We’ll be updating the other articles in this same series over the next few weeks, adding expanded video galleries to each one. Please feel free to comment and let us know how you like the changes. Be sure to tell your friends to check us out.

This article was first published on April 15, 2009.  Within 72 hours prior to the June 25, 2009 update, American pop culture lost three of its entertainment icons: Ed McMahon (Johnny Carson’s sidekick and foil), Farrah Fawcett (every teenage boy’s fantasy girl from 1972-1982), and Michael Jackson (so-called “King of Pop” and walking example of really bad plastic surgery) – who happened to be one of the celebrities on our first list. Please note that this list has now been updated to reflect the passing of former Jehovah’s Witness, Michael Joseph Jackson.

The following is just a short list of famous persons in politics, music and movies that are or were Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are many more that we add over time, and eventually we’ll make a master index, but this will be our starting point.

Please feel free to let us know if you know of any others. You may use the comment area at the bottom of this article, or the contact form found elsewhere on this site. We’d love to hear from you.

Here are our first five celebrity Jehovah’s Witnesses:

• Michael Jackson (performance artist)
• Mickey Spillane (pulp fiction writer)
• Prince (performance artist)
• Jill Scott (actress and singer)
• George Benson (jazz musician)

1. Michael Jackson (1958 – ), an American pop music recording artist and entertainer. A member of the musical Jackson family,  at the age of 11 he first performed as a member of The Jackson 5. He began a solo career in 1971. Referred to as the “King of Pop” in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).  After several years of severe criticism on the part of other JWs, he was disfellowshipped sometime around 1990. There was a report that he had converted to Islam in 2008, but subsequent information indicated that he had only “studied the religion, but did not convert.” Jackson, aged 50, suffered cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009 and died at UCLA Medical Center. His three children are being raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses by his mother and sister.  [Status: Deceased]
2. Mickey Spillane (March 9, 1918 – July 17, 2006), famous American author of crime novels, most featuring Mike Hammer, a tough big city private detective. Nearly 250 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide and Spillane was responsible for seven of the top fifteen bestselling fiction books in America. Spillane appeared as Mike Hammer in a movie version of “I, the Jury” – one of the few times in film history when an author portrayed his own character. During the 1980s, he appeared in several Miller Lite beer commercials. Spillane became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1951 and managed to survive the often bitter criticism he received from many fellow Witnesses that his novels were “too trashy and pornographic.” He remained a JW and continued with his writing career until his death. [Status: Deceased]
3. Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson; 1958 – ) American singer and performance artist. Winner of seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and named the top male pop artist of the past 25 years in 2004. His 1984 album, Purple Rain sold more than 13 million copies in the US and was #1 on the Billboard 200 for almost six months. His Academy Award-winning film grossed more than $80 million in the US alone, and proved to be Prince’s biggest cinematic success. In 1997, Prince approached funk bassist Larry Graham about his Jehovah’s Witness faith and apparently became very interested. He was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 2001. His album, The Rainbow Children, reportedly is based heavily upon Jehovah’s Witness religious themes. [Status: Apparently Active]
4. Jill Scott (1972 – ), American actress most famed for being a jazz and rhythm and blues vocalist. She has collaborated with Eric Benet, Will Smith, and Common, and broadened her on-stage performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. Most recently seen playing the lead in HBO’s series, “Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” a story of a single woman trying to run her own business in Botswana. Known for her broad smile and love of life. Won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for “Cross My Mind.” Raised by her grandmother from the age of 12 as a Jehovah’s Witness, she was never baptized. She reportedly does not identify with any particular religious organization. [Status: Unaffiliated]
5. George Benson, (1943 – ), American musician, jazz guitarist, and singer. Won Grammy awards for his 1978 song “This Masquerade” and for his live remake of “On Broadway.” He has collaborated with Chet Atkins, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, the Beatles and many other prominent musicians. He often appears as a guest artist on other performers’ albums. He has been described as semi-retired and living in Arizona. He apparently is still a Jehovah’s Witness in good standing. [Status: Active]

It is clear that being both famous and a Jehovah’s Witness is not easy. Some Witnesses manage to handle their association quietly and discreetly. They let their professional accomplishments speak for themselves – and otherwise stay out of the limelight. Others, however, find their fame and achievements often shadowed by their association with the religion. By far, most find that being a Witness is incompatible with being a celebrity – and then face the decision to either quit the religion or choose to leave their professional career behind.

This latest group of five is a mixed bunch. Some are in, some are out, some have relationships that are tenuous and limited, but they still count as having connections to Jehovah’s Witnesses at some point in their lives. You might find a few surprises on this list. Be sure to check out and enjoy our new video gallery at the end of the article. Feel free to comment.

