Here are 14 Famous Women From Texas You Need To Know About:
Beyonce
Beyoncé is a multi-talented entertainer and businesswoman who has achieved massive success in both the music and fashion industries
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say) (born September fourth, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child, and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child.
Managed by her father, Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the launch of Beyoncé’s solo career with the release of her debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy”.
To date, she has sold 100 million records as a solo artist, making her one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, whose books, as of 2022 have sold more then 20 million copies worldwide.
She has written twenty-five novels, with her best known works being “Slammed”, “Point of Retreat“, and the “Hopeless” series. Her work is often praised for its deep and emotional storylines that keep readers hooked until the very end.
Hoover tackles tough topics in her books such as family drama, addiction, and even mental health issues.
Her stories also explore the complexities of love in all forms, from romantic relationships to platonic friendships.
She is one of the most beloved contemporary authors, and her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin was one of the most successful and influential rock stars of her time.
She was known for her powerful vocals and her outrageous stage presence. Janis was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on January 19, 1943. She began singing in local clubs when she was a teenager.
In 1966, she moved to San Francisco and joined the band Big Brother and the Holding Company.
Janis became a star after her performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Her first album with Big Brother, Cheap Thrills, was a huge success. It included the hit song “Piece of My Heart.”
Janis left Big Brother in 1968 and formed her own band, the Kozmic Blues Band. She released her second album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, in 1969.
Janis’s third and final album, Pearl, was released just weeks after her death from a drug overdose on October 04, 1970.
It included the hit song “Me and Bobby McGee.” Janis Joplin was just 27 years old when she died. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Janis Joplin’s brief but successful career left a lasting impression on the world of rock and roll.
She was a true pioneer for women in music and her unique style continues to inspire musicians today. Janis Joplin will always be remembered as one of the greatest rock stars of all time.
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor is a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement from active service in 2006. She was the first woman to serve on the Court.
Sandra Day O’Connor was born to Harry Andrew Day, a rancher and banker, and Ada Mae Wilkey, a housewife and homemaker.
Sandra Day O’Connor was born in El Paso, Texas on March 26, 1930.
She attended public schools in El Paso, Texas and then went on to study at Stanford University.
She married John Jay O’Connor III in 1952 and they had three sons. Sandra Day O’Connor graduated from Stanford Law School in 1952 and became a lawyer in San Mateo, California.
In 1975, she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals by Governor Bruce Babbitt.
In 1981, she became the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court when she was nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Justice O’Connor served on the Court for twenty-four years, until her retirement in 2005.
During her time on the Court, she was known as a moderate conservative.
After she graduated from Stanford Law School, she married John Jay O’Connor III and they moved to San Mateo, California where she began her career as a lawyer.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
She was confirmed by the Senate and became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. During her time on the Court, Justice O’Connor became known as a moderate conservative.
She served on the Court for twenty-four years and then retired in 2005.
After she retired from the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor remained active in public life.
In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
She has also continued to work on issues related to judicial independence and separation of powers. In 2010, she founded iCivics, a nonprofit organization that provides civic education resources to teachers and students across the United States.
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, to Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek Sr., a county judge.
She has Czechoslovakian, English, Irish, Scottish, and Swiss ancestry. Her mother worked as a beautician and her father was a county judge, and she has an older sister named Nancy and a younger brother named Mick.
Spacek was raised in the Catholic faith.
Spacek attended Quitman High School and was voted homecoming queen of her senior class. She took acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Spacek made her film debut in the horror film Badlands (1973), and she went on to receive Academy Award nominations for her roles in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), The Dead Zone (1983), Crimes of the Heart (1986), and In the Bedroom (2001).
She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Coal Miner’s Daughter, the classic movie from 1980 that depicts country’s singer Loretta’s Lynn’s life.
Spacek has also starred in several television movies and miniseries, including The Red Badge of Courage (1974), Romeo & Juliet (1978), The Long Hot Summer (1985), Missing Children (1986), A Killing in a Small Town (1990), Gypsy (1993), Rose Red (2002), and Lost (2004).
She also had a recurring role as Ruth Marshall on the TV series Dirty Sexy Money (2007-2008). Spacek currently stars as Sally Rayburn on the Netflix series Bloodline (2015-present).
Spacek has been married to Jack Fisk since 1974, and they have two daughters: Schuyler Fisk, an actress and singer, and Darwin Fisk, a photographer. Spacek’s parents were both from families that had lived in the American South for many generations, and her mother was of English descent.
