Buddy Guy from Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Trivia
Baton Rouge is French for “Red Stick.”
Baton Rouge is Louisiana’s capitol and has become a major educational and oil-processing center in the South.
Baton Rouge is now Louisiana’s second largest metropolitan area at 800,000.
With the influx of New Orleans citizens, the African American population is over 200,000.
Although inland, Baton Rouge’s deep-water commercial port is one of the 5 largest in the nation.
Baton Rouge has both the tallest capitol building and the largest oil refinery in North America.
Famous Residents
Famous residents born or made their mark in Baton Rouge:
Eddie Robinson – Legendary Grambling football coach, attended high school in Baton Rouge.
Rev. T.J. Jamison – Pastor who led the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, a model for Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955; also helped found the SCLC
Cleo Fields – At age 28, he was the youngest person ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
P. B. S. Pinchbeck – The nation’s 1st Black governor served in office here.
Joseph Samuel Clark – Influential and accomplished president of Southern University
Lynn Whitfield – Emmy Award-winning actress
H. Rap Brown – Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee activist
Clifton Chewier – Popularized the accordion in Zydeco music
Buddy Guy – Famous Blues guitarist
Bill Gray – Former Congressman and CEO of the United Negro College Fund
Dr. Gardner C. Taylor – Renowned, pastor of Concord Baptist Church
Joe Tex – R&B singer
Willie Davenport – Track and field gold medalist and 5-time Olympian
Ernest Gaines – Famous author and playwright
Doug Williams – First Black Quarterback to win Superbowl MVP