• Jean Terrell (singer)
• Sherri Shepherd (TV personality)
• Hank Marvin (musician)
• “Xzibit” (singer)
• Rodney King (newsmaker)

1. (Velma) Jean Terrell (1944-), is best known for being a lead singer for the Supremes when she replaced Diana Ross in 1970. She’s a sister of former heavyweight boxing champion, Ernie Terrell, best known for his classic 15-round championship fight with Muhammad Ali in 1967.  Jean left Mississippi for Chicago at an early age. Her family encouraged her to sing, and for a time,  she joined her brother as part of Ernie Terrell & the Heavyweights.  When she was 24, Berry Gordy noticed her when she was performing in a club with her brother. Gordy was looking for a replacement for Diana Ross who was leaving the Supremes to start a solo career.  Ms. Terrell initially joined Motown as a solo artist, but took Ross’s lead singing duties, supported by original Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong.  After a rough and uneven career at Motown, she left to join A&M Records and released a solo recording in 1978 and an album, “I Had To Fall In Love.” However, as a  Jehovah’s Witness, she went into semi-retirement when she objected to the way the company wanted her to promote the recording.  Ms. Terrell eventually put together a one woman show made up of several Supremes songs, songs from her solo album, and covers of songs by Bette Midler, Lionel Ritchie and others. Terrell has released a biographical DVD of her life and reportedly continues to perform on occasion. [Status: Active]
2. Sherri Shepherd (1967-), is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. Since 2006, she has been one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talk show, “The View.” As an actress, she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom “Less Than Perfect” and her own sitcom “Sherri” on cable TV’s Lifetime network. Shepherd has branched out to film, with roles in “Guess Who,” “Beauty Shop,” “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” and “Precious.” She still performs stand-up comedy at Los Angeles area clubs like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory. She has also been a frequent and popular guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” for which she holds a record for being on the show the greatest number of times. She also has a recurring role on “30 Rock” as the character “Angie Jordan.” She divorced her husband in 2006 after she discovered he was having an affair. Raised a Jehovah’s Witness, she became an evangelical Christian after she discovered her husband’s infidelities. She earned deserved criticism for her ridiculous statements about history and religion on the “View” at various times. On the show she openly admits to having been a Jehovah’s Witness, but usually follows up with some over-the-top statement that shows her complete lack of understanding. Statements she’s made include “the world is flat,” “Christianity predated the Greeks and Romans,” and “the Greeks had Christians because they threw them to the lions.” [Status: Inactive]
3. Hank Marvin (1941 -), born Brian Robson Rankin, is an English musician, best known for playing lead guitar for the Shadows. The three-man group, which specialized in instrumental music, was originally formed in the late 1950s as the performance band for English vocalist Cliff Richard. Marvin’s unique style using a distinctive guitar sound, clean with a distinctive echo and vibrato, influenced many later guitarists. Peter Townshend and John Fogerty are among several major rock musicians who credit his influence toward development of  their own personal styles. Frank Zappa counts Marvin as being one of the major influences for the first Mothers of Invention album. The Shadows were never particularly well-known in the United States, despite several appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, but were widely known in the UK and Europe. Marvin joined Bruce Welch and John Farrar in the early 1970s for two albums, “Marvin, Welch & Farrar” and “Second Opinion.” The project was eventually terminated due to Marvin’s personal commitments, including his conversion to become a Jehovah’s Witness in 1973. After he moved to Australia, Marvin turned out for the Shadows’ annual group tour and a new studio album, while also recording albums such as “The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate,” on which he led nine famous session guitarists. In 1982, he hit the charts with “Don’t Talk” – intended initially for Cliff Richard. After working with the Shadows during the late 1980s, Marvin returned to recording during the following decade. Marvin has been a major influence for many rock guitarists during the past 40 years, but he is a legend primarily for his work with the Shadows in the 1960s. In 2004, Hank Marvin rejoined the Shadows for an enormous farewell tour.  