Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato in an interview for Vevo in 2015 by Soho Media Group from

10 Most Famous People from New Mexico 


 

New Mexico is full of captivation and the real kick is, there’s something for everyone. Nature lovers, there are plenty of stunning desert landscapes, hot springs, and scenic snowcapped mountains (only a sneak peek of the real deal). If culture fascinates you, New Mexico has a good blend of it with a mix of European American, Native American, and Mexican heritage represented.
 
Foodies! (drumrolls) you have the chance to get quite as obsessed with chile as the residents are. I mean 鈥淩ed or green?鈥� and you can have it roasted, fresh, on top of food, or hanging as a decoration, there is no shortage of love for chile in New Mexico. What’s more, there is an array of authentic cuisines to try as well.
 
History buffs you will have a field day with the remarkable national monuments. Such as Taos Pueblo, Chaco Culture, and Carlsbad Caverns all of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Also, the oldest church in the continental United States is in Santa Fe, The San Miguel Mission or San Miguel Chapel.
 
If science thrills you there are several national scientific laboratories to explore like Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and more. For the curious, about 200 miles south of Los Alamos is where the world’s first nuclear explosion was tested on July 16, 1945. Then there is plenty of adventure, there are hot air balloon festivals like the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. To add on, the Sandia Peak Tramway is the longest functional aerial tram in North America and the third longest in the world spanning about 2.7 miles. 
 
With all these tourist attractions, New Mexico matches its nickname, 鈥渢he Land of Enchantment.鈥� Besides tourism, this zone prides itself on prominent personalities in different industries with local and global impacts. The likes of Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, novelist George R. R. Martin, artist Georgia O鈥橩eeffe and find out more.
 
Here are the 10 Most Famous People from New Mexico. 

1. Jeff Bezos 

This American tech entrepreneur was born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the founder of the successful eCommerce store Amazon. He was born to a Danish-American father and was given the surname J酶rgensen. His parents divorced and the mother got into another marriage with a Cuban immigrant. So, Jeff was adopted by his stepfather and acquired the Bezos name.
 
He went to Miami Palmetto High School. He later went to Princeton University to pursue a degree in electrical engineering and computer science and graduated in 1986. After graduating he worked in Wall Street companies from 1986 to early 1994. He then founded Amazon an online store with few items in the catalogs in late 1994. Furthermore, he continued to improve the website to become the giant online store it is today.
 
His dream of humankind colonizing space was the result of his aerospace company Blue Origin. To boot, he flew to space alongside his half-brother, Mark on July 20, 2021.  As of September 2022, Bezos was ranked in the second position of wealthiest Americans by the Forbes 400 list valued at a net worth of 151 billion dollars. 
 
Read more about Bezos here, Top 10 Interesting Facts about Jeff Bezos.

2. Demi Moore

Demi Moore

Demi Moore in an advertisement for Swedish cosmetic company, Oriflame, Photo by Oriflame Cosmetics from

 
This  American actress was born in Roswell, New Mexico on November 11, 1962. She debut professional film acting in 1981. Her popularity came in 1990 when she starred in the romantic fantasy film, Ghost. As a result of the role, she received a Golden Globe nomination. The comedy, Striptease(1996) offered her $12.5 million for the lead role in the film, making her the highest-paid actress at the time. 
 
On top of that, her lead roles in The Scarlet Letter (1995), The Juror (1996), and G.I. Jane (1997) attributed to a downturn in her career because all three films were commercially unsuccessful. Yet her resurgence came with supporting roles in films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002), Mr. Brooks (2007), and Rough Night (2017) to name a few. Her memoir Inside Out became a  New York Times Best Seller after its release in 2019. She has been in three marriages with different spouses and has three children from her marriage to retired American actor Bruce Willis. 

3. Demi Lovato

She was born Demetria Devonne Lovato on August 20, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This American actress, singer cum actor earns her spot in both the music and acting industry at a very young age. Her journey began on the children’s television series Barney & Friends which aired from 2002 to 2004. Camp Rock (2008) was her rise to fame. She played Mitchie Torres in the musical television film.
 
She dipped her toes in the water with 2008 Don’t Forget album in the pop-rock genre. It picked well and ranked number two on the U.S. Billboard 200. In 2011, she went into pop and R&B styles in her third studio album, Unbroken which managed a platinum certification. Additionally, she has up to eight albums with the release of Holy Fvck in 2022. She has also been featured in television films like  Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).
 
Lovato has received many awards including a Guinness World Record for the youngest X Factor judge following her role as judge in The X Factor music contest in their second and third seasons. In 2017 she was listed on Time 100. She is a social activist and offers self-help advice in her memoir, Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year (2013), and in documentaries released thereafter. Her struggles with an eating disorder and substance abuse attracted public attention which prompted her self-help mission. 
 
