piraro, cartoonist of the Bizarro comic strip
- William P. Steven, journalist and newspaper editor
- Clifton Taulbert, author, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored
- Will Thomas, mystery fiction author
- Mildred Ladner Thompson, reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Tulsa World
- Michael Wallis, author, Route 66, Pretty Boy Floyd, Mankiller, Billy the Kid Voice Of Sheriff in The Cars Series
- K. D. Wentworth, science-fiction author
- Cornel West, theologian, author
Radio
- Paul Harvey, radio personality
- Roy D. Mercer, fictional radio character
Screen and stage
- Pamela Bach, actress; ex-wife of David Hasselhoff
- Marshall Bell, actor
- William Boyd, aka Hopalong Cassidy, western actor
- Max Burnett, TV writer, screenwriter and director
- Gary Busey, actor
- Cindy Chupack, screenwriter for Sex and the City
- Larry Clark, film director and photographer
- Iron Eyes Cody, actor
- Paul Cooper, screenwriter, winner of three Emmys
- Jay Dee, comedian
- Larry Drake, actor
- Blake Edwards, film director
- Sue England, actress
- Bill Hader, actor and comedian
- Sterlin Harjo, filmmaker
- Josh Henderson, actor
- Eva Jinek, news anchor
- Jennifer Jones, actress
- Heather Langenkamp, actress
- Tommy Morrison, boxer and actor
- Jerry Nelson, actor, puppeteer
- Tim Blake Nelson, actor and director
- Mary Kay Place, actress
- Tony Randall, actor
- Julian Rebolledo, actor and voice talent
- Jack Roberts, actor
- Gailard Sartain, actor
- Kylie Sparks, actress
- Mary Stuart, actress
- Wes Studi, actor
- Paula Trickey, actress
- Jeanne Tripplehorn, actress
- Stacy Valentine, porn star
- Amber Valletta, actress and supermodel
- Susan Watson, Broadway actress
- Alfre Woodard, actress
- Judy Woodruff, television journalist
- Don Woods, meteorologist
Sports
- Brent Albright, professional wrestler
- Kelenna Azubuike, professional basketball player
- Randy Blake, kickboxer
- Bill Blankenship, football coach, head coach at University of Tulsa
- Anthony Bowie, basketball player
- Michael Bowie, Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle
- Mikey Burnett, mixed martial artist
- Dale Cook, kickboxer and actor
- Bobby Cox (b. 1941), player, manager and Baseball Hall of Famer
- Ebi Ere, basketball player for Melbourne Tigers
- Terrance Ferguson, basketball player for Oklahoma City Thunder
- Reuben Gant, football player for Buffalo Bills
- Matt Gogel, professional golfer
- Bill Goldberg, professional football player and undefeated wrestler
- Todd Graham, head coach of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team (2007â€"2010)
- Matt Grice, mixed martial arts fighter
- Tommy Hanson, baseball pitcher
- Gerald Harris, mixed martial artist
- Marques Haynes, Harlem Globetrotters player, Basketball Hall of Famer
- David Heath, mixed martial artist
- Randy Heckenkemper, golf course designer
- Koyie Hill, Major League Baseball catcher
- Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys running back
- Jim King, NBA player and Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball coach
- Steve Largent, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Pro Football Hall of Famer, politician
- Kevin Lilly, NFL player
- Kevin Lockett, NFL player
- Tyler Lockett, NFL player
- Zach Loyd, soccer player
- Lee Mayberry, professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks
- Sam P. McBirney, coach of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football (1914â€"1916)
- R. W. McQuarters, professional football cornerback
- Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints wide receiver
- Kenny Monday, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling
- Joe-Max Moore, soccer forward, U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame 2013
- Reece Morrison, NFL player
- Tommy Morrison, boxer, heavyweight contender and actor, Rocky V
- Ray Murphy, Jr., collegiate wrestler and 1989 Handicapped Person of the Year
- Charlie O'Brien, professional baseball catcher
- Janice O'Hara, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
- Peter Ramondetta, professional skateboarder
- Nolan Richardson (born 1941), basketball coach for University of Tulsa and University of Arkansas, coach and general manager WNBA's Tulsa Shock
- Henry Schichtle, football player
- Tubby Smith (born 1951), basketball coach at Texas Tech University; former coach of University of Tulsa, University of Georgia and University of Kentucky
- John Starks, professional basketball player for the New York Knicks
- Iciss Tillis, professional basketball player for WNBA's Washington Mystics
- James "Quick" Tillis, boxer, heavyweight contender and actor
- Wayman Tisdale (1964â€"2009), professional basketball player and musician
- Matt Wiman, mixed martial arts fighter
- Darryl Wren, gridiron football player
- John Smith Zink, automobile racing
- Dallas Keuchel, pitcher for the Houston Astros
- Inky Ajanaku, volleyball player for Stanford. ESPN female college athlete of the year. Team USA volleyball
Other
- Jennifer Berry, Miss America 2006
- Corbin Billings, novelist, motivational speaker
- Finis Alonzo Crutchfield, Jr., (1916â€"1986), United Methodist Church bishop, minister of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, died in Tulsa
- Mike Doonesbury, main character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury
- John Duncan Forsyth (1887â€"1963), architect
- Paul Vernon Galloway (1904-1990), Minister of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, later Methodist bishop
- Jamil Shoemaker Gotcher, model
- W. R. Holway (1893â€"1981), engineer, designer of Spavinaw water project
- Olivia Jordan, Miss World America 2013, Miss Oklahoma USA 2015, Miss USA 2015
- Charles William Kerr (1875â€"1951), first permanent Protestant minister in Tulsa
- Joseph R. Koberling, Jr. (1900â€"1990), architect
- Joseph A. LaFortune, Sr., philanthropist
- Charles Page (1860â€"1926), philanthropist and founder of Sand Springs
- William Angie Smith (1894â€"1974), Methodist Bishop of Oklahoma