Hank appeared with his son at the Strat Pack concert at Wembley Arena in September, 2004.  That same year he was offered an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to music, but declined citing “personal reasons” (the OBE is a governmental award – and it was also being given in honor of the Queen’s birthday). Since 1986 Marvin lived in the hills above Perth, Western Australia, but has relocated to an apartment in East Perth. He remains a committed Jehovah’s Witness and has served as an elder in his local congregation. [Status: Active]
4. Alvin Nathaniel Joiner IV – “Xzibit” (1974–),
   American rapper, song writer, and actor – probably best known for hosting MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.” An active song writer and performer, he released a new album every two years from his 1996 debut “At the Speed of Life” until his more recent “Full Circle” in October 2006. Xzibit began his music career as a member of the Likwit Crew, a loose collective of West Coast rappers which included King Tee, Defari, and Tha Alkaholiks. Dr. Dre invited him to perform on his American “Up in Smoke Tour” in 2000, which featured Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Cube, among many others. Loud Records released his album “Restless” that year, with Dr. Dre as executive producer, who also produced the single “X” . That song became his biggest hit since “What U See Is What U Get.” He has appeared in several movies including “Full Clip” in 2004. In 2005 he was in “Derailed” and the animated movie “Hoodwinked.” Later that same year, he appeared in “XXX: State of the Union,” and in 2007 he co-starred along with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the movie “Gridiron Gang.” He also played an FBI agent in 2008′s “The X-Files: I Want to Believe.” He was raised by Jehovah’s Witness parents, but that became a problem when he developed an interest in music. “My parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses and they didn’t particularly care for rap music…I would get my little headphones and sneak and listen to it at night. Every time they would catch me, they would get it and break my tapes. And I’d be mad. Eventually, I got sick of it. So I said, ‘You know what? I can rap my own stuff and they can never take that from me.’” [Status: Inactive]
5. Rodney King (1965 -) best known as the former felon/ex-convict who was the victim in a police brutality case involving Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers on March 3, 1991. A bystander videotaped the incident from a distance. The footage showed LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons while other officers stand around  watching and failing to take any action to stop the brutal beating. Part of this footage was broadcast by local news agencies and then around the world, causing wide public outrage. Racial tension increased between the black community and the LAPD over police brutality and other social inequalities in Los Angeles. Four LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating. All were found not guilty. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the horrific 1992 Los Angeles riots, leading to widespread destruction and several deaths. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison. The other two officers were acquitted. Rodney King was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses by his mother and father. His mother, Odessa King, was described as a “devout Jehovah’s Witness” who may have considered herself as one of the “anointed class” (part of the 144,000). After Rodney King’s arrest and beating in 1991, King’s first attorney told the media that Rodney King was “a devout/devoted Jehovah’s Witness, who did not drink or smoke.” One King biographer states that Odessa King converted to the Jehovah’s Witnesses due to her husband’s drinking. However, it has also been reported that Ronald King, Rodney’s father, may have been associated with the JWs at some point and one King biographer described him as a “devout Jehovah’s Witness” until his death. Some active JWs have stated that they have seen Rodney King attending “meetings” at the Kingdom Hall, and even attending Watchtower conventions. [Status: Unknown / Probable Inactive]