Miriam A. Ferguson
Miriam A. Ferguson was the first female Governor of Texas, serving two non-consecutive terms from 1925 to 1927 and 1933 to 1935.
She was the second woman in the United States to be elected as a governor, after Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming.
Miriam A. Ferguson (March 15, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was the first woman to be elected Governor of Texas, serving two non-consecutive terms from 1925 to 1927 and 1933 to 1935. She ran for office again in 1940, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel.
Ferguson was born near Bellmead, Texas, in McLennan County.
She married Jim Ferguson in 1892, and the couple had two children together. Jim Ferguson served as Governor of Texas from 1915 to 1917, but was impeached and removed from office in 1917 for misuse of state funds. He was later pardoned by his successor, Governor Willam P. Hobby.
After her husband’s impeachment and subsequent pardon, Miriam Ferguson became active in Texas politics.
She was elected Governor of Texas in 1924, becoming the first woman to hold that office. She was re-elected in 1932, but was defeated in the Democratic primary in 1940 by W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel.
Ferguson was a supporter of the New Deal program of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and helped to bring about many changes in Texas during her time as governor.
She died in 1961 at the age of 86.
Her son, Jim Ferguson Jr., served as a judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals from 1971 to 1976.
Her daughter, Maury Maverick, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1957.
Miriam A. Ferguson was a trailblazer in Texas politics, and her legacy continues to this day.
Ann Richards
Ann Richards was an American politician and stateswoman who served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995.
A Democrat, she first came to national attention as a keynote speaker at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. She later became a popular political commentator on television and radio.
Born in 1933 in Lake City, Texas, Ann Richards was the second of three daughters.
Her father, Edgar B. Davis, was a lawyer and author who served as mayor of Austin from 1941 to 1947; her mother, Dorothy “Dotty” Willis, was an elementary schoolteacher. After graduating from high school in 1951, Richards attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she met her future husband, David Richards.
She transferred to the University of Texas at Austin in 1953 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1954.
Richards began her political career in 1972 when she was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, representing Austin’s Fifty-seventh District.
She served in the House for four years, before being elected to the Texas State Senate in 1976.
As a state senator, Richards gained a reputation as a skilled legislator and an effective advocate for women’s rights. In 1982, she was elected treasurer of Texas, becoming the first woman to hold statewide office in Texas.
She was reelected to a second term in 1986.
In 1990, Richards ran for governor of Texas.
She narrowly won the Democratic primary over former governor Mark White and went on to defeat Republican businessman Clayton Williams in the general election.
Richards became the first woman elected governor of Texas and only the second woman elected governor of any state in the United States.
As governor, Richards championed education reform and fought to expand access to health care. She also worked to improve the state’s economy, helping to attract new businesses to Texas.
Richards was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1994, losing to Republican George W. Bush.
After leaving office, she remained active in politics and public policy, serving on a number of boards and commissions.
She also gave speeches and wrote a memoir, Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places, which was published in 1996.
Richards died of cancer in 2006. She was survived by her husband, David, and their four children.
Ann Richards was a lifelong Democrat who fought for progressive causes throughout her career in public service.
She was a champion of education reform and an advocate for women’s rights.
As governor of Texas, she helped to attract new businesses to the state and improve the economy.
After leaving office, she remained active in politics and public policy, serving on a number of boards and commissions.
Ann Richards was a trailblazer who left a lasting legacy. She will be remembered as a fierce advocate for justice and equality.
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is an American singer and songwriter. Lambert was born in Longview, Texas, on November 16, 1983.
She is best known for her work as a solo artist, and is a member of the Pistol Annies. Lambert has released seven studio albums, including Platinum (2014), which is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Her songs have been featured in television shows, films, and commercials. She has won several awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Country Album (2016).
She began writing songs at the age of 16. Her first song, “Kerosene”, was released as a single in 2005.
It was later included on her debut album, Kerosene (2005). The album was certified platinum by the RIAA. Lambert’s second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007), was also certified platinum.
Lambert’s third album, Revolution (2009), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single, “The House That Built Me”, peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lambert’s fourth album, Four the Record (2011), was also certified platinum.
Lambert’s fifth album, Platinum (2014), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single, “Automatic”, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album’s second single, “Somethin’ Bad”, was a duet with Carrie Underwood. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Lambert’s sixth album, The Weight of These Wings (2016), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s lead single, “Vice”, peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Lambert married country singer Blake Shelton in 2011, but they divorced in 2015. The couple has one child together, a daughter named Gwen.
In 2019 she married Brendan McLoughli.
Lambert is an animal rights activist and has worked with various organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States and PETA.
