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People in Orange County, California |
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1900-2004. Former professor at CalTech, invented the first commercially successful electronic pH meter in 1934. On the strength of this invention, he founded Beckman Instruments, which continues to thrive today as Beckman Coulter, Inc.. According to the Beckman Institute website, "Arnold Beckman and Mabel Meinzer (1900-1989) were married in 1925. Throughout her life, Mrs. Beckman was deeply involved in Beckman Instruments, Inc., and shared Dr. Beckman's devotion to philanthropic causes. Testaments to the Beckmans' generosity toward education and research can be seen in the creation of the Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology, the Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California at Irvine, Stanford University's Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Engineering, and the Center for the History of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. The beneficence of the Beckmans toward the U of I's Beckman Institute continues to be felt through the ongoing financial assistance from the The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation." Learn more about Dr. Beckman at Beckman Coulter's Heritage Exhibit.
See also Beckman @ Science. Irvine |
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Ayn Rand was a longtime resident of Laguna Beach. Her institute is still located in Orange County. Irvine |
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"...his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn't refuse: "I'll support you for five years," she said, "and if you can't make it as a writer in that time, you'll never make it." By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband's writing career. Dean and Gerda Koontz along with their dog, Trixie, live in southern California....
When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages, a figure that currently increases more than 17 million copies per year.
Ten of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list (By the Light of the Moon, One Door Away From Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Lightning, Midnight, Cold Fire, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, and Sole Survivor), making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Twelve of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback." |
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According to SeeingStars.com:
"Dennis Rodman, lives in a beach house on Seashore Drive in Balboa and owns a local club called Josh Slocum's (on the other side of the bay, at 2601 W Coast Hwy.)" |
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Lives in Laguna Beach.
According to Wikipedia: "Diane Keaton (born January 5, 1946) is an American actress, producer and director.
She was born Diane Hall ... January 5, 1946 in Santa Ana, California....
Her big break came when she was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's blockbuster The Godfather (1972) (she also appeared in the sequel). Around this time, she became romantically involved with Woody Allen and has played eccentric characters in several of his comic films including Annie Hall (1977) (in which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress that year), but has also won acclaim in roles such as in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Marvin's Room (1996), and Mrs. Soffel (1984)."
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| "'The surfing keeps me alive, and the music keeps me grounded.'
Born on December 10, 1972 in Downey, California, Donavon Frankenreiter currently resides in Laguna Beach, CA, among the things he loves - his wife, his son, his guitar, and the ocean.
Growing up his days revolved around the water, surfing every chance he had. At age 13, Billabong became Donavon's first sponsor and afforded him a role most surfers dream of, that of a free surfer - paid to ride the waves, but not required to surf in competition. Although he still surfs every chance he gets, Donavon's focus has shifted towards his music.
When Donavon was 15, he got his first guitar, but it wasn't until he was 18 that he started playing seriously and formed his high school band Peanut Butter and Jam. He has always loved to play music, but only in the last three years, has he discovered his own voice, style and confidence to go at it on his own.
Donavon likes to keep it simple, allowing his music to be inspired by anything that moves him, especially his surfing. In 2003, Donavon signed to Brushfire Records, Jack Johnson's signature label. Donavon's self-titled Brushfire debut, (the self-titled Donavon Frankenreiter
) was recorded at the Mango Tree, Hawaii and produced by Jack Johnson and mario Caldato, Jr." |
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"Greg MacGillivray's film career spans more than 40 years. As a cinematographer, he has shot more 70mm film than anyone in cinema history -- more than two million feet. His Laguna Beach company has been dedicated to the large screen motion picture format since the production of the IMAX® Theatre film, To Fly!, which he co-produced and directed with his partner, the late Jim Freeman in 1976. MacGillivray also worked in Hollywood, directing and photographing for Stanley Kubrick, and filming for the Academy Award® nominee Jonathan Livingston Seagull and the Oscar-winning Sentinels of Silence.
MacGillivray is well-known in the industry for artistic and technical innovation in the giant format. He has initiated the development of three cameras for the IMAX® format -- the high-speed (slow-motion) camera, the industry's first lightweight camera, and the "all-weather" camera used during filming on Mount Everest."
Read more about Greg MacGillivray on IMDB and at Wikipedia. Laguna Beach |
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According to Irvine Ranch History, Chapter 1:
"The transition period between James Irvine's death and his son's inheritance of a relatively intact Rancho San Joaquin was highlighted by the arrival of the world famous Shakespearean actress, Madame Helene Modjeska.