Video Library

As the editor of Ex-JW.com, I receive three or four emails per day requesting more articles about JWs who may have reached some level of fame during their lives. I’ve also received a few suggestions that I might follow up as I have more time, while others (such as the one about Pee-wee Herman’s recent conversion, or that serial killer Ted Bundy studied with the JWs while in a Florida prison) will be written off as simple Internet graffiti. In any case, I’m pleased to see that so many of our readers continue to enjoy these articles about famous and infamous people who have made more than passing contact with our favorite religion.

This group of names includes a couple of entertainers, a pair of athletes, and the wife of one major politician who may have affected the course of world history. If you have any suggestions for other celebrity JWs, please let me know by sending a email to Contact@Ex-JW.com.

Here is our fifth set of five famous individuals who are, or were at one time, associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses:

• Kid Gavilan (athlete)
• Evelyn Mandela (politician’s wife)
• Dave Meyers (athlete)
• Selena Quintanilla (singer)
• Michelle Rodriguez (actor)

1. Kid Gavilan (Gerardo Gonzalez) (1926-2003), one of the few boxers never knocked out in their professional careers. Often seen on TV’s Wednesday and Friday Night Fights during the 1950s, this scrappy little fighter successfully took on champions like Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Bell, Bobo Olson, and Carmen Basilio. He started fighting professionally (mostly as a welterweight) in 1943. He had 143 fights with a record of 107 wins, 30 losses and 6 draws, with one “no contest.” Born Gerardo Gonzalez, in Palo Seco, Cuba, he was the World Welterweight Boxing Champion from 1951 to 1954. He was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1985, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. During the 1960s, he returned to his native Cuba and became a Jehovah’s Witness. Fidel Castro’s Communist government offered little support for any religious beliefs, but had no tolerance for the public preaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It has been reported that Gavilan was arrested several times while passing out Watchtower literature. After he returned to the United States in 1968, he lacked any direction and as his fame diminished, so did his health and wealth. He was forced to accept low-paying menial jobs, including working as a street vendor selling sausages in Miami. He had long been in poor health, and was finally forced to live in various care facilities. In 1991 he was diagnosed as suffering from progressive dementia. Gavilan died in Miami, Florida of a heart attack at age 77. [Status: Deceased]
2. Evelyn Mandela (1922-2004), first wife of South African political leader and civil rights activist, Nelson Mandela. She was also a cousin of the legendary anti-apartheid figure Walter Sisulu. She married Nelson Mandela in 1944, having four of his children, one of whom died in infancy. [Follow photo link to only known published photo of Nelson and Evelyn ©NelsonMandela.org.] Mr. Mandela described himself as an “often distant father,” and that the children grew up largely without him and under the care of Evelyn and his sister, Lieby Piliso (also a Jehovah’s Witness). Born Evelyn Mase, the daughter of a mine worker, she grew up in Mandela’s home province and became a nursing student living in Johannesburg before marrying Mandela. Writing of his first wife in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela described her as a “quiet, pretty girl from the countryside.” In the early 1950s, she became a Jehovah’s Witness. In 1955 she gave her husband an ultimatum to choose between her or the African National Congress, the leading African liberation movement. They separated in 1955 and divorced in 1958. Mandela thereafter married his second wife Winnie, a social worker. They divorced in 1996. Although Evelyn divorced Mr. Mandela before his imprisonment, she remained a highly respected lady by the people of her country, including Mr. Mandela. He wrote to her on several occasions expressing his deep appreciation for her integrity and gracious qualities as a godly woman. When Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, Evelyn Mandela broke her silence on her former husband and said, “I doubt very much that we would have voted today if it were not for Nelson Mandela.” Mandela accepted the blame for their divorce. ”I could not give up my life in the struggle, and she could not live with my devotion to something other than herself and her family. I never lost my admiration for her, but in the end we could not make our marriage work.” [Status: Deceased]
