Many celebrities and noteworthy individuals have called South Carolina home at some point in their lives. From actors to musicians, politicians, and athletes. And some elected for South Carolina to become their final resting place after death. In all honesty, there are way too many to name. But as we are approaching fall and spooky season (I know I know, it is a ways off but I’m ready), I figured sharing 7 of the famous people who are buried in South Carolina would be appropriate. And I have to say, some of these are people I would not have expected even had connections to the Palmetto State. Others make perfect sense are they were important members of the local community.
Each of the 7 individuals included on this list is buried somewhere in the state of South Carolina. Some were buried years ago and others more recently. Final resting sites include a variety of places in the state. Each of these people left their mark and legacy on the world in their time. And they will forever be linked to our great state. Chances are there are a few names on this list you’ll recognize.
To create this list I consulted the website Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com). It’s a great resource to figure out where any public figure you can imagine is buried! In fact, if you’re truly curious it will even tell the cemetery plot where graves are located. In case, you know, you wanted to pay your own respects. So take a look at 7 of the most interesting famous people who are buried in South Carolina below. Do any of these surprise you? Perhaps you’ve even visited the gravesite of one or two of these individuals.
James Brown
James Brown, yes the iconic James Brown, the “The Godfather of Soul” is buried in South Carolina. A native of the Palmetto State from Barnville, Brown is buried at the Thomas Family Home Crypt on Beech Island in Aiken County.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Greenville, SC native Shoeless Joe Jackson, is buried in his hometown. The Chicago White Sox baseball player, earned his “shoeless” nickname by famously removing his shoes to run the bases due to blisters. His Major League career ended abruptly due to his involvement in the “Black Sox” scandal involving throwing the World Series.
Storm Thurmond Sr.
This one shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. U.S. Senator and South Carolina Governor Storm Thurmond is buried in the state he served for almost 50 years. Thurmond’s grave is at the Edgefield Village Cemetery in Edgefield, SC.
Chadwick Boseman
The Black Panther, actor’s life was tragically cut short in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. The NAACP Image Award winner is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetary in his hometown of Anderson, SC.
Gaylord Jackson Perry
The Hall of Fame Baseball player is actually an NC native but is buried in Gaffney, SC. Perry had a 22 year career as a pitcher in the Major Leagues for the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals.
