The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Danville, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Danville, Illinois.
Arts and culture
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Susan Wittig Albert |
|
January 2, 1940 |
|
Fiction and non-fiction writer |
Lived in Danville and area, 1946–1963; attended Lincoln, Garfield, DHS |
|
Morris Ankrum |
|
Aug 28, 1896 |
Sep 2, 1964 |
Actor |
Born in Danville |
[1] |
Irving Azoff |
|
Dec 13, 1947 |
|
Music and movie producer, chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster |
Attended school in Danville |
|
Todd E. Creason |
|
May 26, 1967 |
|
Fiction and non-fiction writer |
|
|
Joshua Ferris |
|
1974 |
|
Novelist, author of Then We Came to the End |
Born in Danville |
|
Gene Hackman |
|
Jan 30, 1930 |
|
Academy Award–winning actor |
Went to junior high and early high school in Danville |
|
Brett Haley |
|
|
|
Film director |
Born in Danville |
|
Ned Luke |
|
Oct 4, 1958 |
|
Film, TV, and video game actor |
Born in Danville |
[2] |
Rosy McHargue |
|
April 6, 1902 |
June 8, 1999 |
Jazz musician |
Born in Danville |
|
Helen Morgan |
|
Aug 2, 1900 |
Oct 9, 1941 |
Stage and screen star, subject of The Helen Morgan Story |
Born in Danville |
|
Donald O'Connor |
|
Aug 28, 1925 |
Sep 27, 2003 |
Film star and dancer |
Grew up in Danville |
|
Jeff Oster |
|
May 31, 1957 |
|
Jazz trumpet and flugelhorn recording artist |
Born in Danville |
|
Bobby Short |
|
Sep 15, 1924 |
Mar 21, 2005 |
Cabaret singer, TV and film star, and recording artist |
Born in Danville |
|
Matthew Stover |
|
1962 |
|
Author |
|
[3] |
Dick Van Dyke |
|
Dec 13, 1925 |
|
Film, TV, and stage star |
Grew up in Danville |
|
Jerry Van Dyke |
|
Jul 27, 1931 |
Jan 5, 2018 |
Film, TV, and stage star |
Born in Danville |
|
Helen Wells |
|
1910 |
1986 |
Author of Nurse Cherry Ames books, volumes 1-7 and 17-27 |
|
|
|
Denny Conroy, original Drummer for The Cryan Shames is from Danville.
Their song "Dennis Dupree From Danville" is humorously about him.
Space
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Joseph R. Tanner |
|
Jan 21, 1950 |
|
Astronaut |
Born in Danville |
|
Sports
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Jason Anderson |
|
Jun 9, 1979 |
|
Pitcher for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees |
Born in Danville |
[5] |
Zeke Bratkowski |
|
Oct 20, 1931 |
|
Quarterback and coach for seven National Football League teams |
Born in Danville |
|
Bert Daniels |
|
Oct 31, 1882 |
Jun 6, 1958 |
Outfielder for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds |
Born in Danville |
|
Jack Doan |
|
Jun 12, 1972 |
|
Wrestling referee with the World Wrestling Entertainment |
Lives in Danville |
|
Keon Clark |
|
Apr 16, 1975 |
|
Power forward for the six National Basketball Association teams |
Born in Danville |
|
Ben Howard |
|
Jan 15, 1979 |
|
Pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Florida Marlins |
Born in Danville |
|
Jim Marshall |
|
May 25, 1931 |
|
Second baseman and manager for seven Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Danville |
|
Al Myers |
|
Oct 22, 1863 |
Dec 24, 1927 |
Second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Quakers, Kansas City Cowboys and Washington Nationals. |
Born in Danville |
|
Curtis Redden |
|
Feb 8, 1881 |
Jan 16, 1919 |
All-Western football player and coach; died in World War I |
Born in Danville |
|
Sterling Slaughter |
|
Nov 18, 1941 |
|
Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs |
Born in Danville |
|
Stephanie White |
|
June 20, 1977 |
|
Purdue and WNBA player, Vanderbilt coach |
Born in Danville |
|
Robin Yount |
|
Sep 16, 1955 |
|
Hall of Fame center fielder and shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers |
Born in Danville |
[6] |