The nonfiction book “Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred” is full of biographical information on celebrated personalities from a variety of eras connected to the Steel City. Created in honor of Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday, the book was published by the Senator John Heinz History Center and co-authored by C. Prentiss Orr, Abby Mendelson and Tripp Clarke. All in all, the collection includes more than 80 musicians, over 50 leaders and pioneers, and 100 actors and performers, to mention a few.
From inventors to philanthropists, and musicians to artists, this book features 500 people related to Pittsburgh. Many, like actor Michael Keaton, singer Bret Michaels and Oscar-winning actress Sharon Stone, were born in the area.
Others, such as Grammy-winning singer Christina Aguilera and former astronaut Jay Apt, were raised here. Athletes such as baseball greats Barry Bonds and Roberto Clemente, and football legends Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw, launched their careers here. Then there are the local heroes, such as Andrew Carnegie, Myron Cope, Charles “Teenie” Harris, David Lawrence and Fred Rogers, who spent the majority of their famed lives in Pittsburgh, and were dedicated to making it a better place. All of these famous figures, even Mr. Yuk, contributed to the rich history of our beloved Pittsburgh, one that is always full of surprises.
For example, did you know that Jim Delligatti, the creator of the Big Mac, is a Uniontown native and has built three McDonald’s in Pittsburgh? Or that popular songstress Lena Horne lived in Pittsburgh for several years and even married a Pittsburgher? And you might be surprised to find out that actress Demi Moore attended Charleroi High School, in Washington County. All of these interesting quips and more can be found in this compilation of profiles. You’ll be intrigued to find out how Pittsburgh fits into the roots of your favorite popular icons.
This book is interesting enough to keep you entertained for hours. Every story is fascinating, even those of smaller-scale stars. You may end up beaming with joy to know that you attended Dan Rooney’s alma mater, or grew up in the same neighborhood where congressman Ron Paul was raised. Despite the grand name-dropping, this book proudly puts Pittsburgh on the modest, yet ambitious pedestal it was always meant to rest on. Modesty aside, each person has something in his or her life that makes him or her interesting, but of course, being related to Pittsburgh, how could they not?