3. Dave Meyers (1953 -) is a retired American basketball player. Meyers played on the UCLA Bruins basketball teams coached by John Wooden that won the 1973 and 1975 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in February, 1975. He is the older brother of Ann Meyers, who also was an outstanding basketball player as well as the only woman to sign a free-agent contract by an NBA team (Indiana Pacers, 1979). Meyers was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers as the second pick in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft. He later became part of one of the biggest sports trades in NBA history. Meyers, along with three other top LA Lakers players, was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Meyers played for the Bucks for four seasons. He became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1977, and retired from basketball in 1980. After he left basketball, Meyers devoted much of his time to Witnessing. He worked for Motorola as a salesman and went to school at night studying education. At UCLA he’d earned a degree in sociology. From that time on he reportedly began teaching and spent his time on family and being an active Jehovah’s Witness. He has organized and taught at basketball clinics for children, teaching the game to kids between eight and twelve. He lives in southern California, teaching in an elementary school. He reportedly is still a JW and has served as an elder. [Status: Active]
4. Selena Quintanilla-Perez (1971 – 1995), best known as “Selena,” was a Mexican American singer who has been called “The Queen of Tejano music.” Her parents, Abraham and Marcella, raised her as a Jehovah’s Witness as a child. She began singing at the age of six. Her father formed a singing group, with her singing the lead, when she was nine. At the age of twelve, Selena released her first album. In 1987, she won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards. Her fame grew throughout the early 1990s. Her fame exploded internationally after she was murdered at the age of 23 by the president of her fan club. In 1997, a popular film was released that was based on her life. Selena was portrayed by Jennifer Lopez, the role that moved Miss Lopez to the top of Hollywood’s “A-list.” Selena’s life was also the basis for the musical “Selena Forever,” starring Veronica Vazquez. Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although Selena and her family identified themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses, and often referred to Watchtower teachings when it came to birthdays, holidays, and political involvement, they were apparently inactive at the time of her death. Many of her associates indicated that Selena’s inactivity was not due to any negative feelings toward the religion, but rather due to the demands of her profession, the constant travel and heavy scheduling required, and fast life style of the rich and famous that she enjoyed as a result of her success. [Status: Deceased]
5. Michelle Rodriguez (1978 -) American film actress, best known for her roles as street-wise tough Chicanas in “The Fast and Furious,” “Girl Fight,” and “Resident Evil.” Born in Texas, she was of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. Her mother and grandmother were Jehovah’s Witnesses and raised Michelle in the religion. According to her, she became inactive at the age of thirteen because the restrictive lifestyle limited her options to become an actress. She felt that as a Jehovah’s Witness she could not honestly portray women who cursed, were sexy on screen, or had to display partial nudity in connection with a character role. She is best known for playing tough Hispanic women who can fight and stand up to men in almost any situation. She has also been a cast member in 25 episodes of the popular TV show, “Lost.” Rodriguez, playing military pilot Captain Trudy Chacon, starred in the blockbuster sci-fi adventure film “Avatar,” released in 2009. The film became Rodriguez’s most successful film to date.She has been ranked among the “100 Sexiest Women in the World” on several occasions. One critic described her as the “one woman that I would both want to meet, and not want to meet, in a dark alley by myself. She may be one of the toughest and sexiest actresses to ever appear onscreen.” [Status: Disassociated / Inactive]