Lambert is a member of the Pistol Annies, a country music group that also includes Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.
The group has released three albums: Hell on Heels (2011), Annie Up (2013), and Interstate Gospel (2018).
Lambert has also appeared as a judge on the television show Nashville Star and in 2019 she was also a judge on The Voice.
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes is considered one of the best players in the history of women’s basketball. She was a three-time Olympic gold medalist and the first player to be signed to the WNBA.
Sheryl is also a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Sheryl was born and raised in Brownfield, Texas.
See More: Best WNBA Players of All-Time
She played basketball in high school and college before being drafted by the Houston Comets in the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997.
Sheryl spent her entire professional career with the Comets, winning four WNBA championships with the team.
She was also named the league’s MVP three times and was a nine-time All-Star.
After retiring from the WNBA in 2011, Sheryl became head coach of her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago.
She led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances in her four seasons as head coach.
Sheryl is currently an assistant coach for the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
She is also a commentator for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.
Sheryl Swoopes is one of the most accomplished players in the history of women’s basketball.
She was a three-time Olympic gold medalist and the first player to be signed to the WNBA. Sheryl is also a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Gennie Chance
The ground in Alaska shook on Friday, March 27th 1964. The 9.2 magnitude earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded and it caused many deaths across North America, as well as a powerful tsunami.
But one thing kept working despite the mayhem: the local radio.
It was powered by one strong Texan, Gennie Chance, who moved to Alaska not long before the earthquake to become a radio broadcaster.
The star of the radio, a big shot from Los Angeles, bolted right back to safety after the earthquake, and keeping the radio going was left to Gennie Chance.
She broadcasted for 59 hours straight, until telephone lines and order was restored.
See More: Genie Chance: Broadcasting 59 Hours Through An Earthquake
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan was an American lawyer, educator, and politician who was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.
She was the first African American to be elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first woman to be elected as a U.S. Representative from Texas.
She also became the first southern black woman to deliver a keynote address at a major political convention when she addressed the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
Jordan was born and raised in Houston, Texas.
She graduated from Boston University School of Law in 1959, and then returned to Houston to begin her law practice. Jordan became involved in the civil rights movement, and she helped to desegregate several schools in Texas.
In 1966, she was elected to the Texas Senate.
Jordan’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972 made her the first black woman from a southern state to serve in Congress.
She was reelected to Congress in 1974 and 1976. In 1976, Jordan gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, becoming the first black woman to do so.
Jordan retired from Congress in 1979 and returned to Texas. She taught at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin from 1979 to 1996.
Jordan died on January 17, 1996, at the age of 59.
Kim Zmeskal
Kim Zmeskal is an American former artistic gymnast.
She was the 1991 World all-around champion and a member of the gold medal-winning United States team at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Zmeskal began gymnastics at age six.
In 1990, she became the first American to win the World Championship all-around title. The following year, she competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where she helped the United States team win the gold medal.
She retired from gymnastics in 1996.
Zmeskal has been inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
She currently serves as the head coach of the Texas Dreams Gymnastics club.
Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger was born on April 25, 1969, in Katy, Texas.
Her mother, Kjellfrid Irene (Andreassen), is a Norwegian-born former nurse and midwife, of Norwegian, Kven (Finnish), and Swedish descent.
Her father, Emil Erich Zellweger, is a Swiss-born engineer. She has one older brother, Drew Zellweger.
Renée was raised in Katy and attended Robert M. Beren Academy, a Jewish day school.
In 1987, she graduated from Katy High School, where she was a cheerleader and studied ballet, tap dance, and jazz dance.
Renée then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a B.A. in English in 1992.
After college, Renée moved to New York City and worked as an assistant for a casting director.
She also appeared in a few Off-Off-Broadway plays, including “The Mandrake Root” and “Sweet Potato Queens”.
Her big break came when she was cast as Nurse Betty in the 1996 comedy “Nurse Betty”. The film was a critical and commercial success, and earned Renée an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 2000, Renée starred in the hit romantic comedy “Bridget Jones’s Diary”. The film was a huge box office success, grossing over $280 million worldwide.
Renée’s performance as the loveable and clumsy Bridget Jones earned her widespread acclaim, and she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Renée has since starred in a number of successful films, including “Cold Mountain”, “Cinderella Man”, and “The Bee Movie”.
She has also received critical acclaim for her work in the 2006 drama “Miss Potter”, and the 2010 comedy “Leap Year”.
Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 15, 1964. She is the daughter of an Italian-American mother and a German-American father.
Gates graduated from Ursuline Academy of Dallas in 1982 and from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1986.
