What Does Lubbock Have That Amarillo Doesn’t? Celebrities, That’s What.

One thing I assumed when I moved to Amarillo was that there had to be plenty of famous people born here, right? I was quickly proven wrong.

I then got a bug up my backside and out of curiosity, I looked up famous people born in Lubbock. I thought surely there won't be THAT many right? Yup, wrong again.

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How is it that one of the most famous country songs is titled "Amarillo By Morning", yet Lubbock lays claim to all the cool people? Here's a look at just some of the celebrities that Lubbock gets to claim.

BUDDY HOLLY

Date of Birth
September 7, 1936

Died
February 3, 1959

Known as
Famous singer

Buddy Holly shot to fame with the song "That'll Be The Day" and was a huge up and coming star. Unfortunately, he didn't get to go on and realize all the fame coming to him as he was one of the artists killed in the plane crash on February 3, 1959 that also took the life of Ritchie Valens. He was laid to rest in Lubbock Cemetery.

CHACE CRAWFORD

Date of Birth
July 18, 1985

Known as
Actor

Chace Crawford is best known as Nate Archibald from the teen drama "Gossip Girl". Crawford became a heartthrob and went on to star in a few movies after the show. After taking an apparent hiatus, Crawford has returned to the screen for the Amazon Prime series "The Boys".

RYAN TANNEHILL

Date of Birth
July 27, 1988

Known as
NFL Quarterback

Ryan Tannehill first popped on peoples radar as the starting QB for Texas A&M. He was the 8th overall pick for the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft. After going through some ups and downs in Miami, Tannehill surfaced in Tennessee and is now the Titans starting QB. He's guided his team to the playoffs in both his years in Tennessee.

TRAE YOUNG

Date of Birth
September 19, 1998

Known as
NBA superstar

Trae Young became a household name for his uncanny ability to knock down 3 pointers in his time at Oklahoma. Taken 2nd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young led the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020-2021 NBA season where they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. Young is a budding superstar in the NBA.

JILL GOODACRE

Date of Birth
March 29, 1964

Known as
Model & Actress

Jill Goodacre hit stardom as one of the main catalog models for Victoria's Secret in the 80's and early 90's. She went on to do a couple small acting roles during and after her time as a model. She is married to singer/actor Harry Connick Jr.

LINCOLN RILEY

Date of Birth
September 5, 1983

Known as
College football head coach

Lincoln Riley has been a college football coach since 2003, but it was in 2015 when he got his big break. Then-head coach Bob Stoops of Oklahoma brought in Riley to be his offensive coordinator. 2 years later, Riley was elevated to head coach of the Sooners when Stoops left. He's won the Big 12 conference title every year he's been head coach.

NATALIE MAINES

Date of Birth
October 14, 1974

Known as
Lead singer of "The Chicks"

Natalie Maines thrust herself into the country music scene with her group "The Dixie Chicks". The groups "Wide Open Spaces" popped them right to the top of the country music scene in 1998. After another couple commercial successes, Maines made some very critical comments of President George W. Bush and they were met with backlash from fans and others. The band took a hiatus after that, and while they eventually started making music again, they never realized the same commercial success.

MASON CROSBY

Date of Birth
September 3, 1984

Known as
NFL kicker

Mason Crosby possessed a golden leg and got himself a full ride to the University of Colorado. Kicking bombs in the rarified air of Colorado catapulted him onto the radars of NFL teams. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the 6th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...and he's been there ever since.