book author; raised in Normal Pokey LaFarge, American roots & blues musician & singer, spent teenage years in Normal Leah Marlene, finalist on Season 20 of American Idol, was raised in Normal. Ryan Martinie, bassist; raised in Normal Ralph Eugene Meatyard, photographer; born in Normal Ogonna Nnamani, member of the US Olympic volleyball team; born in Normal Andrew Osenga, musician and songwriter Awadagin Pratt, musician; raised in Normal Gordon Ropp, Illinois state representative and farmer; born in Normal Roger Sedarat, poet; born in Normal McLean Stevenson, actor; born in Normal Brock Stewart, pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays; born in Normal Robert C. Underwood, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court; lived in Normal David Foster Wallace, award-winning author, professor at Illinois State University in Normal (1993–2002) Sister cities Bloomington, Illinois Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan Vladimir, Russia Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom Upper Nazareth, Israel Nazareth, Israel Ramallah, Palestine Caibarién, Cuba Remedios, Cuba Milton Keynes, United Kingdom References External links Town of Normal Official website The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Official source of visitor information for the Bloomington-Normal area Normal once center for commercial tomato, corn canning - Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois newspaper) 1867 establishments in Illinois Populated places established in 1867 Towns in McLean County, Illinois Towns in Illinois