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Every big city has their notorious notables, and Atlanta is no exception. In fact, the Deep South is known for its appreciation of and familiarity with the eccentric.

Ted Turner: Perhaps the best example of Southern eccentricity, this idiosyncratic media mogul provides sound bites for the ages. His marriage to Jane Fonda only secured his kooky reputation. No one was surprised when the marriage failed. Yet under the spitfire personality and questionable viewpoints, lies a savvy businessman that has accrued wealth beyond most people's imagination. Now that CNN appears to be on a downslide, Ted is promoting his national chain bison restaurants. And he'll no doubt have an earful for any PETA activists that show up.

Jane Fonda: It wouldn't be fair to talk about Ted without talking about his former other half, Jane Fonda. While some have never forgiven "Hanoi Jane," for the most part she is accepted in Atlanta. In comparison to Ted, she offers little controversy. Perhaps the local residents feel she's paid her dues by being married to Ted. While certainly Ted's fortune helped to promote Jane's social programs, she continues to be actively involved with charity even after the demise of her marriage. G-CAPP, an organization that is attempting to relieve the teen pregnancy epidemic, is one of Fonda's pet causes.

Elton John: Why Elton John maintains a home in Atlanta is anybody's guess. Maybe it's a tax write-off. Regardless, local companies and causes drop his name frequently. The always quirky and extravagent musician is definitely a worldwide legend, and locally, he will also be remembered as a great contributer to a wide variety of charities and causes, especially AIDS related programs.

Evander Holyfield: Around Atlanta, this heavyweight boxing champion is known for having as many kids as KO's. While Holyfield is not nearly as controversial as Mike Tyson (but then who is), he still has had a turbulent personal life, resulting in many illegitimate children. Hey, at least he isn't threatening to eat them. He's also not above some dirty boxing in the ring: his recent head butting in his win against Hasim Rahman was deemed excessive by some experts. At least he hasn't started biting off body parts yet.

Cynthia McKinney: This member of the U.S. House of Representatives has long been known as the local politician not afraid to speak her mind, except that many think her mind and ideas are a little looney. Recently, she's made national headlines over her suggestion that President Bush and his father, the former president, orchestrated the war on terrorism to line their own pockets. Her supporters point to the recent disclosure by the White House that more was known about a possible terrorist attack before 9-11 than was previously disclosed, something that McKinney declared shortly after the tragedy. Still, McKinney remains a very politically polarizing figure. It will be interesting to see if her comments cause her to lose her House seat in this year's elections.

Clark Howard: America's favorite cheapskate was recently on "Good Morning America" touting his $1 suit that he wore for the national TV appearance. The man lives what he preaches. While some can't help but roll their eyes at his cost cutting tips, Howard also is a great consumer advocate, and he offers sound advice on his nationally syndicated radio show. Before one buys insurance of any kind, or plans a vacation, they should check out the sage advice Howard has to offer.

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes: Her untimely death in a tragic car accident left the world, particularly Atlanta, stunned and saddened. A member of the popular hip-hop trio TLC, she is best known in Atlanta for setting fire to the home of then-Falcon Andre Rison. Despite her erratic behavior and torrid love affairs, she did contribute a lot to local charities.

Jeff Foxworthy: This Atlanta native comedian will forever be associated with the open-ended statement, "You might be a redneck if..." He turned making fun of people like himself into a multimillion dollar industry, and became the most successful comedy recording artist in history. His albums sold millions, and he even had his own network TV show.

Hosea Williams: "Uncle Hosie" was often downgraded to a lovable nut in his later years, but this civil rights figure put himself on the front lines of the marches that MLK Jr orchestrated, often placing himself directly in the line of the racist cop's baton. He never showed any fear, then or up until his death, where he was still working tirelessly for the poor and downtrodden with his annual "Feed the Hungry" dinners. His numerous DUI arrests and wacky soundbites became popular fodder for the local media, but despite his weaknesses and eccentricities, the contribution he made to the civil rights movement should not be disputed. His legacy, being carried out by his children and other supporters, continues to enrich Atlanta and those in need.