This selection of names covers just about every category imaginable. We’re sure that there are many more celebrities or high-achievers that should eventually be included on one of our lists, so if you know of someone we’ve missed, please let us know by sending a email to Contact@Ex-JW.com.

Here is our fourth set of five celebrity JWs (or close enough to be considered):

• Naomi Campbell (super model)
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (politician)
• Larry Graham (musician)
• Chet Lemon (athlete)
• Gloria Naylor (author)

1. Naomi Campbell (1970 – ), One of the world’s top models, she began her career at age 15. She has appeared on the covers of most major fashion magazines. She has also appeared in videos produced for major recording artists including Bob Marley, Culture Club, George Michael, and Michael Jackson. Valerie Campbell, her glamorous mother, has admitted that she is a devout Jehovah’s Witness, and raised her daughter Naomi to be one. “I was raised to be a Jehovah’s Witness, but I let it slip,” she told the London Daily Mail. “Now I have found it again, I feel much more at peace with myself and the world around me…I brought up Naomi as a Jehovah’s Witness, but she must choose her faith for herself…I do give her literature on the subject though when she asks for it.” Since 2000, Miss Campbell has been involved in several incidents involving assaults on her employees and at least one incident involving a police officer. [Status: Inactive]
2. Dwight David Eisenhower (1890 – 1969), Supreme Commander of all Allied Forces in Europe and Africa during World War 2, Holding the highest rank in the American military as General of the Army (5 Stars), he was credited with managing the successful invasion of France and the Low Countries in June,1944 that led to the final Allied Victory over Adolf Hitler’s German military forces. After the war, he became NATO’s Supreme Commander with orders to protect Europe and North America against aggression by the Soviet Union. In 1952, he was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, winning the election over Senator Adlai Stevenson. As 34th President of the United States, he ended the war in Korea and led the United States into a period of relative peace and prosperity during the 1950s. When he was five years old, his parents joined the International Bible Students (AKA, Russellites), followers of the WatchTower Society, who took the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931. The Eisenhower home served as the local WatchTower meeting Hall from 1896 to 1915. Eisenhower’s father stopped associating due to “Pastor” C. T. Russell’s failed prophesies that Armageddon would occur in 1914 and 1915, but still received a Jehovah’s Witness funeral when he died in the 1940s. Ida, Ike’s mother, continued as an active Jehovah’s Witness until her death in 1946. Even though he and his brothers left the religion in 1915, he enjoyed a close relationship with his mother throughout their lifetimes. A Watchtower printed Bible was used for his second inauguration in 1957. In 1953, just after his first inauguration, he was baptized and confirmed as a Presbyterian. During his retirement years, he was a member of the Gettysburg Presbyterian Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Although often derided as a “do-nothing President,” he has most recently been ranked among  the ten best to have served in that high office. America clearly “liked Ike.”  [Status: Deceased]
3. Larry Graham, Jr, (1946 – ), accomplished musician and song writer. He built his reputation based on his unique style playing bass in the highly successful funk rock band Sly & the Family Stone from 1967 to 1972. He pioneered the art of slap-pop playing on the electric bass, a style that later became a major influence on modern funk music. When the Family Stone disintegrated due to lead singer Sly Stone’s drug problems, he formed his own band, Graham Central Station. His group had several hits in the 1970s, including “Hair.” In 1975, Graham became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. His biggest hit was “One in a Million You”, a cross over hit, which reached number 9 on the Billboard chart in 1980. In 1998, he recorded another solo album called “GCS 2000,” which was a collaboration with Prince. Graham wrote all the songs except one that was co-written by Prince. The album was co-arranged and co-produced by Prince, and most of the instruments and vocals were recorded by both Graham and Prince. He later toured with Prince as his bassist in 1997-2000 and appeared in Prince’s 1998 video Beautiful Strange and Prince’s 1999 DVD Rave Un2 the Year 2000. It’s been reported that Mr. Graham was instrumental (no pun intended) in guiding Prince to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. [Status: Active]
4. Chet Lemon (1955 – ), American professional baseball player. Born in Mississippi, he attended college in Southern California and excelled as an athlete. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1972, he played for them seven years. He was traded to Detroit in 1981, joining a team that was stocked with young stars. He retired from baseball at the end of the 1990 season. During his professional career he spent most of his time as a center-fielder, hitting 215 home runs, with 884 RBIs, 396 doubles, a lifetime .273 batting average, and a career fielding percentage of .984. He was named to the American League All-Star team three times and played on the World Series winning 1984 Detroit Tigers team. After being introduced to the religion by a fellow player when he was 19, he became a Jehovah’s Witness shortly after entering major league baseball. While playing in Detroit, he was close friends with Lou Whitaker, also an active Jehovah’s Witness. Although he suffered a rare spleen disease and went through a major abdominal operation without accepting blood transfusions in 2001, Lemon was last reported to be the head baseball coach for Eustis (Florida) High School. [Status: Active]
5. Gloria Naylor (1950 – ), American writer and educator. She was born in New York City to Roosevelt and Alberta McAlpin Naylor shortly after they moved there from Mississippi. A very shy child, she lived in New York City until she graduated from high school in 1968. As a young woman, she became a Jehovah’s Witness “pioneer,” serving in New York, North Carolina, and Florida. Within a few years, she decided that missionary life and being a Jehovah’s Witness was not for her. She returned to New York City to attend college while working as a hotel telephone operator. She initially studied to become a nurse, but decided to pursue a degree in English at Brooklyn College. In 1981, she entered Yale University on a fellowship and in 1983 received an MA in Afro-American studies. After she published her first novel The Women of Brewster Place in 1982, she wrote for her master’s thesis at Yale what would become her second novel in 1985, Linden Hills. The Women of Brewster Place won her the American Book Award for “Best First Novel” and the Distinguished Writer Award from the Mid-Atlantic Writers Association. She served as writer in residence at Cummington Community of the Arts and as a visiting lecturer at George Washington University. During the 1980s she worked as a cultural exchange lecturer in India for the United States Information Agency and taught at Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Princeton, Boston, Brandeis, and Cornell. Naylor also received several prestigious awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1985, the 1986 Candace Award from the National Coalition of One Hundred Black Women, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1988, and the 1989 Lillian Smith Award. [Status: Disassociated]

