This is pure superficial celebrity trivia, but I’ll post it anyway. I must’ve been inspired by the Barbara Walters special the other night, feeling a bit nostalgic and sentimental. Some of these names are well known, others maybe not. I don’t know whether some names “count” as they weren’t adopted in the “traditional” sense; they were raised by biological family members other than their biological parents. So here is an edited down list of 25 each.
BLOGGER NOTE – AT THE REQUEST OF THE ARTIST I TOOK DOWN AN IMAGE OF WILLIE NELSON ON THIS PAGE. I AM GIVING HIM ATTRIBUTION RETROACTIVELY AS FOLLOWS: “Photo credit: Larry Philpot, SoundstagePhotograph.com.”
25 Famous Adopted Children:
- Robert Byrd – U.S. Senator
- Peter and Kitty Carruthers – Olympic silver medal figure skaters
- Eric Clapton – Rock star
- Bill Clinton – U.S. President
- Nat King Cole – Pop star
- Bo Diddley – Blues star
- Larry Ellison – Billionaire, CEO, Oracle Corp. (close friend of Steve Jobs, also adopted)
- Gerald Ford – U.S. President
- Debbie Harry – Rock star, Blondie
- Steve Jobs – Co-Founder of Apple Computer
- Colin Kaepernick – NFL quarterback
- John Lennon – Beatle
- Art Linkletter – TV star
- Ray Liotta – Movie star
- Greg Louganis – Olympic gold medal diver
- Nelson Mandela – Civil rights icon and President, South Africa
- Marilyn Monroe – Iconic movie star
- Willie Nelson – Country music star
- Jack Nicholson – Movie star
- Edgar Allen Poe – Poet, Writer
- Nancy Reagan – First Lady
- Michael Reagan – Author and Ronald Reagan’s son
- Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady
- Dave Thomas – Entrepreneur, founder of Wendy’s
- Malcolm X – Civil rights icon
25 Famous Adoptive Parents:
- Charles Bronson – Action star
- Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman – Movie stars
- Sammy Davis, Jr. – Star entertainer
- Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne – Best selling authors
- Walt Disney – Founder of Walt Disney Company
- Mia Farrow – Movie star
- Henry Fonda – Iconic movie star
- Bob Hope – Iconic movie star and entertainer
- Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – Movie stars
- Magic Johnson – Basketball star
- Diane Keaton – Movie star
- George Lucas – Director of Star Wars films
- Harpo Marx – Marx Brother
- Willie Mays – Baseball star
- John McCain – U.S. Senator
- Ed McMahon – TV star, Johnny Carson’s sidekick
- Paul Newman – Movie star
- Rosie O’Donnell – TV star
- Ozzy Osbourne – Rock star
- Burt Reynolds – Movie star
- Roy Rogers – Movie, TV star
- Al Roker – TV star, weatherman
- Linda Ronstadt – Rock star
- Stephen Spielberg – Hollywood director
- Barbara Walters – TV star, news anchor
Bill Clinton was raised by his biological mom and later adopted by his stepfather. By that definition, pretty much any kid with divorced parents who remarried is considered an “adopted” kid.
Right on that one, thus my “disclaimer” up front. Thanks!