Thread: Do you have a local celebrity?

It seems every city/town has a famous local resident or former resident where they live. Allentown PA has Larry Holmes, Eagle lineman Chuck Bednarik [I shook his hand in 1961] and legendary college wrestler Jack Cuvo.

More locally for me in Reading PA we have actor Michael Constantine, Frank Sinatra ate many meals at the famous Joe's Restaurant in Reading and then there is "Stoneman willy". Stoneman Willy was a petrified cadaver at the Auman Funeral Home in Reading PA. Kids used to stop in there after school just to see Willy and gawk at him.
They don't exhibit Willy anymore but he was a local attraction for many years. He was a prisoner at the County Jail who died of unspecified cause.

Do you have a local celebrity in your town that you are proud of? Tell us about it.

Living in southern California there are obviously a handful of celebrities around, and I've run across a few over the years. But in general they haven't seemed much worth looking up to. I'm most proud of living in the same place that Louis Zamperini called home for so long (apparently he lives in Hollywood now). He's had a storied life - Olympic runner, WWII bombardier, survived a month and a half on a life raft only to be captured and tortured as a POW for two years. He later became a motivational speaker and still has close ties to local life around here. There is a book written about him that's being made into a movie that's coming out later this year called "Unbroken".
Shame on me for not even reading his books or the ones written about him. But needless to say, still a local celebrity to be proud of.

In my hometown, there are hundreds of famous idiots. I can't say I'm proud of any of them.

Originally Posted by RoyalCake

Living in southern California there are obviously a handful of celebrities around, and I've run across a few over the years. But in general they haven't seemed much worth looking up to. I'm most proud of living in the same place that Louis Zamperini called home for so long (apparently he lives in Hollywood now). He's had a storied life - Olympic runner, WWII bombardier, survived a month and a half on a life raft only to be captured and tortured as a POW for two years. He later became a motivational speaker and still has close ties to local life around here. There is a book written about him that's being made into a movie that's coming out later this year called "Unbroken".
Shame on me for not even reading his books or the ones written about him. But needless to say, still a local celebrity to be proud of.

That was a great read,but I thought he died awhile back.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

That was a great read,but I thought he died awhile back.

Far as I know he's still around. Wikipedia says he's 97 and lives in Hollywood as of 2014...
He was going to meet with his captor Mutsuhiro Watanabe but I don't think it ever happened. I guess Watanabe died in 2003.

Went to highschool and played football with Toby Gerhart of the Jacksonville jaguars

Poured Chris Berman a bottle of Black Label some years...nevermind

Elvis Presley is my next door Nieghbor,nice guy,sometimes I see him late at night

Originally Posted by JohnnyCakeDC

In my hometown, there are hundreds of famous idiots. I can't say I'm proud of any of them.

Someday there may be a bounty on them :<0) Then you could be rich and famous yourself.

Not from my home town, but only 20 miles away. Red Skelton!!