news reporter for NBC News and MSNBC (Greensboro) Vermont C. Royster (1914–1996), editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal 1957–1970; winner of two Pulitzer Prizes (Raleigh) Stuart Scott (1965–2015), television sportscaster, anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter; graduated from University of North Carolina (Winston-Salem) André Leon Talley (born 1949), professional fashion journalist and former editor-at-large of Vogue (Durham) Wilbert Tatum (1933–2009), editor, publisher, chairman and chief executive officer of New York AmsterdamMusicians A–G Ryan Adams (born 1974), singer-songwriter (Jacksonville and Raleigh) Clay Aiken (born 1978), pop singer (Raleigh) Doug Aldrich (born 1964), guitarist (Raleigh) Tim Alexander (born 1965), drummer for Primus (Cherry Point) Gerald Alston (born 1951), of R&B group Gerald Alston & The Manhattans (Henderson) Tori Amos (born 1963), singer (Newton) Sunshine Anderson (born 1974), R&B and soul singer-songwriter (Winston-Salem and Charlotte) Seth Avett (born 1980), singer-songwriter, artist (Concord) Scott Avett (born 1976), singer-songwriter, artist (Concord) Nicholas William Bailey (born 1980), film and television composer, singer-songwriter (New Bern) Bessie Banks (born 1938), singer (born Bessie White) Warren Barfield (born 1979), Christian musician (Goldsboro) Fantasia Barrino (born 1984), singer, American Idol Season 3 winner (High Point) Riley Baugus (born 1965), indigenous Appalachian musician (Walkertown) B.o.B (born 1988), rapper and record producer (Winston-Salem) Margie Bowes (1941–2020), country music singer (Roxboro) Alicia Bridges (born 1953), disco singer (Lawndale) Chuck Brown (1936–2012), known as "The Godfather of Go-go" (Garysburg) Nappy Brown (1922-2008), R&B singer (Charlotte) Shirley Caesar (born 1938), singer (Durham) Jason Michael Carroll (born 1978), singer (Raleigh) Spencer Chamberlain (born 1983), singer-songwriter (Chapel Hill) Eric Church (born 1977), country singer-songwriter (Granite Falls) George Clinton (born 1941), funk musician (Kannapolis) John Coltrane (1926–1967), jazz musician (Hamlet) David L. Cook (born 1968), Christian recording artist and comedian (Charlotte) J. Cole (born 1985), rapper (Fayetteville) Luke Combs (born 1990), country music singer (Asheville) Elizabeth Cotten (1895–1987), folk and blues singer-songwriter (Carrboro) Bucky Covington (born 1977), singer (Rockingham) DaBaby (born 1991), rapper (Charlotte) Charlie Daniels (1936–2020), singer-songwriter (Wilmington) Chris Daughtry (born 1979), singer (Roanoke Rapids and Greensboro) Tommy DeCarlo (born 1965), singer for Boston (Charlotte) Patrick Douthit (a.k.a. 9th Wonder) (born 1975), hip-hop producer (Winston-Salem) Jermaine Dupri (born 1972), rap artist and record producer (Asheville) Fred Durst (born 1970), frontman for the rap rock band Limp Bizkit; grew up and graduated from high school in NC (Gastonia) Mitch Easter (born 1954), singer-songwriter, producer (R.E.M.), frontman for Let's Active (Winston-Salem) Donna Fargo (born 1945), singer-songwriter (Mount Airy) Roberta Flack (born