Still working on that, but definitely George Carlin will be on the list.

Carl Sagan. Without a doubt

George Carlin

None are on a pedestal, tho I read many. Or, watch videos of them. Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett, Harris (the Four Horsemen), Dillahunty, Shermer, Krauss (unfortunate tho that situation is right now), Silverman, Mills, Baker, Aron Ra, many YouTube "spokesmen", Godless Cranium, Professor Stick, Thunderfoot,...the list goes on. Don't know if I agree with every little thing some state, or everything they may actually do in life, but all have contributed something in the formation of my ideas, understanding & organization of my stance.

Carl Sagan for me.

Albert Einstein for those who dispute it [en.wikipedia.org]

Ricky Gervais is one of my favorite atheists

john lennon paul mcartney jim morrison castro hugo chavez evo morales gorbachov chris hadfield my uncle simon

Richard Dawkins Ricky gervais

Thomas Paine, who was profoundly wise and forward-thinking. People of his time didn’t deserve him.

George Carlin and Bill Maher

Bertrand Russell, Robert Ingersoll, Carl Sagan and Hitch.

My first exposure to freethought was through the lecutres of Robert Green Ingersoll, and it was he who introduced me to my hero, Thomas Paine, the deist who eschewed all religions and who said, "My own mind is my own church," and who participated in two revolutions, thought slavery should have been eliminated in the Constitution, devised what we today call Social Security, designed an ingenious steel truss bridge, and who wrote Common Sense, The Crisis, The Rights of Man, Agrarian Justice and The Age of Reason. Thank you for asking this question.

Emma Goldman Author of Anarchism and other essays
Quotes
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck
If I can't dance I'm not coming to your revoution'
if Voting changed anything they'd make it illegal.
People have as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want, and they courage to take

One other idol, for many, many reasons...

Sir david attenborough and george carlin

Stephen fry and billy connoly

Mine is Butterfly McQueen, one of the few prominent African American non believers we have. She is mostly known for her role in 'Gone With The Wind', and she had a number of other mostly racially stereotyped parts, that forced her to eventually give up acting. She once said, "As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion".

Hitch, harris, krause, dawkins

Neil deGrasse Tyson <3 <3 <3

My hero's have all been family members. I may admire some people, but they are not my heroes.

Pedestal no, greatly value yes. There are many but these are the top (in no particular order):

Pat Condell for his acid wit
Matt Dillahunty for his mercilessness & plain-spoken bluntness
43 Alley for his disarming likeability & good/regular guy next door approach
Christopher Hitchens for his suavity & indignant outrage
Robert Ingersoll for his eloquence & warm sincerity
Carl Sagan for his broad perspective & intellectual rigor
Seth Andrews for his polished & well considered approach
Neil degrasse Tyson for his broad perspective & humor

Where do I start...Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Stephen Hawking, etc.

Christopher Hitchens of course.