Gates met her future husband, Bill Gates, while they were both students at Microsoft. They married in 1994 and have three children.
Gates is a co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest private charitable foundation.
The foundation works to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty around the world, and supports American education through its Gates Millennium Scholars program.
In her work at the foundation, Gates has focused on improving access to contraception for women in developing countries.
In 2012, she was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time magazine.
Gates is also a trustee of the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
In 2010, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Seattle-based technology organization, Women in Technology International.
In 2021, she divorced Bi
Hillary Duff
Hillary Duff is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She started her career as a child actress on the Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire.
She has since starred in numerous films and television series, including A Cinderella Story, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Gossip Girl. As a singer, she has released six studio albums, including the platinum-selling Most Wanted.
Duff has been described as a “role model” for her generation, and she has received numerous awards and nominations, including three Teen Choice Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, and two Grammy Award nominations.
She has sold more than 15 million records worldwide.
In 2010, Duff was ranked No. 17 on Forbes magazine’s list of “Top Earning Young Stars”. She is also active in various philanthropic causes, such as children’s and animal welfare organizations.
Duff was born on September 28, 1987, in Houston, Texas.
She is the second child of Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of convenience stores, and Susan Colleen Duff (née Cobb), a housewife.
She has an older sister named Haylie.
Her parents divorced when she was six years old and she was raised by her mother in Houston.
Duff began her acting career at a young age. She made her film debut in the 1998 direct-to-video release True Lies: The Movie, playing the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis’s characters.
She subsequently appeared in several films and television series, including The Soul Collector (1999), Chicago Hope (1999), and Guinevere (1999).
In 2001, Duff landed the title role of Lizzie McGuire in the Disney Channel series of the same name. The show became a massive hit, and made Duff a household name. S
he reprised her role in the 2003 feature film The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
After Lizzie McGuire ended in 2004, Duff starred in several films, including A Cinderella Story (2004), Cheaper by the Dozen (2004), and Raise Your Voice (2004). She also guest-starred on various television series, including That’s So Raven (2003) and American Dreams (2002).
In 2006, Duff made her stage debut in the Broadway production of Hairspray.
She also released her fourth studio album, Dignity, that same year.
In 2007, Duff starred in the film version of Sex and the City, playing the character of Charlotte York’s assistant.
She also guest-starred on the television series Gossip Girl, playing the role of Olivia Burke.
In 2008, Duff starred in the horror film Stay Alive and the comedy-drama According to Greta. She also released her fifth studio album, Breathe In.
In 2009, Duff starred in the direct-to-video film Foodfight!. She also guest-starred on the television series Glee, playing the role of Quinn Fabray’s mother.
In 2010, Duff appeared in the film Bloodworth and guest-starred on the television series Two and a Half Men.
In 2011, Duff starred in the romantic comedy The Perfect Man and guest-starred on the television series Raising Hope. She also released her sixth studio album, Best of Hillary Duff.
In 2012, Duff appeared in the independent film Flock of Dudes and guest-starred on the television series What’s Trending.
In 2013, Duff starred in the television film Bonnie & Clyde and guest-starred on the television series Two and a Half Men. She also released her first book, Elixir, a young adult novel.
In 2014, Duff starred in the comedy-drama Careful What You Wish For and guest-starred on the television series New Girl.
In 2015, Duff starred in the comedy-drama Younger and guest-starred on the television series The Mindy Project. She also released her second book, Devoted, a sequel to Elixir.
Duff has been married to former professional hockey player Mike Comrie since 2010. They have one son together, Luca Cruz Comrie, born in 2012. The couple announced their separation in 2014 but have remained on good terms.
Duff has been active in various philanthropic causes throughout her career.
She is a ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and has granted over 200 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.
She is also a supporter of various children’s and animal welfare organizations.
Duff has been the subject of media scrutiny throughout her career, particularly during her teenage years.
In 2004, she was voted “Worst Celebrity Role Model” by Blender magazine.
However, she has since rebounded from this negative perception and is now widely considered to be a positive role model for young women.
In 2010, Duff was ranked #32 on Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 list.
In 2013, she was ranked #74 on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. And in 2014, she was ranked #83 on People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in the World list.
Duff has also been included on Forbes magazine’s list of Hollywood’s Top Earning Women three times: in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Duff has an estimated net worth of $25 million as of 2015. She has earned her wealth through her successful acting and singing career, as well as various endorsement deals. Duff is also a successful businesswoman, with her own clothing line, fragrance line, and home decor line. She has also released her own book series and fitness DVDs.
Duff currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
