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Frederick Douglass—Abolitionist leader, women’s suffragist, author, diplomat, and raised by his grandmother.
Douglass was raised by his grandmother, Betsy after his mother had been "rented out" to another farm. Betsy was a strong and independent woman, a female figure (among several others) that would influence Frederick's deep life-long respect for women. She was a slave woman, married to a free black man, who was allowed, outside of her regular daily duties, to earn her own living by cultivating vegetables and hand-crafting seine nets for fishing. When Frederick was 6, the order was given that Betsy was to take Frederick to live at Wye House, fully separating him from his grandmother and the only home he had ever known.
Edward James Olmos- Actor
"I was very fortunate. I was raised by my great-grandfather and my great-grandmother. And great-grandparents are exactly that: great, grand parents. And I must tell you, that was probably the single most important aspect of my life."
Carol Burnett—Comedian, actor, activist, raised by her grandmother.
Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas to Jodie and Louise Burnett. Both of her parents suffered from alcoholism, and at a young age she was left with her grandmother. Burnett moved to Hollywood, California with her grandmother where she graduated from Hollywood High School and then attended University of California, Los Angeles and worked her way up through bit parts on TV. Burnett is best know for her weekly sketch comedy series, The Carol Burnett Show that aired on CBS from 1967-1978. Burnett became known for ending each show by tugging her ear, which was a message of thanks to her loving grandmother.
Willie Nelson- Singer, songwriter, musician
Living a life that sounds like the sad country songs this Red Headed Stranger would become famous for, Willies father died and his mother ran away. Thankfully, Willie and his sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents, who encouraged both children to play instruments.
George Washington- First U.S. President
George and his wife Martha raised two of their grandchildren, Eleanor Parke Custis and George Washington Parke Custis at Mount Vernon. When George became president in 1789 the children moved to Philadelphia with their grandfamily to live in the Presidential Residence.
Oil, 1796, by Edward Savage, National Gallery of Art,
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Jamie Foxx- Actor, director, producer, musician
This academy award winning actor was born in the small town of Terrell, Texas. Foxx's parents quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the demands of child-rearing, and at the age of seven months, he was adopted by his maternal grandparents.
Bai Ling- Actress
Bai Ling was born into a creative family -- her father was a musician and teacher, while her mother had been a stage actress -- but she was primarily raised by her grandmother after Ling's parents ran afoul of Chinese authorities during the Cultural Revolution.
LL Cool J- Musician, Actor
Raised by his grandmother in Jamaica, NY. LL's grandmother was the inspiration for his biggest hit, Mama Said Knock You Out. He also dedicated the song Big Mama to his loving grandmother.
Leo Tolstoy- Author
Following the death of his mother, this War and Peace author and four of his siblings were raised first by his grandmother and then his aunt.
50cent- Musician, Actor
Born Curtis Jackson, 50 grew up in a broken home. His mother passed away when he was eight, and his father departed soon after, leaving his grandmother to raise him.
Aristotle - Philosopher
One of world's greatest thinkers was, raised by his relative, Proxenua (his "guardian") til age 17, then sent to Plato's Academy to complete his education.
Michael Trent Reznor- Musician, producer
This Nine Inch Nail was raised mostly by his maternal grandparents following the divorce of his parents. Reznor has stated that his childhood was happy. Trent told his grandparents, "You're not going to hear my music on the radio. I'm not going to be on soap operas singing this.' I can imagine what my grandfather tells people: 'It's called Nine Inch Nails -- here's the video. And here he is lying dead at the end of it.'
Reznor calls his grandparents the greatest people in the world and has stated repeatedly that his childhood was mostly happy.
John Lennon
Before he led the Beatles, John Lennon spent most of his young life with his Aunt Mary and Uncle George. His mother lived with a man he didn't like and his father was never in his life for long periods of time. When he was a teenager, John asked his aunt for a guitar but she refused to buy it for him. After receiving one as a gift from this mother, John was warned not to spend too much time on a hobby that wouldn't make him any money. Although he eventually developed a relationship with his mother, Julia, John saw his aunt and uncle as his parents.
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