The list of notable people from Wellesley, Massachusetts is quite a long one, ranging from athletes, government officials, poets and authors, rock stars, and other TV personalities. When it comes to famous people from Wellesley, the scope is wide.
Steven Tyler
Lead singer for Aerosmith, otherwise known as the “Demon of Screamin” due to his custom of high-pitched screams and growls. Steven Tyler also plays the harmonica, drums, and piano. His “high-energy” style and acrobats on the stage in his colorful attire are his trademark. Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and after a nearly 50-year career, Tyler remains one of the most iconic singers in the history of rock and roll music.
He has crossed several genres of music breaking barriers and opening doors for musicians to blend their music across the boundaries of style. Aerosmith has been nominated for over 70 different awards and has won over 30 of them in their career.
In 2013, Tyler lobbied for the “The Steven Tyler Act” (Hawaii Senate Bill 465). In Hawaii, this act would provide more privacy to celebrities or other public figures when traveling. Numerous public figures and celebrities pushed for this legislation. The paparazzi could be sued for taking unwanted pictures due to this bill. After several solo appearances, Tyler reunited with Aerosmith, and the band is currently completing their 2017 farewell tour through Europe and South America.
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath, an American poet, and writer who left us too soon. She was married to Ted Hughes, a poet whom she met while at Cambridge on a grant. It obvious Sylvia was bound for greatness, she showed promise at a young age as an artist and a prolific writer. She published her first poem at eight years old in the “Boston Herald’s” children’s section and an award from the “Scholastic Art & Writing Awards” for her painting in 1947.
She battled depression throughout her life and attempted suicide numerous times. Several of her writings refer to her despair and her thoughts of giving up. She finally won the last battle on February 11, 1963. In 1982, Plath became the first poet to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize posthumously.
- 1955 – Fulbright Scholarship Glascock Prize
- 1982 – Pulitzer Prize (The Collected Poems)
- The Colossus and Other Poems
- Ariel
- The Bell Jar
Katherine Lee Bates
Katherine Bates was an American songwriter and poet. She was also a teacher and had a Masters of Art in English Literature. She graduated from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts with a B.A in 1880.
The author of “America the Beautiful” after a trip to “Pikes Peak,” she said she was inspired by the wonder of “America displayed there.” The poem was released three times before it reached its final, expanded version in 1913. The Samuel A. Ward tune (“Materna”) is the tune we know the song by today, but it has experienced a few others along the way. In 1970, Bates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.