Read more on Demi Lovato’s scandal with substance abuse here, 15 Most Famous Hollywood Scandals.

4. John Denver 

John Denver

Photo of John Denver from 1974 by RCA Records from

 
He was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico on December 31, 1943. Denver was a singer cum songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He began his career in the late 1960s with folk music groups. In the 1970s he became one of America’s best-selling performers. His records are about 300 songs and 200 are his composition. He was known for using an acoustic guitar during his performances and even on his records. His songs centered on relationship trials, and joy in nature spanning a wide range of other themes.
 
Over and above that, he appeared in films like 1977 Oh, God! where he starred alongside actor George Burns. He has many awards including  12 gold and four platinum album certificates. In 2007 his song “Rocky Mountain High” was adopted by the Colorado state legislature as one of its state songs. Further, West Virginia followed suit and adopted  “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in 2014. He died on October 12, 1997, aged 53 years in a single-fatality plane crash. 

5. Neil Patrick Harris 

Harris hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but grew up in  Ruidoso. He was born on June 15, 1973. He wears many hats- an actor, producer, and writer. He can pull off magician skills as well. He pursued his acting desires right after high school and was spotted by Mark Medoff and given a role in the movie Clara鈥檚 Heart.
 
Afterward, he secured more roles in the acting space which led him to become a household name in the industry. He also branches into film theatre and joins a couple of Broadway shows and musicals once in a while.
 
Additionally, he has also joined the anime world by voicing a couple of animated movies. His achievements include two Primetime Emmy Awards and ranking onTime magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2010 and more. Harris hosted Tony Awards in 2009,  the 87th Academy Awards in 2015, and Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013. He is married to actor David Burtka and they got twins via surrogacy in 2010. 
 
Read more on Harris and other Albuquerque singers here, Top 10 Most Famous Singers from Albuquerque. 

6. Conrad Nicholson Hilton

Conrad Hilton

Conrad N. Hilton by Harry Pot from

 
The American businessman was born in San Antonio which at the time was in the New Mexico Territory. He was born on December 25, 1887. He started the Hilton Hotels chain during post World War I era. The first establishment was Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas which he bought for $40,000 in 1919. At his retirement, he owned almost 188 hotels in 38 cities across the globe. He died on January 3, 1979, and left most of his property under the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. 

7. David Parker Ray 

He grew up in Mountainair, New Mexico on November 6, 1939. He was prominent as Toy-Box Killer and was alleged to be a serial killer, kidnapper, torturer, and rapist. He is suspected to have killed at least 60 people based on the confession of his accomplices. He was born into a violent family which might have led to what he later become. In 2001, he was convicted of kidnapping but never of murder. He died a year after his convictions due to a heart attack on May 28, 2002. 

8. Geronimo 

He was an Apache leader and a medicine man remembered for his firm stand against American and Mexican forces during the wars of the 19th century involving the Apache community. He joined the rebellion against both America and Mexico who planned to chase away natives from their land. It led him to become a popular leader hence was forced to surrender to the American forces several times for the sake of his community. He later died as a prisoner of war on February 17, 1909. 

9. Holly Holm 

Holly Holm

Holly Holm at UFC 246, Photo by MMAnytt from

 
The American mixed martial artist(MMA) was born Holly Rene Holm-Kirkpatrick on October 17, 1981, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is also a former professional boxer and kickboxer. She was once a multiple-time world boxing champion and also defended her title eighteen times in several weight classes. In 2005 and 2006, she was Ring magazine’s fighter of the year.
 
She is considered one of the greatest athletes in the field of combat sports.  Holm began her career at a young age and took part in gymnastics, swimming, and diving which led to the first championship that she won at 20 years. She ranks among the top 10 in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings as well as in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings as of May 2022 reports. 
 
Read more on Holly Holm and other lady ring greats here, 10 Best Women MMA fighters.

10. Adrian Grenier 

He is an American actor and also a producer born in Santa Fe on July 10, 1976. His role in the television series Entourage (2004鈥�2011) was one of his propellers to fame. One of his recent film features is in 2021 where he stars in Netflix’s Clickbait series.
 
He is also an entrepreneur and therefore has a lifestyle brand, SHFT.com that promotes sustainability through film, art, and culture. He has a passion for the environment and thus introduced a campaign against plastic straws nationwide.
 
Our list of the 10 most famous people from New Mexico cuts across individuals in different arenas yet that is not all there is in New Mexico. Tell us who do you feel missed out? 

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