Princess Aurora

Growing up watching Disney movies, I never knew that one of my favorite princesses was a actually a Tennessean! And not only a Tennessean, but also a Knoxvillian!  When I was thinking of famous Knoxvillians, the main one that came to mind was Johnny Knoxville and I wanted to find someone I didn't know, so I looked up famous Knoxvillians and found the voice of Princess Aurora.  Princess Aurora was played by no other than local opera singer and actress, Mary Costa.  Mary Costa was born April 5, 1930 in Knoxville.  She attended Knoxville High School until her family moved to California. After her break through role as Princess Aurora, Mary Costa went on to have many roles in opera shows across the world. During her career, Ms. Costa returned to Knoxville to sing at church and at UTK.  According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Ms. Costa always wanted to return to Knoxville and since 1993 she has been a permanent resident of Rocky Top.  As of 2000 she is no longer active as an actress.
Throughout her life, Ms. Costa has been dedicated to inspiring children and teenagers, speaking at Pellissippi's graduation ceremony in 2012, being one of the founding members of the Knoxville Opera, and speaking at high schools and colleges across the country.  In 2014, UTK awarded her an Honorary Doctorate and was named one of the YWCA Knoxville's Tribute to Women Honorees.  Some of her many accomplishments outside of the Knoxville community include being asked by Jackie Kennedy to speak at JFK's memorial service, being awarded Woman of the Year in 1970, and being named a Disney Legend in 1999.