Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was born at Òsgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911; Scottish Gaelic was his first language. Before he went to school at the age of six, he spoke very little English. He was the second of five sons born to Malcolm (1880–1951) and Christina MacLean (1886–1974). The family owend a small croft and ran a tailoring business, but they later gave up the croft to move to a better house, which proved detrimental to their finances when the Great Depression took a high toll on the tailoring business. His brothers were John Maclean (1910–1970), a schoolteacher and later rector of Oban High School, who was also a piper; Calum Maclean (1915–1960), a noted folklorist and ethnographer; and Alasdair (1918–1999) and Norman (c.1917–c.1980), who became general practitioners. Sorley's two younger sisters, Isobel and Mary, were also schoolteachers. His patronymic was Somhairle mac Chaluim 'ic Chaluim 'ic Iain 'ic Tharmaid 'ic Iain 'ic Tharmaid; he could not trace his genealogy with certainty to the eighth generation.
Burnley
Possibly the best-known Burnley figure in the field of entertainment is actor and gay rights activist Sir Ian McKellen who was born in the town in 1939. There is a blue plaque on the house where he lived, but where he says he was not born. Other actors born in the town include Mary Mackenzie, Irene Sutcliffe, Julia Haworth, Richard Moore, Alice Barry, Jody Latham, Kathy Jamieson, Hannah Hobley, Natalie Gumede and Lee Ingleby. "Coronation Street" regular Malcolm Hebden grew up in the town. Screenwriter Paul Abbott, creator of "Shameless", and television producer and executive Peter Salmon were also born here.
Musicians born in the town include Danbert Nobacon, Alice Nutter, Lou Watts and Boff Whalley (all of Chumbawamba), Eric Haydock (bassist in The Hollies), classical composer John Pickard, the DJ Anne Savage,Record Producer Ady Hall of Sugar House and young soprano Hollie Steel.