Famous People from Alabama

Jimmy Buffett and his sister, Lulu

Among the most famous Alabama celebrities are the Buffetts, namely the one and only Jimmy and his successful restaurateur sister, Lucy (or as she is called here, LuLu). Jimmy claims Fairhope, a town 45 minutes northwest of Gulf Shores, as his hometown, but spent plenty of time as a youth doing all the things his songs lionize so famously - boating, fishing, having a few beers, and generally enjoying life on the coast in that relaxed Southern way you can only find in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Like her older brother Jimmy, Lucy Buffett is not immune to the charms of the Gulf Coast. Lucy shares the travel bug with Jimmy but found herself called back through the happy experiences of childhood to start her own restaurant, first in Weeks Bay and then in our very own Gulf Shores. You can visit her restaurant, just a short drive from our Gulf Shores condos and Orange Beach rentals, and soak up the atmosphere described in Jimmy's songs, with excellent food and drinks as your accompaniment.

Fairhope's Artistic Circles

Everyone, even some of America's most prominent writers and intellectuals, needs a vacation sometimes. At the turn of the 20th century the Fairhope area attracted authors like Sherwood Anderson and Upton Sinclair during the winter. Fairhope at the time had cultivated a unique community of idealists, drawn to its "single-tax" approach to organizing the town. The "single-tax" was the invention of writer and reformer Henry George, who sought to address issues of inequality created by the increasingly rampant industrialization of the 19th Century. He believed land should be owned collectively, and rented out to individual tenants. Revenue would be acquired by taxing the land values, and not any particular enterprise on the land (farming, business-ownership, etc.). George believed this would make land speculation less appealing but still encourage people to use the land to their and society's benefit.

Fairhope is one of only two towns in America that still uses this system (Arden, Delaware, is the other). Visit the Fairhope Museum of History during your stay to learn more about this interesting taxation system.

Winston Groom

"Forrest Gump" is among the most iconic of movies about the American South. "Forrest Gump" was originally a book, written by Winston Groom, one of our writerly famous people from Alabama, who drew upon his experiences growing up in Baldwin County to create such a richly Southern setting. Winston Groom is a prolific non-fiction writer, as well, and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for his work "Conversations with the Enemy."

The Men and Women of Mobile

Mobile, Alabama has produced a number of artists, athletes, and leaders whose contributions continue to shape American culture today. Visit Hank Aaron stadium and the Hank Aaron home, near the stadium, to admire the achievements of one of baseball's most remarkable athletes. Other baseball players, including Ozzie Smith and Frank Bolling, are from Mobile, too. Author August Jane Evans is buried in Mobile, and was one of the most popular early female authors in the United States.

There's no shortage of extraordinary people in and around the Gulf Shores area! Visit our Gulf Shores condos and Orange Beach rentals and learn their stories!