Famous People from Rogers, Arkansas

Almost every city on the map has been the former stomping grounds of someone famous. Whether they’re home to a sports hero, movie star, popular singer, successful business person or influential politician, cities across America are littered with famous talent, and Rogers, Arkansas, is no different. Rogers – located in the fast-growing Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metropolitan area – can be linked to a variety of famous individuals. The city itself is rapidly expanding with a population of 56,726 according to the 2008 census – up 46.1% from 38,829 in 2000. And you know what that means, right? Rogers now has a brighter green light for driving even more people to future fame!

Vernon Oxford – Country Singer/Guitarist and Music Convert
Born in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1941, Vernon Oxford grew up with a musical background as his father played the fiddle. In 1960, Vernon began his career as a professional country music singer and guitarist. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Oxford witnessed his first slew of hits: “Shadows of My Mind,” “Redneck (The Redneck National Anthem)” and “A Good Old Fashioned Saturday Night Honky Tonk Barroom Brawl.” With a song name like that, you can eat your heart out Toby Keith.

After a break from music in the late ‘70s, Vernon recommenced his career in 1981. But rather than dusting off his cowboy hat and putting on those boogie scootin’ country boots, Oxford hung up his country threads for a purer road – gospel singing.

John Daly – Professional Golfer and Occasional Camera Smasher
A native of California, John Daly was raised in Dardanelle and is a former resident of Rogers, Arkansas. Daly turned golf pro in 1987; however, he was fairly quiet until 1991, when he seemingly came out of nowhere to claim the PGA Championship and was later named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Featured as a big hitter, Daly took the philosophy of “grip it and rip it” to heart, as evidenced by his long drives.

Daly is also famous for his on-course rants and off-course drinking and gambling run-ins. He confronts those ups and downs of his life in his memoir My Life In and Out of the Rough. Daly made a golf comeback in recent years, winning the DMW International Open in Munich in 2001 and the Buick Invitational in 2004 before publishing his “all on the table” memoir in 2006.

Side Note:
Daly might also be just as famous for smashing cameras as he is for his heavy-hitting “He-Man” golf game. While Daly was competing in the Australian Open, he smashed a spectator’s camera in a fit of rage after the bystander’s flash supposedly blinded Daly in mid-swing. Infamous line: “You want it back, you buy a new one.”

Joe Nichols – Country Musician and the Dark-Haired Fabio of Country Music
Born in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1976, Joe Nichols began playing guitar as a kid, taking after his father, a bassist in several country bands throughout Arkansas. In 1996, Nichols signed with the indie label Intersound Records; however, his first album sold poorly, and as a result, Nichols was booted off the Iabel. Discouraged, he abandoned his dream as a successful recording artist and took a job as a country music disc jockey.

A few years later, Nichols signed with new label, Universal South, and in 2002, released his second album titled Man with a Memory, which sold an impressive 100,000 copies and produced his first No. 1 song, “Brokenheartsville.” However, it was his third Universal South album that really propelled him to stardom, as both the album and the single “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” went gold. And how can we forget his 2006 Freudian hit, “Size Matters.” Geez, Mr. Nichols, you sure know how to tilt the fence of borderline promiscuity.

Sam Walton – Founder of Wal-Mart Industries and “Conqueror of Shopping”
Although Sam Walton was not born in Arkansas, he lands on this list of famous people from Rogers, Arkansas, because Walton – once listed as the richest man in America by Forbes Magazine – established the very first Wal-Mart in Rogers in 1962. As we all know now, Wal-Mart is the fastest-growing retailer in the country and is recognized by people from across the world as “the superstore.” The only thing that Wal-Mart doesn’t have is its own zip code.

Side note:
After his death in 1992, Walton’s legacy has been so preserved in American society that his original “five and dime” store in Bentonville, Arkansas, is now on display as a museum/visitor center. And the good news is that you don’t have to walk three miles just to get from the toiletries section to the home improvement department.

Alvin Clarence Thomas (a.k.a. Titanic Thompson) – World Class Gambler, Golfer and Straight-up Hustler (Literally)
Born in 1892, Alvin Clarence Thomas started his secret and profitable hustling career wandering the rural United State during the early 1900s. As a skilled athlete with great coordination, a practiced crack shot and self-taught golfer, Thomas honed his talents and moved to New York City where he became an underground legend.

Realizing that even the best pro golfers at the time were only making modest sums a year, Thomas donned his alter ego, Titanic Thompson, and started hustling rich country club players who thought they knew how to play golf but couldn’t withstand the pressure and talent of Thompson and his extremely massive bets.

Side Note:
One of Thompson’s best hustles was to beat a golfer playing right-handed and then offer double or nothing to play the course again left-handed as an apparent handicap. Just one thing: His opponents never knew that Thomas was, in fact, left-handed. Just think of it like the sword-fighting scene from the classic comedy, The Princess Bride.

Yep, Rogers, Arkansas has had quite the cast of famous characters throughout the years, which is why Bryan College is happy to call Rogers home to one of our school branches. After all, how many cities can claim everything from an infamous hustler to a gold-winning country artist?

Image Sources
Vernon Oxford - 991.com/newGallery/Vernon-Oxford-By-Public-Demand-486633.jpg
John Daly - bigmouthsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/x-john-daly-15-july-2010-224x300.jpg
Joe Nichols - baydays.com/images/joe-nichols.jpg
Sam Walton - planete.qc.ca/images/divers/SamWalton02.jpg
Titanic Thompson - cardcheaters.com/images/products/thompson-titanic.jpg