Maple Valley Made Famous

Notable People From Maple Valley

It’s always great to know you know someone famous. It’s slightly less great – but still great – to know that someone famous came from your hometown. (This isn’t true if you live in a big city – that’s sort of like cheating, because of course there are famous people from your city; but people still brag about it don’t they? Seattle-ites are always bragging about Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam, and now Macklemore).

Maple Valley has it’s fair share of famous people. More than, some might say.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is a popular Pop/Rock/Alternative vocalist. She went from impersonating Elvis as a young teen in Maple Valley to chart-topping and show-stopping all across the globe, with performances and films featured in Latin America and Britain on top of a stunning US career.

Her most recent album, Bear Creek, was produced near its namesake body-of-water in Woodinville, WA.

Jens Pulver

Jens Pulver grew up in Maple Valley, and went on to perfect his martial arts career by becoming the first UFC lightweight champion in 2001.

Since then, he has had 2 successful UFC title defenses, and recently competed in the Bantamweight Grand Prix semifinals, where he lost to Masakatsu Ueda of Japan.

Omare Lowe

Omare Lowe attended Tahoma High School in the late ’90s, where he lettered in basketball, track, and football.

His successful college football career at the University of Washington propelled him into the NFL, where he hopped from Dolphins to Titans to Jets to Vikings to Redskins to Patriots to Seahawks to Falcons back to Seahawks to Jaguars. What a career.

He was part of the Superbowl XXXIX Patriots’ championship team in 2005.

Homestuck

Okay this isn’t really a person. It’s a web comic (mixed with adventure?). It’s some sort of game / comic, but we can’t seem to figure out how to play the game.

Anyway, it’s on the website MS Paint Adventures, and the protagonists – John Egbert and Jane Crocker – are from Maple Valley. Just thought you should know.

Know of any other local noteworthies? Let us know in the comments below!