This time we will dig a little deeper and highlight five people that you may not have been aware were Witnesses or they may have faded into obscurity before their time. All were well known when they were in the limelight and excelled in their professions.

Here is our third set of five celebrity JWs (or close enough to be considered):

• Joyce Holden (actress)
• Terrence Howard (actor)
• Margaret Keane (artist)
• Patti Smith (singer)
• Lou Whitaker (athlete)

1. Joyce Holden (1930 – ), 1950s blond leading lady of horror and crime movies, a former Universal Pictures starlet. She went to Hollywood High School and attended UCLA for two years. Was Miss Southern California and Miss KTLA (a Los Angeles television station). Appeared in the Milk Man with Donald O’Connor in 1950, in one of the Ma and Pa Kettle movie series, and The Werewolf (1956). Appeared frequently in TV anthology shows and was a talk show host on CBS-TV’s “Morning Show” (Barbara Walters was her assistant producer). Appeared in Disney’s “Spin and Marty” series and two episodes of “Science Fiction Theater.” (Link to video biography by her daughter) She became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1954 and reportedly spent some time at Bethel. Married for over fifty years, she and her husband live in California and are still active Witnesses. [Status: Active]
2. Terrence Howard (1969 – ), Academy Award nominated American movie actor noted for his roles in Mr. Holland’s Opus, Crash, Lackawanna Blues, and Pride. His 2005 Academy Award nomination was for playing a down-and-out pimp trying to become a song writer in Hustle & Flow. He is most recently famed for his role as Col. Rhodes in the movie Iron Man. In a 2007 NPR interview he explained, “I’m like most people in the world. I’m a little selfish in what I want. I like doing my thing, my way. In my heart, I wanted to be a Witness. If it wasn’t for the smoking of cigarettes and all, I would be a Witness.” According to that interview, Howard is not ready yet to commit himself, but he plans to pursue his desire to become an active Jehovah’s Witness sometime in the future. He was the host for the PBS documentary, “Knocking,” that presented a favorable treatment of the Witness religion and culture. [Status: Undetermined]
3. Margaret Keane (1927 – ), Known for her painting of delicate girls with big eyes, Keane is a fixture in popular culture. Some of her well-known fans over the years have included actresses Joan Crawford and Natalie Wood, for whom she painted portraits. Filmmaker Tim Burton, who commissioned Keane to paint Lisa Marie and borrows Keane’s style for many of his cartoon characters. Animator Craig McCracken’s characters “The Powerpuff Girls” are based on Keane’s “waifs.” Margaret herself attributes her deep respect for the Bible and inspirations of her artwork to the relationship with her grandmother. In 1955 she became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which she said changed her life most definitely for the better. Her works while she was living in her husband’s shadow were dark and sad, but after she divorced him, moved to Hawaii, and became a Jehovah’s Witness, she painted in a much happier and brighter style. Currently Margaret and her second husband make their home in Northern California. [Status: Active]
4. Patti Smith (1946 – ), American singer–songwriter, poet and visual artist who was a highly influential component “punk rock” movement and has been called the “Godmother of Punk.” Her most widely known song is “Because the Night”, which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. In 2007 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Raised by a Jehovah’s Witness mother, she left organized religion as a teenager because she felt it was too confining. The opening line, “Jesus died for some body’s sins, but not mine,” of her cover version of Them’s “Gloria” is her response to this experience. [Status: Unaffiliated]
5. Lou Whitaker, (1957 – ), ‘Sweet Lou’ Whitaker is best known as part of one of the most successful double play combinations in baseball’s history. With the Detroit Tigers, and alongside Alan Trammel, Whitaker excelled as a second baseman. In 1978, Whitaker won the Rookie of the Year award, hitting .285 with 138 hits and 58 RBIs. A career .276 hitter, Lou hit 244 home runs, drove in 1084 RBIs, 143 stolen bases. A 5-time All-Star, Whitaker was best known for his defensive skills with a .984 fielding percentage and 1,527 double plays. He and Chet Lemon refused to stand for the National Anthem before games because of his Jehovah’s Witness religious beliefs. [Status: Active]

Mickey Spillane was our odd man out last time. Younger generations may not even know of him or his rough and tumble Mike Hammer crime novels. Those of us who were raised in the 1940s and 1950s remember him well.

This time we introduce five more celebrities (actually more than five, as you will see) that are, or have been, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their names and reputations will be well known to most everyone, but their association with the Jehovah’s Witnesses less so.

Here is our second list of celebrity Jehovah’s Witnesses:

• Venus and Serena Williams (athletes)
• Wayans Brothers (actors, comedians)
• Teresa Graves (actress)
• Eve Arden (actress)
• Ja Rule (rap singer)

