Although it is quite a big area, I feel like people, especially non-English people, assume that most of the talent in the UK comes from Manchester and London. But, we born in the West Midlands know about the amount of talent that comes from our area. Even though we have our rivalries with each other, football or no football, we can still be proud of the people who have made it big in our area.
William Shakespeare
I mean, is there a better place to start than with the most iconic playwright of all time? Probably not! Shakespeare put Stratford-upon-Avon on the map and changed English culture forever. The actual impact he had was obvious at the time but I don’t even think he would’ve thought that his work would last this long.
He wrote Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet and Macbeth among many other poems and plays that have lasted hundreds of years. My kids will learn about Shakespeare and theirs too and I can imagine his work lasting for centuries more.
Jack Grealish
Now going from one heartthrob to another, Jack Grealish is a West Midlands legend but also one of the most hated. Starting his career at Aston Villa, Grealish was loved by the villains and hated by the blues. He captained Villa to the Premier League and became a fan-favourite player and a must watch. When Aston Villa beat Liverpool 7-2 and survived relegation, despite being the pick on a lot of Premier League bets, it was clear that Grealiosh was a level above Villa.
In the summer of that season, Manchester City came in and triggered Jack Grealish’s £100 million release clause. Since he joined he has been a key figure in winning the treble and multiple Premier Leagues solidifying himself as a West Midlands legend.
Liam Payne
Liam Payne is famous for being a part of one of the most famous boy bands in music history but he is also famous for having a child with Cheryl, you can decide which is better. The Wolverhampton-born star was on X Factor in 2008 and quickly saw his life change.
Although now he is not one of the most loved members of the band with Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson taking those crowns, he is still a part of a group that changed the lives of a lot of young people and will always be a legend for that.
Rockstars
The West Midlands seems to be a hub for iconic rock bands to be born and I am not quite sure why. There are several bands that have been made in the West Midlands and have had staining power in the music scene forever.
Black Sabbath
When we think of rock and roll legends, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath will absolutely be on the list. Ozzy has always been an interesting figure, which event resulted in him getting his own family reality show, he is still a music legend. With hits like Paranoid and Iron Man getting even the non-rock fans excited.
Robert Plant
For another example of rock and roll royalty, Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant are icons in the game and have been recognised as such with admission in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As for Robert Plant, after going to California he decided to come back to the West Midlands and lived over the hills and far away.
Now, he is a certified Rock and Roll legend who is also an honorary vice president of Wolves through good times bad times.
