| Author Name | Profession | Nationality |
| B. B. King | Musician | American |
| B. C. Forbes | Journalist | Scottish |
| B. H. Liddell Hart | Historian | British |
| B. R. Ambedkar | Politician | Indian |
| B.o.b | Musician | American |
| Balthazar Getty | Actor | American |
| Balthus | Artist | French |
| Bao Dai | Statesman | Vietnamese |
| Barbara Amiel | Journalist | British |
| Barbara Cartland | Novelist | English |
| Barbara Castle | Politician | British |
| Barbara Dale | ||
| Barbara Deming | Author | American |
| Barbara Eden | Actress | American |
| Barbara Ehrenreich | Writer | American |
| Barbara Feldon | Actress | American |
| Barbara Grizzuti Harrison | Writer | American |
| Barbara Harris | Clergyman | American |
| Barbara Januszkiewicz | Artist | American |
| Barbara Johnson | Critic | American |
| Barbara Jordan | Politician | American |
| Barbara Kingsolver | Novelist | American |
| Barbara Lee | Politician | American |
| Barnabe Barnes | Poet | English |
| Barnaby C. Keeney | Educator | American |
| Barrie Keeffe | Dramatist | English |
| Barry Gibb | Musician | English |
| Barry Hannah | Novelist | American |
| Beatrice Dalle | Actress | French |
| Bede Jarrett | Writer | |
| Bela Bartok | Composer | Hungarian |
| Bela Fleck | Musician | American |
| Belinda Carlisle | Musician | American |
| Bella Abzug | Lawyer | American |
| Ben Affleck | Actor | American |
| Ben Barnes | Actor | English |
| Ben E. King | Musician | American |
| Ben Edwards | Entertainer | British |
| Ben Elton | Comedian | British |
| Ben Folds | Musician | American |
| Ben Gazzara | Actor | American |
| Ben Gibbard | Musician | American |
| Ben Harper | Musician | American |
| Ben Jackson | ||
| Ben Jonson | Poet | English |
| Ben Joseph Akiba | Clergyman | |
| Ben Kingsley | Actor | English |
| Ben Nighthorse Campbell | Politician | American |
| Benjamin Banneker | Scientist | American |
| Benjamin Cardozo | Judge | American |
| Benjamin Carson | Scientist | American |
| Benjamin Day | Artist | American |
| Benjamin Franklin Fairless | Businessman | American |
| Benjamin Harrison | President | American |
| Benjamin Hawkins | Diplomat | American |
| Benjamin Henry Day | Artist | American |
| Benjamin Jowett | Theologian | English |
| Benjamin Todd Jealous | Activist | American |
| Bennett Cerf | Journalist | American |
| Benny Anderson | ||
| Benny Carter | Musician | American |
| Berenice Abbott | Photographer | American |
| Bernadette Devlin | Politician | Irish |
| Bernard Barton | Poet | American |
| Bernard Baruch | Businessman | American |
| Bernard Ebbers | Businessman | Canadian |
| Bernard Haitink | Musician | Dutch |
| Bernard Katz | Scientist | German |
| Bernard Kerik | Public Servant | American |
| Bernard Lagat | Athlete | American |
| Bernhard Langer | Athlete | German |
| Bernice Fitz Gibbon | Businesswoman | American |
| Bernie Ecclestone | Businessman | English |
| Bernie Mac | Actor | American |
| Bert Campaneris | Athlete | Cuban |
| Bert Hardy | Photographer | British |
| Bert Kalmar | ||
| Bert Lahr | Actor | American |
| Bert Lance | Politician | American |
| Beryl Bainbridge | Novelist | English |
| Beth Anderson | Composer | American |
| Beth Daniel | Athlete | American |
| Beth Gibbons | Musician | English |
| Betsey Johnson | Designer | American |
| Bette Davis | Actress | American |
| Betty Carter | Musician | American |
| Betty Ford | First Lady | American |
| Beverly Johnson | Model | |
| Beverly Jones | Writer | American |
| Bhumibol Adulyadej | Statesman | |
| Bianca Jagger | Celebrity | Nicaraguan |
| Bil Keane | Cartoonist | American |
| Bill Alexander | Politician | American |
| Bill Cartwright | Athlete | American |
| Bill Dana | Comedian | American |
| Bill Delahunt | Politician | American |
| Bill Evans | Musician | |
| Bill Ford | Businessman | American |
| Bill Gates | Businessman | American |
| Bill Hader | Actor | American |
| Bill Haley | Musician | American |
| Bill Halter | Politician | American |
| Bill Irwin | Entertainer | American |
| Bill James | Writer | American |
| Bill Janklow | Politician | American |
| Bill Johnson | Politician | American |
| Bill Keller | Editor | American |
| Bill Laimbeer | Coach | American |
| Bill Laswell | Musician | American |
| Bill Lear | Inventor | American |
| Bill Lee | Athlete | |
| Billie Jean King | Athlete | American |
| Billy Baldwin | Designer | American |
| Billy Barty | Actor | American |
| Billy Campbell | Actor | American |
| Billy Carter | Celebrity | American |
| Billy Eckstine | Musician | American |
| Billy Gardell | Comedian | American |
| Billy Gibbons | Musician | American |
