From the artistic to the athletic to the murderous, here are 10 (in)famous Tacomans

What do Bing Crosby, Jo Koy and Ted Bundy have in common? Not that much — except they all have ties to Tacoma.

The City of Destiny has produced a number of household names, both famous and infamous, since its founding in 1872. The News Tribune selected nine of the most celebrated hometown heroes, plus one villain.

Here’s a list of 10 noteworthy people who have, at one point, called Tacoma home.

Bing Crosby

Praised as one of the “most popular entertainers of all time” by Biography.com, crooner Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma in 1903. Tourists can still sneak a peek of his birthplace, 1112 N. J St. The 2,600-square-foot home last sold in January 2002, per Redfin.

Crosby was one of seven kids in his working-class home, and, when he was 6, his family moved from T-Town to Spokane.

Crosby hosted a wildly popular radio show, which debuted in 1931, and soon after became a star of the silver screen, according to Biography.com. He earned an Oscar for 1944’s “Going My Way” and counted nearly 300 hit singles under his belt before his death in 1977.

Jerry Miller

Rolling Stone once named Tacoma’s Jerry Miller the No. 68 greatest guitarist of all time. The legendary six-stringer was born in Grit City and died earlier this month at his Tacoma home. He was 81.

Miller found success with his pioneering psych-rock band, Moby Grape, which helped to define the ‘60s San Francisco sound. Rock gods Eric Clapton and Robert Plant have both lauded the musician’s chops.

Before his rise to prominence, Miller attended Wilson High School — today called Silas High, 1202 N. Orchard St. As a teen he worked at a local plywood mill while consistently playing gigs in local bars.

Tacoma residents and Miller’s contemporaries remembered him as a Tacoma “icon” following his death.

Frank Herbert

Even if you haven’t read Frank Herbert’s widely acclaimed science-fiction series “Dune,” you might have enjoyed his namesake trail.

Herbert was born in Tacoma in 1920. The News Tribune previously reported that Tacoma’s pollution in the 1950s helped shape Herbert’s work, which touches on themes of ecological crisis and climate change.

“Dune” would be adapted into films — some successful, others less so — and it is one of the best-selling science-fiction books in history.

Today visitors can check out Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park, 5361 Yacht Club Road, which was once the site of a lead and copper smelter but is now home to breathtaking views of the Sound and Mount Rainier.

Dyan Cannon

Tacoma-born actress Dyan Cannon is a trailblazer. She was the first woman in the Motion Picture Academy’s history to get Oscar nods both for her work on camera and behind the scenes, according to IMDb. She has worked with the likes of Natalie Wood, Peter Sellers and Warren Beatty.

Cannon’s name is emblazoned on a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and she’s earned three Academy Award nominations, as well as a Golden Globe and Saturn award.

The Tacoma native was married to Cary Grant from 1965-1968, and the two had a child together. In 2011 Cannon published the memoir “Dear Cary,” which later served as a basis for the miniseries “Archie.”

Isaiah Thomas

NBA point guard Isaiah Thomas is yet another talent who can call Tacoma home. Thomas attended Curtis High School in University Place, and the Al Davies Boys and Girls Club, 1620 S. 17th St., named a basketball court after him.

Two-time NBA All-Star winner Thomas has played for the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, among other teams.

He praised his hometown in an article published in The Players’ Tribune.

“As an NBA player, you get to do a lot of incredible things and have some amazing experiences,” Thomas wrote. “But one of the things that’s most important to me is to be able to come home to Tacoma and have the people from the community where I grew up come together around the game I love.”

Jo Koy

Stand-up comedian Jo Koy previously told The News Tribune that although he lives in Los Angeles today, Tacoma will always capture his heart as his hometown.

Koy has performed in packed stadiums, been featured on E!’s “Chelsea Lately” and starred in specials on Netflix and Comedy Central, according to IMDb. He has appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with James Corden,” “The Breakfast Club” and more.

Koy attended Foss High School, 2112 S. Tyler St., and in 2022 returned to campus ahead of his sold-out event at the Tacoma Dome. His namesake foundation vowed to donate $150,000 to his alma mater’s scholarship program over a five-year period.

Earlier this year, critics largely panned Koy’s performance as host of the Golden Globes, but he has since released a special on Netflix to positive reviews.

Dale Chihuly

Born in the City of Destiny in 1941, Dale Chihuly became world famous thanks to his vibrant glass art. Chihuly graduated from the University of Washington in 1965, where he studied interior design, according to his website.

Chihuly co-founded a glass school in Washington that has earned a reputation as an international center and leader in avant-garde glass. Thanks largely to his dedication to the medium and impressive body of work, the Pacific Northwest is now revered as a global hub for glassmaking.

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St., has featured Chihuly originals. Today a pedestrian bridge that leads to the museum is called the “Chihuly Bridge of Glass.”

Art lovers can also see his colorful pieces at Union Station, the Tacoma Art Museum and Hotel Murano, according to the website Travel Awaits.

Neko Case

Singer-songwriter Neko Case might not have been born in Tacoma, but she still cites it as her hometown, according to TacomaTales.org. She cut her teeth in the Pacific Northwest punk scene and joined various bands as a drummer or vocalist, including the New Pornographers.

Case would go on to become a successful songwriter, and she references Tacoma in songs like “South Tacoma Way” and “Thrice All American.”

The musician has scored three Grammy nominations over the years in categories like Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package and Best Contemporary Folk Album.

During her time in T-Town, Case reportedly worked at Bob’s Java Jive as a bartender and fry cook and lived close to Frisko Freeze.

Jerry Cantrell

Certified rocker Jerry Cantrell helped cement Seattle as the epicenter of the grunge scene, but the guitarist was born in Tacoma. Cantrell co-founded the influential rock band Alice in Chains in 1987.

“Metal Hammer” magazine dubbed Cantrell “Riff Lord” in 2006. In a 2004 ranking of the 100 greatest heavy-metal guitarists in history, Guitar World named Cantrell No. 38, and he has racked up nine Grammy nominations.

The city of Tacoma showed the guitar titan some love last year, proclaiming April 1 as “Jerry Cantrell Day.”

“When I come home, I usually see family,” he told KING 5 at the time. “I like to get out on the water and do some salmon fishing when it’s in season or take a ride up to the mountain. Tonight I’m going to Frisko Freeze and getting myself a cheeseburger.”

Ted Bundy

Long before his name appeared in true-crime podcasts, serial killer Ted Bundy was a kid in Tacoma.

Bundy’s mother moved to Tacoma’s North End when Bundy was a kid, according to a 2018 article by Puget Sound University’s student newspaper, The Trail. When Bundy was 14, a Tacoma girl disappeared. Some suspected Bundy of foul play, but the case is still open.

Years later Bundy graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, today called Silas High, per The Trail. He also studied at the University of Puget Sound before transferring to Seattle’s University of Washington.

Bundy would go on to murder dozens of young women. He confessed to killing 28 people, although the actual count could reach into the hundreds, according to Britannica.com.