Covina, California

Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California about 22 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 46,837.

Notable natives

• Alice Huyler Ramsey, the first woman to drive across America from coast to coast. On June 9, 1909, the 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey completed the 3,800 miles from Manhattan, New York to San Francisco, California in a Maxwell. She was accompanied on her fifty-nine day trek by three female companions, none of whom could drive a car.
• Michael Young, Major League Baseball shortstop with the Texas Rangers.
• Ellen Beach Yaw, known as "Lark Ellen", was an internationally famous coloratura soprano during the late 19th and early to mid-20th century. She toured the world singing opera for over 40 years and chose to retire in Covina. Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph, recorded her voice for mechanical experiments on a visit to his Orange, NJ laboratories. She sang into several machines, all sorts of songs throughout her range. Afterwards, Edison said of her voice, "I can see no defects of any kind in this voice. Sweet on lower notes, and mellow. Best high tones yet for the disc machine. She has an enormous range."
• Vince Neil and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe met while attending Royal Oak High School (now Royal Oak Intermediate) in Covina. Tommy Lee did not graduate. Vince Neil has a son who also grew up in Covina.