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]

George Benson live - singing his classic "Masquerade"

Jill Scott and George Benson in concert duet

Jill Scott - HBO's "#1 Detective Agency"

Prince at 50 - highlights of his career

Kevin Smith talks about meeting Prince (R rating)

Michael Jackson's physical changes over the years

Mickey Spillane in classic Miller Lite commercial

Mickey Spillane 1980s interviewed by Dick Cavett

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]