From Tony Gwynn to Blink-182—Poway's Home to Many Celebs

Poway is affectionately known as “The City in the Country,” for its rural roots. Local residents would argue that there’s a lot to love about Poway. In fact, it attracts many celebrities to the area.

Poway Patch researched online websites including Wikipedia, asked locals and discovered a large number of celebrities and athletes call Poway home.

Of course, Poway is known for its athletes, some of whom include:

• Tony Gwynn, retired San Diego Padres star, and manager of San Diego State University Aztecs baseball team;
• Bruce Bochy, former Padres manager and current San Francisco Giants manager;
• Luis Castillo, San Diego Chargers player;
• Randy Jones, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher and local businessman (think: Randy Jones All American Sports Grill in Hazard Center and at Petco Park, plus his famed sauce, Randy Jones Baseball Barbecue®);
• David Justice, former Atlanta Braves outfielder;
• Shaun Phillips, San Diego Chargers linebacker; and
• Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers quarterback.

Possibly, the most recognizable Poway resident is Tony Gwynn, who has lived in the area for the last 26 years. Gwynn was drawn to the area for its “quaintness of the community and the hometown feel of the area,” he said.

“The people are very friendly and there’s a sense of community and belonging,” he said. “It’s like a small town mentality in a country-like setting. The area of old Poway reminds me of where my parents grew up in Tennessee.”

Former Friar Randy Jones is a former Powegian. Jones lived in Poway for 20 years and raised his kids here before moving to South Escondido about 16 years ago. He said he lived in Poway for so long because it's “30 minutes from downtown, but you still live in the country.” Jones had horses and recalls when Poway only had one stop signal in town.  

But athletes aren't the only big names living in Poway.

Did you know that former child actor Brandon Call lives in Poway? He was made famous for his work on “Baywatch” and “Step By Step.”

And be careful of any local road run-ins with professional (car) stunt man Jeremy Fry, who has appeared in countless TV shows and films, such as “24,” “Fear Factor,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “State of Play,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Longest Yard,” and “Unstoppable,” just to name a few.

In the past, Jeromy Burnitz, Major League baseball outfielder, has also lived in Poway. And, the band “Unwritten Law,” a punk/rock band known for their song “CPK,” which means “Crazy Poway Kids,” also lived in the area.

Poway has raised some famous musicians—or at least they were born here, according to a search of Wikipedia:

• Tom DeLonge, guitarist/singer of “Blink-182,” “Angels & Airwaves,” and “Box Car Racer;”
• Chris Armes, guitarist/singer of “Agent 51;”
• Mark Hoppus, bassist/singer of “Blink-182” and “+44;”
• David Kennedy, guitarist of “Box Car Racer” and “Angels & Airwaves;” and
• Scott Raynor, original drummer of “Blink-182.”

Additionally, Poway was the birthplace of a few others who have made headlines, such as:

• Fletcher Bowron, 35th mayor of Los Angeles, and
• Anurag Kashyap, winner of the 2005 Scripps National Spelling Bee.  

So, next time you’re at Kaminski's or Yanni’s Bistro, keep a look out—you might just see one of your favorite celebs.