53 Notable alumni of
Belmont University
Updated:
Belmont University is 970th in the world, 356th in North America, and 334th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 53 notable alumni from Belmont University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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DJ Qualls
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Donald Joseph Qualls is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Citizen Z on the Syfy horror series Z Nation (2014–2018) and Ed McCarthy on the Amazon Prime Video series The Man in the High Castle (2015–2018).
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Brad Paisley
- Occupations
- composersinger-songwriterguitaristsinger
- Biography
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Brad Douglas Paisley is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You". After this, he signed with Arista Nashville in 1998 and released his debut album Who Needs Pictures in 1999. This was the first of twelve studio albums he would release for the label before its closure in 2023, after which he transferred to EMI Nashville. His most commercially successful albums are Mud on the Tires (2003) and Time Well Wasted (2005), both certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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Trisha Yearwood
- Occupations
- actorsingersongwritertelevision actorwriter
- Biography
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Patricia Lynn Yearwood is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the Billboard country singles chart. Its corresponding self-titled debut album would sell over two million copies. Yearwood continued with a series of major country hits during the early to mid-1990s, including "Walkaway Joe" (1992), "The Song Remembers When" (1993), "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)" (1994), and "Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" (1996).
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Jena Sims
- Occupations
- modelfilm actorbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Jena Sims Koepka is an American actress and model. She has appeared in made-for-TV films and B movies such as Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader (2012), 3-Headed Shark Attack (2015) and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017). She was also named Miss Georgia Teen USA in 2007.
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Josh Turner
- Occupations
- musiciansinger-songwritersinger
- Biography
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Joshua Otis Turner is an American country singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to MCA Nashville Records. That same year, his debut album's title track, "Long Black Train", was his breakthrough single release. His second album, Your Man (2006) accounted for his first two No. 1 hits, "Your Man" and "Would You Go with Me", while 2007's Everything Is Fine included a No. 2 hit, "Firecracker". Haywire, released in 2010, produced his biggest hit, the four-week No. 1 hit "Why Don't We Just Dance" and another No. 1 song, "All Over Me". It was followed by Punching Bag (2012), whose lead-off single, "Time Is Love", was the biggest country hit of 2012 according to Billboard Year-End.
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Lee Ann Womack
- Enrolled in Belmont University
- Studied in 1985-1990
- Occupations
- songwriterbeauty pageant contestantguitaristsinger
- Biography
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Lee Ann Womack is an American singer and songwriter. She has charted 23 times on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts; her highest peaking single there is her crossover signature song, "I Hope You Dance". Five of her singles made top 10 on the country music charts of the defunct RPM magazine in Canada.
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Ian Clark
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ian Patrick Clark is an American professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball at Belmont University. As a senior, Clark was the 2012–13 Ohio Valley Conference Co-Player of the Year with Murray State's Isaiah Canaan. He was third in the nation in three-point field goal shooting percentage and led the Bruins to the conference championship in the school's first year as an OVC member. In July 2013, Clark signed a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz after his performance at the Las Vegas Summer League impressed numerous teams. Clark won an NBA Championship with the Warriors in 2017.
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Tamara Johnson-George
- Occupations
- reality television participantsinger
- Biography
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Tamara Antrice Johnson-George, known professionally as Taj, is an American singer and rapper. She is best known as one-third of the R&B singing group Sisters with Voices (SWV). She also competed on the eighteenth season of Survivor, Survivor: Tocantins.
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Rachel Smith
- Occupations
- television personalitymodelbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Rachel Renee Smith is an American actress, television host, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 2007 pageant and who previously had competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2007 and placed 4th Runner-Up.
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Hanson
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Todd James Smith is an American professional wrestler and trainer. As of January 2018, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Ivar. He is in a tag team with Erik called The War Raiders, where they are the current World Tag Team Champions in their second reign and are a one-time NXT Tag Team Champions. He is also a trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
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Alysha Clark
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Alysha Angelica Clark is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In college, she led the NCAA in scoring three years in a row. She was drafted in the second round of the 2010 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars. In 2018, Clark won a championship with the Seattle Storm as they swept the Mystics in the 2018 WNBA Finals, and in 2020 won her second championship as the Storm swept the Las Vegas Aces. She won her third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. She was also the Most Valuable Player in the league in 2018 when her team CCC Polkowice of Poland in the Basket Liga Kobiet Basketball won that league's championship. In 2019, she won a Ligue Féminine de Basketball championship with her French team, Lyon Asvel. Clark is known for her swarming defense and clutch shooting.
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Steve Grand
- Occupations
- modelsinger-songwriterpianistguitarist
- Biography
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Steve Grand is an American singer, songwriter and model from Lemont, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. He became an overnight internet celebrity and the music video of his first hit "All-American Boy" went viral on YouTube in less than a week in July 2013. This attention landed Grand on Good Morning America, CNN and other national media. In addition to being a musician, Grand has become an active figure in the LGBT equality movement. He released his debut album titled All American Boy financed by a successful Kickstarter public funding campaign. The follow-up album Not the End of Me was released in 2018.