Madame Modjeska of the Imperial Theater of Warsaw, Poland, one of the highest paid actresses in the world at the time, arrived in Anaheim in the summer of 1876....
After trying their hand at farming, and failing, Modjeska, homesick for the mountains of her native Poland, determined that the only redeeming feature of Anaheim was the view of the Santa Ana Mountains....
Joseph Pleasants... sold his 400 acres in Santiago Canyon to Madame Modjeska."
This was the genesis of "Modjeska Canyon". See the site for more detail. |
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According to Wikipedia, Jackson Browne attended Fullerton Sunny Hills High School. |
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John Wayne was probably one of our most famous residents, residing for many years in Newport Harbor.
According to SeeingStars.com:
"In the 1920's, when John Wayne was a lad named Marion Morrison, and played football for USC, he went bodysurfing one day near the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, and was injured. That accident turned out to be a lucky break, since the injury helped convince him to give up football and pursue an acting career. In 1928, cowboy star Tom Mix (a fan of Wayne's football heroics) got him a $35-a-week job as a prop man at the Fox studios. Wayne was discovered by John Ford while loading furniture onto a truck on the Fox lot, and the rest is history."
According to the Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau:
John Wayne was "an avid boater who spent a great deal of time at The Balboa Bay Club; even the resort’s cocktail and entertainment lounge was named Duke’s Place in his honor." He was also known to frequent The Arches Restaurant.
According to Wikipedia: "John Wayne died of lung cancer on June 11, 1979 in Newport Beach, California, and was interred in the Pacific View Memorial Park cemetery in Corona del Mar, Orange County, California." |
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Father of the world famous Fender Broadcaster, Telecaster and Stratocaster.
A really cool tribute to Leo Fender can be seen here and here.
According to this City of Fullerton page:
"Leo Fender (1909-1991) was a lifelong resident of Fullerton. In the late 1940s, he invented the first commercially successful solid body electric guitars. Loud and easy to play, Fender guitars had a new sound and fresh look that soon captivated listeners around the world. These improved electric guitars changed what musicians played, what they recorded, and what we heard. The tone and dynamics transformed all styles of popular music—blues, jazz, rock'n'roll, and country.
As America's popular music and culture went global, Leo's work became a prized symbol of ingenuity, personal freedom, and free enterprise. The symbol's power had far-reaching effects. More than a mere creator of sound, Leo Fender helped shape 20th Century history. Today the electric guitar is the most popular musical instrument in the world. Fender started a revolution in music and in the world's popular culture that continues today. It all happened here, in Downtown Fullerton - the 'guitar capital of the world'."
See also: Rickenbacker Guitar and Fender Center for the Performing Arts. |
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"When I was three years old, I learned how to swim in a lake called Snow Pond, in Maine, where my mother’s father had taught her to swim. I swam there in the summer, and the rest of the year I took lessons in an indoor heated pool. I started entering swim meets a couple of years later, but itwasn’t until my family moved to California, in 1969, and I participated in a race in the Pacific that I realized how much I loved swimming in open water. In August, 1971, when I was fourteen years old, I swam twenty-seven miles, from Catalina Island, in Southern California, across the Catalina Channel to the mainland. The swim took twelve hours and thirty-six minutes..."
Lynne went on to swim the English Channel, the Strait of Magellan, the Cape of Good Hope, across Lake Titicaca, through the Gulf of Aqaba, and across the Bering Strait, from the United States to the Soviet Union.
Lynne is an author and a motivational speaker, in addition to being a world class long-distance swimmer.
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Moved to Irvine Coast after he retired from Professional Baseball.
According to Wikipedia: "Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California) is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 through 2001....
McGwire ended his career with 583 home runs, which was then 5th-most in history. He hit 50 or more home runs four seasons in a row (1996-1999), and led Major League Baseball in homers all four seasons."
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| Newport Beach Star's Homes | |
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Here's a really cool site where you can find out more about the stars who live/lived around Newport Beach... |
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An Anaheim band that made it!
According to their Rolling Stone Bio:
"Genre: 3rd Wave Ska, Alternative/Punk, Ska Punk, Post-Grunge
Hometown: Anaheim, CA
Surfing high on the Ska Punk wave which raged in the 1990s, No Doubt found their ticket to ride in a watered-down, polished combination of 3rd Wave Ska and Punk-Pop. With success on the horizon, they quickly moved into more radio-friendly pop territory, launching a career that moved beyond alternative music festivals. As image-perfect as Disneyland, which sits in their backyard, No Doubt embrace a sound and look that counters the aggressive and raw aspects of Grunge and Punk. What little Ska sound they had has been buried under tightly crafted New Wave currents. As many teenage boys and girls will be quick to tell you, the appeal of No Doubt is the attention-grabbing centerpiece and vocalist, Gwen Stefani."
