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New Edition - As one of America's oldest cities, Boston is a place steeped in tradition and history. Last week's deadly bombings caused the whole country to rally around Beantown. To pay tribute to the city of cobblestone and ivy, we spotlight some of its most famous sons and daughters. One of the many firsts to come from Boston is the first modern-day boy band. New Edition formed there in 1978 and quickly took the world by storm. (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Donna Summer - Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, Summer's talent was discovered singing in churches in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood. The devout Christian went on to become the "undisputed queen of disco" and will make her hometown proud when she's posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. (Photo:  Harry Langdon/Getty Images)

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Al B. Sure - Though he spent his childhood years in Mount Vernon, New York, the new jack swing icon was actually born in Beantown.  (Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Mark Wahlberg - Besides Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Wahlberg is probably the most famous A-lister to come from Boston. The Funky Bunch leader, raised in the largely Catholic neighborhood of Dorchester, is the youngest of nine children. (Photo:  Barry King/WireImage)

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Brian White - This actor was born into Boston sports royalty. White's father, JoJo White, played for the Celtics and opened a number of area restaurants after he retired from the NBA. White followed in his father's athletic footsteps for a while, playing football and lacrosse in high school before pursuing acting full-time.  (Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

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Jasmine Guy - It's a different world where she comes from, which in Jasmine Guy's case is not Alabama, but Boston. A Different World's Southern belle was born in Beantown and spent her early years there before moving to Atlanta. (Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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Shar Jackson - The Moesha star was born to a mixed race family in Boston and lived there for a number of years before pursuing an acting career in Atlanta and Hollywood. (Photo:  Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo:  Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

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John Amaechi - The former pro basketball player, who was born in Boston but raised in England, made history when he came out as a gay man after playing in the NBA. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Touré - The music journalist and MSNBC host was raised in Boston and attended the city's prestigious Milton School before moving to the Big Apple. (Photo:  Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Time Warner)

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Patrick Ewing Jr. - The son of New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing was actually born in Boston, though he was raised down South and eventually played professional ball for the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets. (Photo:  Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)

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Barbara Walters - The celebrated television personality, known for her tear-jerking interviews, was born in Boston and raised in the city's Brookline neighborhood. (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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John F. Kennedy - The beloved former president, who was killed during his time in office, is as much a part of Boston history as his alma mater Harvard University. A member of the Kennedys, widely known as America's royal family, JFK brought youth and vitality to the country's stodgy political system in the 1960s. (Photo: CBS Photo Archive)