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Diane Black
- Enrolled in Belmont University
- In 1992 graduated with Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Occupations
- fundraiserpoliticiannurse
- Biography
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Diane Lynn Black is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 6th congressional district from January 3, 2011, to January 3, 2019. The district includes several suburban and rural areas east of Nashville. A Republican, she was previously elected to the Tennessee Senate, serving as floor leader of the Republican Caucus. She unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination in the 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election.
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Kimberley Locke
- Occupations
- musicianmodelsinger
- Biography
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Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk show Dr. and the Diva.
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Julie Roberts
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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Julie Roberts is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville in 2003, Roberts made her debut with the single "Break Down Here" in February 2004, a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts and the first track from her self-titled debut album. A second album for Mercury, Men & Mascara, followed in 2006. This album produced two non-charting singles in its title track and a cover of Saving Jane's "Girl Next Door".
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Dylan Windler
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Dylan Windler is an American professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins.
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Ashley Gorley
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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Ashley Gorley is an American songwriter, publisher, and producer from Danville, Kentucky, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Gorley has written 81 number 1 songs and has over 400 songs recorded by artists including Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Bon Jovi, Nate Smith, Thomas Rhett, Jason Derulo, Kelsea Ballerini, Morgan Wallen and Dan + Shay.
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Torres
- Occupations
- songwritermusiciancomposersinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Mackenzie Ruth Scott, known professionally as Torres, is an American indie rock singer-songwriter.
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Jace Everett
- Occupations
- composersinger-songwritersinger
- Biography
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Jace Everett Beasley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Signed to Epic Records in 2005, he released his debut single "That's the Kind of Love I'm In" in 2005, which peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and was the first single from his self-titled debut album. He also co-wrote Josh Turner's Number One single "Your Man". His song "Bad Things" is the theme for the HBO series True Blood and peaked No. 2 in Norway in 2009. In the same year, he released his third album, Red Revelations, under the Weston Boys label that peaked No. 12 in Norway.
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Melinda Doolittle
- Occupations
- singerjazz musician
- Biography
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Melinda Marie Doolittle is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Doolittle worked as a professional back-up singer for, among others, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Carman, and Anointed.
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Alex Renfroe
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Gregory Alexander Renfroe is an American-born naturalized Bosnian professional basketball player for Covirán Granada of the Spanish Liga ACB.
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Myles Frost
- Occupations
- musical theatre actor
- Biography
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Myles Frost is an American actor, singer, songwriter, music producer and dancer. He won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in the Broadway production of MJ the Musical and received a Grammy Award nomination for the cast recording.
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Matt Beaty
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Matthew Thomas Beaty is an American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals. He played college baseball for the Belmont Bruins. The Dodgers selected Beaty in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut with them in 2019.
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Shealeah Craighead
- Enrolled in Belmont University
- 1996-1999 studied marketing and business activity
- Occupations
- photographerphotojournalist
- Biography
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Shealah Craighead is an American government photographer who served as the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Donald Trump. She was the second female chief photographer in White House history, after Sharon Farmer in 1998. Craighead was official photographer to former First Lady Laura Bush in the administration of George W. Bush.
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Jimmy Bowen
- Occupations
- musicianrecord producersongwriter
- Biography
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James Albert Bowen is an American record producer and former rockabilly singer. Bowen brought Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood together, and introduced Sinatra to Mel Tillis for their album, Mel & Nancy.
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Katie Pruitt
- Occupations
- singer-songwriterrecord producer
- Biography
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Katherine Nicole Pruitt is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her debut album, Expectations, was released in 2020 by Rounder Records. Her second album, Mantras, was released in 2024.
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Brian Kelley
- Years
- 1985-.. (age 40)
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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Brian Edward Kelley is an American musician, best known as a member of the Nashville-based duo Florida Georgia Line. Kelley is from Ormond Beach, Florida, and enjoyed playing sports and music growing up. He moved to Nashville to go to school and play baseball at Belmont University, where he met Tyler Hubbard, the other member of Florida Georgia Line.
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Jake Wesley Rogers
- Occupations
- recording artistsinger-songwritersinger
- Biography
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Jake Wesley Rogers is an American pop musician and songwriter.
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Gordon Kennedy
- Occupations
- songwriterrecord producer
- Biography
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Gordon Scott Kennedy is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee whose most successful composition is the international hit song "Change the World", recorded by Eric Clapton, for which Kennedy and his co-writers received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Kennedy also received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album (2007), co-producing, composing, and performing on Peter Frampton's Fingerprints album. He was a member of the Christian rock band White Heart for six years in the 1980s. Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks, and has done projects with Frampton and Ricky Skaggs. Kennedy's songs have been recorded by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. His compositions have been heard in the film soundtracks of Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, Where the Heart Is, Almost Famous, Summer Catch, Someone Like You, The Banger Sisters, Phenomenon and Disney's The Fox and the Hound 2.
