10 Most Famous People From Iberia Parish

We continue in our series of the most famous people from each Acadiana parish. So far, we've taken a look at the notable folks from Acadia and Evangeline Parishes.

This week, we head south a bit to beautiful and historic Iberia Parish.

The parish was formed in 1868 during the Reconstruction era and named for the Iberian Peninsula. Historically, it was home to a large Francophone population, as many Cajuns settled there after being expelled by the British from Acadia in present-day Canada.

Of course, we know Iberia Parish as the center for sugar cane cultivation. In fact, it produces the most sugar of any parish in the state.

At the 2020 census, Iberia Parish had a population of 69,929.

When it comes to notable natives from the parish, the list is vast and represents a wide array of professions of people who have gone on to do great things in areas like professional sports, acting, politics, and more.

Again, remember that this is just an arbitrary list made by one radio disc jockey. There is no real science behind it, just ten people that I thought deserved this "honor."

But before I get to the list, I wanted to mention a few people that didn't quite make the cut but certainly could have.

Honorable Mentions:

Mark Roman (New Iberia) - Former NFL safety who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Corey Raymond (New Iberia) - Former NFL cornerback who played six seasons in the NFL for the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.
Paul Cyr (Jeanerette) - Dentist, banker, geologist and also served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1931.
Patrick Thomas (New Iberia) - Executive Producer for the nationally syndicated Big D & Bubba radio show. CMA and ACM winner for his time on the show.
Steve Grisaffe (New Iberia) - Lead singer and bass player for country band River Road.
Heath Ransonet (New Iberia) - Long-time lead singer and guitar player for the rock band Spank the Monkey.
Jeff Landry (New Iberia) - Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and currently the Attorney General of Louisiana.
Yvonne Kushner (New Iberia) - American actress and socialite in New York and Washington, DC.
Louis Lautier (New Iberia) - The first African-American journalist admitted in 1955 to the White House Correspondents' Association.
William Eckart (New Iberia) - Set designer for film, stage, and television. He and his wife Jean received three Tony nominations.
Eulis Richardson (New Iberia) - Drummer whose career spanned almost 50 years. Notably performed with Ike & Tina Turner Revue and best known for his arrangement of their version of "Proud Mary."