by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: February 28, 2010

Famous and infamous, the greater Phoenix area has had it's share of both.

Consider Bob Crane the star of Hogan's Heros who was found murdered in a Phoenix hotel room. That murder has never been solved. Another is Danny Bonaduce who was arrested for beating up a transvestite whom he had inadvertently picked up thinking she/he was a hooker. The arrest put a period to his job as a radio personality at a local Phoenix station. Obviously even this questionable publicity didn't have any permanent negative affect on his career.

Perhaps the most dubious resident of Scottsdale however is Ted Williams. Though he never lived here in life, his body is being cryogenically preserved in Scottsdale.

Sports have their share of local heroes and heroines. Danica Patrick the race car driver who won her first major Indy Car race the third weekend of April 2008 has called Scottsdale her home since 2004. Joe Garagiola the former major league catcher turned sportscaster makes his home in Phoenix. Former hockey great Wayne Gretzky and current part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes has a home in Scottsdale. PGA member Phil Mickelson also calls Scottsdale home.

American Idol winner from 2007 Jordan Sparks hails from Glendale and is an alumna of the local young peoples theater. Rick Dee's who hosts the Weekly Top 40 makes his home in Phoenix but he is not nearly as exciting as Allison DuBois who is the real life inspiration for the TV show Medium, she really does live in Phoenix.

The older generation will remember Steve Allen who attend High School in Phoenix and went on the ASU. He was one of the major stars of early TV and created and hosted the Tonight Show. Don Ameche who will long be remembered for his role in Cocoon lived and died in Scottsdale. Humorist and author Erma Bombeck lived and died in Paradise Valley where Mohammed Ali also has a home.

Lynda Carter who rose to fame as Wonder Woman in the late 1970's was born in Phoenix and singer Alice Cooper also grew up here. Amanda Blake known best for her role as Miss Kitty" on the TV show Gunsmoke had an estate in Phoenix where she kept a large number of exotic cats. Singer Glenn Campbell also makes Phoenix his home.

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain lives in Phoenix when he is not on the road or in Washington and the late Senator Barry Goldwater was born and lived in Phoenix for much of his life.

Singer Stevie Nicks is a Phoenix resident as is Tanya Tucker. In his early years country great Waylon Jennings lived and performed in Phoenix. Mr. Las Vegas Wayne Newton grew up in Phoenix and actor Leslie Nielson has a home in Scottsdale. Country great Marty Robbins was born in Glendale just west of Phoenix and actor Nick Nolte attended Phoenix College.

As you can see the Valley of the Sun is not short on celebrity. Many residents from all walks of life have risen to the top of their chosen professions. Even more impressive is that many stars have chosen to live in the Phoenix area after they became stars. It says a lot about the attraction of living in this area.

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