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Didi Benami
- Occupations
- singer-songwritercomposer
- Biography
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Vered "Didi" Benami is an American singer-songwriter and television host. After placing tenth on the ninth season of American Idol, she released her debut single, "Gasoline", in 2012 and the album Reverie in 2014. In 2023, she began co-hosting the AXS series Banded.
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Katy Kirby
- Occupations
- musician
- Biography
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Kathryn Ellison Kirby is a Nashville, Tennessee based American musician and singer-songwriter from Spicewood, Texas.
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Nico Olsak
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Nicolás "Nico" Olsak is an Argentine footballer who plays as a midfielder for Maccabi Herzliya.
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Michael Weist
- Years
- 1996-.. (age 29)
- Enrolled in Belmont University
- Studied in 2015-2019
- Occupations
- record producertalent agentInternet celebrityentrepreneuractor
- Biography
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Michael Gordon Weist III is an American talent manager, producer, actor, and entrepreneur known for his work in managing social media influencers and his involvement in several high-profile digital media projects. Weist gained significant attention for organizing TanaCon and for his appearance in the Hulu documentary Jawline, which played at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
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Adrienne Young
- Born in
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United States - Occupations
- composersinger-songwritersinger
- Biography
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Adrienne Adeana Young is an American Charlottesville, Virginia-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She is founder and operator of AddieBelle Music which produces her recordings.
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Brooke Annibale
- Occupations
- singer-songwritercomposer
- Biography
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Brooke Annibale is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Jeremy Stover
- Occupations
- songwriterrecord producer
- Biography
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Jeremy Stover is an American country music songwriter and record producer. Stover is an alumnus of Belmont University. Stover has written singles for Tim McGraw, Jon Pardi, Wynonna, Martina McBride, and others.
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Amanze Egekeze
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Amanze Ikenna Egekeze is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player who plays for Kataja of the Korisliiga. He also played for the Nigerian national team. He is the son of Gilbert and Lize Egekeze, who are natives of Nigeria. His brothers are Uchenna and, Kemdi and has one sister Ogechi. Uchenna plays basketball at Calvin University.
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Evan Bradds
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Evan Christopher Bradds is an American basketball coach. He played college basketball at Belmont University.
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J. J. Mann
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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John Stuart "J. J." Mann is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for Belmont University.
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Dwight Bernard
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Dwight Vern Bernard is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a coach in the San Francisco Giants organization.
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Melissa Peirce
- Occupations
- songwriter
- Biography
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Melissa Peirce is an American country and pop music songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Brian Mansfield
- Occupations
- journalistmusic critic
- Biography
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Brian Mansfield is an American writer and journalist.
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Jim Lill
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Jim Lill is an American country musician. He is best known for his YouTube channel where he makes guitar videos. He has been part of the bands of country artists Josh Thompson, Josh Gracin, and Craig Wayne Boyd.
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Samuel Atta Mills
- Enrolled in Belmont University
- Graduated with Bachelor in Business Administration in finance
- Graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Occupations
- politicianbankereconomist
- Biography
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Samuel Atta Mills is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Constituency in the Central Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
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Grayson Murphy
- Years
- 1999-.. (age 26)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Grayson Murphy is an American professional basketball player for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins.
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Kevin McClain
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kevin Michael McClain is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins.
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Nick Muszynski
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Nicholas Muszynski is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins.
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Brad Hill
- Occupations
- audio engineer
- Biography
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Brad Hill is an American record producer, audio engineer, and musician originally from Southern California.
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Lara Landon
- Occupations
- songwriter
- Biography
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Laura Landon started her music career in 2008, by signing with Whiplash Records while attending Belmont University in Nashville. She has released six studio albums, Beloved, "Love/Majestic", Overcome, "Christmas", There Is Grace and "The Never Again". The single "Closer" charted on the Billboard magazine Christian Songs chart. The fan funded and self produced album "Overcome" was named one of the top 12 Christian albums of the year by iTunes.
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Sean Hetherington
- Years
- 1978-.. (age 47)
- Occupations
- entertainertelevision producercasting director
- Biography
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Sean Hetherington is an American casting director and reality TV producer. He is a former stand-up comedian who was a contestant in the second season of NBC's American Gladiators on their Weight Loss Survivors episode.
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Lyndsay Pruett
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- violinist
- Biography
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Lyndsay Pruett is an American violinist. She is currently a member of the Jon Stickley Trio.
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Jerry Bell
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Jerry Houston Bell is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Bell played for the Milwaukee Brewers for four seasons. He batted right and left and threw right-handed. In 1972 he led the pitching staff in ERA with 1.66.
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Willie Mack
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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Willie Mack is an American country music singer-songwriter born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Chico, Texas. He has had his songs recorded by Sara Evans, Collin Raye, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Mark Wills among others. His single "Don't Waste Your Pretty" charted on the Canadian Hot 100.
