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Denzel Washington -

The New York Times's 2020 choice for greatest actor of the 21st century, Denzel Washington, was born in 1954. His father, Denzel Washington Sr., was a Pentecostal minister.

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Denzel Washington -

Denzel Washington Jr. did not follow in his father's footsteps in the same way his own actor son, John David Washington, is following in his.

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Katy Perry -

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, or Katy Perry to most of the world, was born in 1984 to two Pentecostal pastors, Mary Christine (née Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson.

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Katy Perry -

When she was growing up the young Katy Perry listened mostly to gospel music, since secular music was frowned upon by her parents. She discovered pop music via her friends.

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Jessica Simpson -

The singer and actress Jessica Simpson and her younger sister Ashlee are the daughters of a Baptist youth minister. Jessica received a purity ring from her father at the age of 12.

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Jessica Simpson -

Jessica sang in the church choir when she was a child and apparently realized that she wanted to pursue a career in music while she was at a church retreat aged 11.

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David Tennant -

Actor David Tennant, who is best known as the tenth Doctor Who, is the son of a minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

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David Tennant -

Although father and son clearly had very different callings in life, they did work together once when David Tennant's father made a cameo appearance in an episode of 'Doctor Who.'

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Jonas Brothers - It will come as little surprise that both parents of Kevin, Joe, and Nick have a musical background. Their mother is a singer and their father a songwriter and musician.

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Jonas Brothers -

What is perhaps more surprising is that their father, Paul Kevin Jonas Sr., is also a former ordained minister at the Assemblies of God church.

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Alice Cooper -

Referred to by journalists as "The Godfather of Shock Rock," Alice Cooper chose a wildly different career path from his father, who was an Evangelist at the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite).

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Alice Cooper -

In choosing hard rock over the church, Cooper broke with what could almost be called a family tradition: his grandfather was an apostle and President of the same church as his father.

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Aretha Franklin -

The Queen of Soul was born in 1942 to a musician mother and Baptist minister father. Her mother sadly passed away when she was 10, but her father helped kickstart her career.

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Aretha Franklin -

Thanks to Clarence Franklin's emotionally-charged sermons that elevated him to celebrity status, he and Aretha were often surrounded by gospel musicians with whom Aretha could make connections.

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Wyclef Jean -

Haitian-born rapper and producer Wyclef Jean is the son of a Nazarene minister, Reverend Gesner Jean, who was killed in a freak accident back in 2010.

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Wyclef Jean -

The hip-hop star was named after the biblical scholar John Wycliffe, and when he was growing up his father banned rap music, encouraging him to focus instead on the church choir.

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The Pointer Sisters -

The parents of the Pointer sisters, Reverend Elton and Sarah Pointer, encouraged their children in their music, but only if they sang and listened to gospel.

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The Pointer Sisters -

Rock 'n' roll and blues were considered "the devil's music" and the children had to enjoy other genres of music when they weren't under the watchful eye of their parents.

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Marcus Mumford -

Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford is the son of John and Eleanor Mumford, who are the former leaders of the Vineyard Church (UK and Ireland). 

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Marcus Mumford -

In 1987 the couple established the first British Vineyard church in South West London, after visiting American pastor, John Wimber. They remained head of the Church until 2015.

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Nina Simone -

The iconic blues artist Nina Simone had a very religious upbringing. Her mother was a Methodist minister and her father a reverend. She enjoyed playing piano at her local church.

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Sam Cooke -

The King of Soul Sam Cooke was another musician from a religious family. His father, the Reverend Charles Cook, was a minister in the Church of Christ (Holiness).

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Kelis -

Singer songwriter Kelis is the daughter of a fashion designer mother and a jazz musician father. Her father was also a Pentecostal minister and, at one point, a professor.

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Phil Jackson -

Former NBA star Phil Jackson is the son of two Assemblies of God ministers. They raised him in an austere environment with no TV or dancing, and growing up he assumed he'd become a minister.

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Arsenio Hall -

Actor and comedian Arsenio Hall, who is best known for his late-night talk show 'The Arsenio Hall show,' is the son of a Baptist minister father.

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Caleb Followill -

Caleb, Jared, and Nathan Followill, who together with their cousin Matthew make up the Kings of Leon, are the sons of a pastor of the Evangelist Pentecostal Church.

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Daniel Tosh -

Comedian and TV host Daniel Tosh was born in Germany but grew up in Titusville, Florida, where his father was a Presbyterian minister.

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George Stephanopoulos -

TV host George Stephanopoulos's father is a Greek Orthodox priest and his mother has always been heavily involved with the church. For a long time he himself thought about priesthood.

Sources: (Ranker) (Radio Times)

See also: Interesting religious sites around the world

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