1. Venus Williams (1980 – ), is a former #1 American tennis player and was ranked #3 in the world in 2009. She has won the Wimbledon singles title the last two years and is the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open doubles champion. She is the older sister to Serena Williams (1981 – ), also an American professional tennis player. Ranked #1 in the world four times and was ranked #2 in 2009. She is the reigning US Open and Australian Open singles champion and has won 20 Grand Slam titles. She has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles. Serena is the most recent player, male or female, to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. Both Venus and Serena received some questionable press coverage when during the Olympics they both proudly carried the American flag in front of an international audience,and Venus stood at attention and sang the national anthem. They claim to attend Kingdom Hall meetings, but their participation in field service has not been confirmed. [Status: Active]
2. Wayans Brothers (and sisters): Damon Wayans, Dwayne Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans, Nadia Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans. Well known comedians, actors, filmmakers. Keenan was the originator of the break through Fox Television comedy show that was dominated by mostly African-American performers that included David Allen Grier, Jamie Foxx, and most of the Wayans family members – but also was the major force behind the breakout career of white comic actor Jim Carrey. Keenan, Damon, Marlon and Shawn have all gone on to productive movie careers as actors and producers. Most of the Wayans were born in New York City, offspring of Elvira and Howell Wayans, in a family deeply involved in the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion. [Status: Most Remain Active]
3. Teresa Graves (1948 – 2002 ) was an American actress and singer. As the star of “Get Christie Love!” (1974), Graves is credited as being the first African-American woman to star in her own hour long drama television series. Graves began her career singing with The Doodletown Pipers, but soon turned to acting, becoming a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Graves appeared in number of minor films before she got her role as the title character in the 1974 television movie “Get Christie Love!” She reprised that role in a short-lived TV series of the same name, but because she became a Jehovah’s Witness, she gave the producer a list of what she would no longer do as the character Christie Love, including killing bad guys or sexually enticing men. Her producer said that “Christie Love is a super-hip policewoman. But she doesn’t want to shoot or kill anyone? She won’t a have relationship with anybody, or be involved in any violence? You can’t do a police show based on that.” Producers tried to accommodate her, but the series was dropped after just one season. In 1983, she dropped out of show business completely to devote her full time as a Jehovah’s Witness. She lived the rest of her life in Southern California, taking care of her mother. In 2002, Graves died during a fire in her home. [Status: Deceased]
4. Eve Arden (1908 – 1990) An American movie and television actress. Her career crossed most media frontiers with all kinds of supporting and leading roles. She is best remembered for playing the sarcastic title character, a high school teacher, in the classic “Our Miss Brooks” on both radio and television. Later she co-starred as the principal of Rydell High School in the films “Grease” and “Grease 2.” Arden published her biography, The Three Phases of Eve, notable for its discretion in regard to Arden’s many co-stars, and her loyalty to the Hollywood studio system that nurtured her career. She received an Academy Award nomination and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. She was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. She was known to be a Jehovah’s Witness most of her life, but her funeral was was officiated by a Church of Religious Science minister. [Editor's Note: Miss Arden's son, Douglas West, disputes the information contained in this article segment. He writes, "My mother was Eve Arden, and I can assure you that she was never, at any time in her life, a Jehovah’s Witness." Read Mr. West's full comment along with my reply below. Status: Deceased - JW membership disputed by family member.]
5. Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins), (1976 – ), an American rapper and actor. A native of Hollis, New York, Ja Rule is best-known for major hits such as “Holla, Holla”, “Thug Lovin’”, “Put It On Me”, “Between Me And You”, “I’m Real”, “Livin’ It Up”, “Always On Time”, “Mesmerize”, “The Pledge Remix”, “Clap Back”, “I Cry”, “The Reign”, “Caught Up”, “Wonderful” and “New York.” Born in Queens, New York, he was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, and his grandparents. At the age of five, his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with Cash Money Click. He says he took on his stage name “Ja Rule” because a friend called him by that name; other friends call him simply “Ja”. In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued, but they settled out of court. In 2004, police investigated whether a feud led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule. In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne. Ja Rule founded the L.I.F.E Foundation, which provides services to underprivileged children with various programs such as art, music, poetry and sports. [Status:Undetermined]

At the time I just looked at the list he’d emailed me and laughed, because for me it proved just the opposite. I wondered what this fellow had been smoking and wondered if he was reading the same list I was.

I’m not sure where this originated or who its author was, but I think that it can be realistically used to compare The Watchtower Society to other religions that would be commonly considered as “cults.”

1. A cult has an absolutely authoritarian leadership that refuses to be held to any meaningful accountability.
2. A cult has no tolerance for questions or critical inquiry from within or outside of  the organization.
3. The leadership of the cult is the only person or group inspired by and chosen by God and the Holy Spirit and is always right, even when facts and documented evidence makes it clear that they are wrong or even lying.
4. The leadership of the cult is the only path to God and is the exclusive means of learning and understanding the “truth.” There are no other sources of reliable or acceptable heavenly inspired prophecy, interpretation or knowledge. It is a sin for followers to seek out the truth on their own.
5. Among the members there is an unreasonable fear of outsiders, world governments, impending and apocalyptic catastrophes, evil conspiracies inside and outside the organization, and persecution of all types.
6. Once you become a member of a cult, you are always a member. There is never a legitimate reason for anyone to ever leave and those that do are always wrong, evil, and negative and are often referred to as apostates or “children of Satan.”
7. The membership of the cult uses a special vocabulary to describe themselves and their religion. Phrases like “The Truth,” “The One True Way,” “The Holy Family,” etc. are used to differentiate themselves from other religions.
8. Even though there are plenty of  books, news stories and television documentaries that expose the abuses or teachings of the cult, members are told that all of those reports are not to be believed or even read because they are generated by “evil apostates and Satan.”
9. Followers are taught that they are never good enough and must always do more for the cult by giving more money, spending more time preaching the word, confessing their sins, and praying for forgiveness, often in the presence of cult leaders.
10. No financial disclosures are made available to the public or the membership regarding the income or expenses of the organization, such as from a  financial audit by an outside accounting firm.

Obviously, the above list is by no means complete, but take a look and then think about sects and religions like those led by Jim Jones, the Alamos, and the LDS polygamists under investigation in Arizona, Utah and Texas. There are many other so-called “main stream” religions that also have some of the above attributes, but Jehovah’s Witnesses (who would never consider themselves a “cult”) clearly demonstrate all of them.