According to the band's website, "The Very Beginning -
[The City of Anaheim], California. Little Gwen, whose tastes run along the lines of The Sound of Music, agrees to sing lead vocals on older brother Eric Stefani's first song, 'Stick It In The Hole,' about a pencil sharpener. Born and raised in England, relocated to Southern California at age 11, saxophonist Tony Kanal joins his high-school jazz band in 10th grade as the bass player. Ninth grader Adrian Young attempts to drum to 'Bend Over' by O.C. band Doggy Style at a school talent contest; his parents bought him a kit when he was 18. A wee lad with a prized KISS record living in [The City of Irvine] (California), Tom Dumont dreamed of being a rock star. As a teen, hopeful Tom started practicing guitar. Setting the Foundation -
December 1986 - Back-flipping singer John Spence forms Orange County-based 2 Tone ska group No Doubt-named after his favorite expression-with keyboardist Eric, who forces Gwen to sing backing vocals. Gwen cites Madness, Kermit the Frog, Julie Andrews and Fishbone's Angelo Moore as her heroes."
According to Wikipedia, Tom Dumont studied at Orange Coast College, lives in Long Beach, and is a member of The Surfrider Foundation. |
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Yes, go ahead - blame OC for Watergate. ;-) Born in the City of Yorba Linda, later maintaining a home in the City of Newport Beach then the City of San Clemente. OC now hosts the Nixon Presidential Library. |
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Newport Beach residents Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley were the famous duo "The Righteous Brothers", who brought blue-eyed soul to mainstream America. Both were born in 1940. Bobby Hatfield, who passed away on November 5, 2003, moved to Anaheim from Wisconsin with his family at age 4. According to the Righteous Brothers website, he started organizing singing and instrumental groups in high school. He attended Fullerton Jr. College and Cal State Long Beach. Bill Medley was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Santa Ana. He sang in the church choir and high school glee club. They teamed up in 1962 to play a prom, where they divided the $40 proceeds 5 ways. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. |
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Billing himself as from "Orange County, Califukkenfornia", RockDaMullet™ is an underground celebrity on MySpace online relationship service.
The 38 year old Wahoo's Fish Tacos employee from Newport Beach is apparently known for the giveaways he garners from local concerns for his 46,000 and growing "friends list". |
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Per their website: "
The men of Sugar Ray all grew up in sunny Orange County, California, with the exception of the Pasadena-raised DJ Homicide. "
According to their Rolling Stone bio:
"Genre: Post-Grunge, Rock/Pop, Alternative/Punk, Funk Metal
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Sugar Ray owe a great debt to the powers that make their fusion of styles so darn catchy. Somehow, the union of hardcore Speed Metal with growling vocals, the sunny, feel-good songs with shimmering acoustic guitar, grungy guitar-driven rock and DJ Homicide's groovy beats make a unified sound all their own. Fueled by the popularity of their ubiquitous first single 'Fly' and singer Mark McGrath's pin-up looks -- the five-piece SoCal band seem likely to beat Warhol's 'fifteen minutes of fame' prediction. " |
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Probably the most prolific writer using Orange County as his backdrop.
"Parker was educated in public schools in Orange County, and took a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, in 1976. He was honored in 1992 as the Distinguished Alumnus.
His writing career began in 1978, as a cub reporter on the weekly newspaper, The Newport Ensign. After covering police, city hall and cultural stories for the Ensign, Parker moved on to the Daily Pilot newspaper, where he won three Orange County Press Club awards for his articles. All the while he was tucking away stories and information that he would use in his first book.
Laguna Heat, written on evenings and weekends while he worked as a journalist, was published to rave reviews and made into an HBO movie starring Harry Hamlin, Jason Robards and Rip Torn. The paperback made the New York Times Bestseller list in 1986.
Parker's next ten books—all dealing with crime, life and death in sunny Southern California—were published to uniformly good reviews and appeared on various regional bestseller lists."
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Famous golfer grew up in Cypress.
"Born: December 30, 1975
Residence: Orlando, Fla.
Wife: Elin (10/5/2004)
Parents: Earl and Kultida
High School: Western HS (Anaheim, Calif.)
College: Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 185 pounds" |
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According to divorce papers, Whitney Houston has lived in Laguna Hills since April 2006.
Bio available at IMDB.
Article about divorce at Orange County Register. |
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