Columbus, Ga. - A baseball Hall of Famer, a five-time Grammy winner and the first African American military pilot all come from Columbus. Frank Thomas, Robert Cray and Eugene Bullard lead a list of 12 famous people from Columbus whose work stretches from ballparks and recording studios to Hollywood and the history books.

The group spans almost 130 years of birth dates, from piano prodigy Blind Tom Wiggins, born in 1849, to "American Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini, born in 1978 (my math: 1978 minus 1849 is 129).

All 12 appear on Wikipedia's "List of people from Columbus, Georgia." The years below are their birth years.

The 12 at a glance

Sports

1. Frank Thomas (born 1968). The Hall of Fame first baseman was a five-time All-Star, the biggest baseball name on the Columbus list. "The Big Hurt" went to Columbus High School and Auburn University, won back-to-back American League MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, hit 521 home runs and was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2014.

2. Tim Hudson (born 1975). The pitcher made four All-Star teams. Between them, Thomas and Hudson have nine All-Star selections (my math: 5 plus 4).

Music

3. Robert Cray (born 1953). The blues guitarist and singer has won five Grammy Awards, carrying on a Columbus blues line that runs back to Ma Rainey.

4. Blind Tom Wiggins (born 1849). The African American piano prodigy is the earliest-born person among the 12. Born into slavery, he was sold as a baby in 1850, with his parents, to James Neil Bethune of Columbus. He reportedly composed his first tune by age 5, learned about 7,000 pieces and, in 1860, became the first African American to perform at the White House, playing for President James Buchanan. He died in 1908.

Film and television

5. Wayne Brady (born 1972). An actor, singer, comedian and television personality, Brady works across nearly every kind of performing.

6. Justin Guarini (born 1978). He finished as the runner-up on the very first season of "American Idol," making him the youngest person on this list.

7. Nunnally Johnson (born 1897). The filmmaker earned an Academy Award nomination.

8. Robert Parrish (born 1916). A film editor and director, Parrish won an Academy Award, making him one of two people on this list with Oscar recognition, along with Johnson.

Art and writing

9. Bo Bartlett (born 1955). The realist painter adds fine art to a list heavy on athletes and entertainers.

10. Sherrilyn Kenyon (born 1965). She is a No. 1 New York Times and international bestselling author.

History and philanthropy

11. Eugene Bullard (born 1895). Bullard was the first African American military pilot. Born in Columbus on Oct. 9, 1895, he joined the French Foreign Legion in 1914 and flew for France in World War I, earning the nickname "the Black Swallow of Death." France later made him a knight of the Legion of Honor (1959). He died in New York City in 1961, and on Aug. 23, 1994, the U.S. Air Force posthumously commissioned him a second lieutenant.

12. George Foster Peabody (born 1852). The banker and philanthropist is the namesake of the Peabody Award, presented every year since 1941 for excellence in radio, and since 1948 in television. Born in Columbus on July 27, 1852, he paid for a library building and started the School of Forestry at the University of Georgia. He also bought property at Warm Springs in 1923 and invited Franklin D. Roosevelt to visit the next year.

By the numbers

Two more you already know

Blues singer Ma Rainey (born 1886) and novelist Carson McCullers (born 1917) are also from Columbus. The Columbus Times featured both this week.

Quick Q&A

Who is the most decorated athlete on the list? Frank Thomas, a Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star.

Which musician has the most awards here? Robert Cray, with five Grammy Awards.

Who made history in the military? Eugene Bullard, the first African American military pilot.

Is this every famous person from Columbus? No. It's a selection of 12 from a much longer Wikipedia list, grouped by field, not ranked.

How we did this

The Columbus Times picked 12 people from Wikipedia's "List of people from Columbus, Georgia," reviewed Oct. 23, 2026. Birth years and accomplishments are as listed there. Extra details on Frank Thomas, Blind Tom Wiggins, Eugene Bullard and George Foster Peabody come from their own Wikipedia entries, reviewed the same day. The list is a selection, not a ranking.