| Billy Idol | Musician | British |
| Billy Joel | Musician | American |
| Bindi Irwin | Celebrity | Australian |
| Birch Bayh | Politician | American |
| Black Elk | Leader | |
| Black Kettle | Leader | American |
| Blaine Lee | ||
| Blake Edwards | Director | American |
| Bliss Carman | Poet | Canadian |
| Blu Cantrell | Musician | American |
| Blythe Danner | Actress | American |
| Bo Derek | Actress | American |
| Bo Jackson | Athlete | American |
| Bob Anderson | ||
| Bob Balaban | Actor | American |
| Bob Barker | Actor | American |
| Bob Barr | Politician | American |
| Bob Bartlett | Politician | American |
| Bob Beamon | Athlete | American |
| Bob Denver | Actor | American |
| Bob Edwards | Journalist | American |
| Bob Ehrlich | Politician | American |
| Bob Etheridge | Politician | American |
| Bob Feller | Athlete | |
| Bob Filner | Politician | American |
| Bob Geldof | Actor | Irish |
| Bob Gibson | Athlete | American |
| Bob Hawke | Statesman | Australian |
| Bob Iger | Businessman | American |
| Bob Inglis | Politician | American |
| Bob Kane | Artist | American |
| Bob Keeshan | Entertainer | American |
| Bob Kerrey | Politician | American |
| Bob Lemon | Athlete | American |
| Bobbie Gentry | Musician | American |
| Bobby Darin | Musician | American |
| Bobby Farrelly | Director | American |
| Bobby Fischer | Celebrity | American |
| Bobby Flay | Celebrity | American |
| Bobby Hatfield | Musician | American |
| Bobby Jindal | Politician | American |
| Bobby Jones | Athlete | American |
| Bobby Ray Inman | Soldier | American |
| Bonnie Jo Campbell | Novelist | American |
| Boomer Esiason | Athlete | American |
| Boris Johnson | Politician | British |
| Boris Karloff | Actor | English |
| Boutros Boutros Ghali | Public Servant | Egyptian |
| Boy George | Musician | English |
| Brad Carson | Lawyer | American |
| Brad Delp | Musician | American |
| Brad Delson | Musician | American |
| Brad Falchuk | Director | American |
| Brad Garrett | Actor | American |
| Brad Gilbert | Coach | American |
| Brady Anderson | Athlete | American |
| Bram Fischer | Lawyer | South African |
| Brandon Lee | Actor | American |
| Brenda Fassie | Musician | South African |
| Brenda Lee | Musician | American |
| Brendan Fehr | Actor | Canadian |
| Brendan Gill | Critic | American |
| Brendan Gleeson | Actor | Irish |
| Bret Easton Ellis | Author | American |
| Bret Harte | Author | American |
| Brett Favre | Athlete | American |
| Brian Aldiss | Writer | English |
| Brian Baird | Politician | American |
| Brian Baumgartner | Actor | American |
| Brian Celio | Novelist | American |
| Brian Eno | Musician | British |
| Brian Epstein | Businessman | British |
| Brian Ferneyhough | Composer | British |
| Brian Harris | ||
| Brian Harvey | Musician | British |
| Brian Johnson | Musician | English |
| Brian Jones | Musician | British |
| Brian Jordan | Athlete | American |
| Brian Lamb | Businessman | American |
| Bridget Fonda | Actress | American |
| Bridget Hall | Model | American |
| Brie Larson | Actress | American |
| Brigitte Bardot | Actress | French |
| Brion James | Actor | American |
| Britt Ekland | Actress | Swedish |
| Brittany Daniel | Actress | American |
| Bronislaw Geremek | Historian | Polish |
| Brooke Elliott | Actress | American |
| Brooke Langton | Actress | American |
| Brooklyn Decker | Model | American |
| Brooks Adams | Historian | American |
| Bruce Babbitt | Politician | American |
| Bruce Barton | Author | American |
| Bruce Campbell | Actor | American |
| Bruce Catton | Historian | American |
| Bruce Davison | Actor | American |
| Bruce Dern | Actor | American |
| Bruce Feirstein | Writer | American |
| Bruce Jackson | Public Servant | |
| Bruce Jenner | Athlete | American |
| Bruce Johnston | Musician | American |
| Bruce Kent | Activist | British |
| Bruce Lee | Actor | American |
| Bruno Bauer | Theologian | German |
| Bryan Adams | Musician | Canadian |
| Bryan Callen | Actor | American |
| Bryan Ferry | Musician | English |
| Buchi Emecheta | Novelist | Nigerian |
| Buck Baker | Celebrity | American |
| Bud Abbott | Actor | American |
| Buddy Ebsen | Actor | American |
| Buddy Hackett | Comedian | American |
| Bulent Ecevit | Politician | |
| Burl Ives | Musician | American |
| Burt Bacharach | Composer | American |
| Burt Lancaster | Actor | American |
| Burton Lane | Composer | American |
| Buster Keaton | Actor | American |
| Buzz Aldrin | Astronaut | American |
“Other, far fewer, directors are more like the composer - conceptualizing the piece, scoring it, distributing its musical lines among a range of registers, chords, and instruments.”
