Film & TV · born 1975
Judy Greeractress, authorDetroit-born character actress raised in Redford Township and Livonia, who writes fondly of her hometown in her memoir.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 16 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
45 people
Clear filtersFilm & TV · born 1975Judy Greeractress, authorDetroit-born character actress raised in Redford Township and Livonia, who writes fondly of her hometown in her memoir.
Film & TV · born 1965David S. Goyerscreenwriter, director, producerAnn Arbor-born writer of the Blade and Dark Knight films, whose Batman v Superman turned Detroit into Gotham and Metropolis.
Sports · born 1952George Gervinbasketball shooting guardHall of Fame scorer nicknamed "the Iceman", born and raised in Detroit, who became one of the greatest shooting guards in ABA and NBA history after starring at Eastern Michigan.
Music · born 1929Berry Gordyrecord executive, producer, songwriter, film producerDetroit-born founder of Motown, who turned a house on West Grand Boulevard into Hitsville U.S.A. and built the most successful Black-owned business of its era.
Comedy · born 1956David Alan Grieractor, comedianIn Living Color star and Tony-winning stage actor from Detroit, a Cass Tech graduate whose family marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the city in 1963.
Science & invention · born 1940John Grinderlinguist, author, consultantLinguist who co-created neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler in the 1970s; born in Detroit.
Press & broadcasting · born 1969Sanjay Guptaneurosurgeon, CNN chief medical correspondent, authorCNN's chief medical correspondent and a practicing neurosurgeon, born and raised in the Detroit suburb of Novi to parents who were Ford engineers.
Film & TV · 1931–1983Christopher Georgetelevision and film actorRoyal Oak-born son of Greek immigrants who starred as Sergeant Sam Troy in the 1960s war series The Rat Patrol.
Music · born 1960Kenny Garrettjazz alto and soprano saxophonist, flutist, composerDetroit-born alto saxophonist who went straight from Mackenzie High School into the Duke Ellington Orchestra and later played in Miles Davis's band.
Science & invention · born 1981Adam Grantorganizational psychologist, authorWharton organizational psychologist and best-selling author of Give and Take and Think Again, born in West Bloomfield and raised in the Detroit suburbs.
Sports · born 1983Tim Gleasonice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played his youth hockey for the Detroit Little Caesars club before a long career elsewhere.
Film & TV · born 1957Faye GrantactressStar of the 1980s science-fiction saga V and a Theatre World Award winner on Broadway, born in St. Clair Shores and a 1975 Lake Shore High School graduate.
Sports · born 1981Willie Greenbasketball player and coachDetroit-born guard who starred at Cooley High School and the University of Detroit Mercy before a 12-year NBA career, later becoming an NBA head coach.
Film & TV · born 1943Max GailactorBarney Miller's Detective Wojo, born in Detroit and raised on Grosse Ile in the Detroit River, who later earned an MBA at the University of Michigan.
Business & brands · born 1962Dan Gilbertbusinessman, founder of Rocket Mortgage and BedrockDetroit-born mortgage billionaire who moved Quicken Loans downtown in 2010 and bought and rebuilt dozens of city landmarks through Bedrock.
Sports · born 1991Josh Gattsoccer player, wingerMetro Detroit-born winger known for his speed, who built most of his career in Europe before briefly turning out for his hometown club, Detroit City FC.John Groganjournalist, memoiristNewspaper columnist and author of Marley & Me, born in Detroit and raised in the Oakland County lake suburb of Orchard Lake Village.
Sports · born 1957Kirk Gibsonbaseball outfielder, manager, broadcasterOakland County native whose two home runs in Game 5 clinched the 1984 World Series for his hometown Tigers.Joe Girardcar salesman, author and motivational speakerDetroit east-sider who sold 13,001 Chevrolets at an Eastpointe dealership and holds the Guinness record as the world's greatest car salesman.
Politics · 1923–2015Robert P. Griffinlawyer, U.S. senator, state Supreme Court justiceDetroit-born, Dearborn-raised Republican who co-wrote the Landrum-Griffin labor law, told Nixon to comply with Watergate subpoenas and lost his Senate seat to Carl Levin in 1978.Judith Guestnovelist, screenwriterDetroit-born author of Ordinary People, the basis of the Oscar-winning 1980 film, and great-niece of Free Press poet Edgar Guest.Damon Guptonorchestral conductor, actorDetroit-born conductor and actor who has guest-conducted the Detroit Symphony, led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on tour and appeared in Whiplash and La La Land.
Religion · 1930–2024Thomas GumbletonCatholic auxiliary bishop, peace and social justice activistDetroit-born auxiliary bishop (1968–2006) and nationally known peace activist who spent decades as pastor of St. Leo's, a poor inner-city parish.
Sports · born 1980Antonio GatesAmerican football tight endDetroit Central High School star who never played college football yet became one of the NFL's greatest tight ends and a 2025 Hall of Famer.
Press & broadcasting · born 1964Robin Givhanfashion critic, journalistDetroit native, Renaissance High valedictorian and former Detroit Free Press writer who in 2006 became the first fashion critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Music · born 1977King Gordyrapper, singerDetroit battle rapper and singer of the Fat Killahz, who played “Big O” in 8 Mile and made his debut album with production by Eminem.
Music · born 1994Tee GrizzleyrapperWest-side Detroit rapper whose 2017 prison-release anthem “First Day Out” went viral and opened the national door for a new wave of Detroit street rap.
Politics · born 1982Garlin Gilchristsoftware engineer, lieutenant governor of MichiganDetroit-born Microsoft engineer and civic-tech organizer who built the Improve Detroit app for the city and in 2019 became Michigan's first African American lieutenant governor.
Music · born 1980Josh Gracincountry singerWestland-raised country singer who finished fourth on American Idol in 2003 and reached No. 1 on the country chart with “Nothin' to Lose.”Lynn Goldsmithphotographer, recording artist, film directorDetroit-born rock and celebrity photographer, a University of Michigan graduate, whose portrait of Prince became the center of a landmark 2023 Supreme Court copyright case.Freddie Gormansinger, songwriter, producerDetroit mail carrier turned songwriter who helped write "Please Mr. Postman" and later sang bass-baritone in the Originals.Donald GoinesnovelistDetroit-born pioneer of urban crime fiction who wrote 16 novels in five years, among them Dopefiend and Whoreson, before being murdered in Highland Park in 1974.
Music · born 1966Troy Gregorysinger, bassist, multi-instrumentalist, filmmakerDetroit-born bassist and songwriter who went from the thrash band Flotsam and Jetsam and Prong to leading the Witches and anchoring the Dirtbombs.
Politics · 1925–2016Roman Gribbslawyer, sheriff, mayor of Detroit, appeals judgePolish American prosecutor and Wayne County sheriff who was mayor in 1970–1974, created the notorious STRESS police unit, and was Detroit's last white mayor until 2014.
Politics · 1873–1953Alexander J. Groesbecklawyer, attorney general, governor of MichiganMacomb County-born Detroit lawyer who as governor (1921–1927) paved Michigan's roads with concrete; Groesbeck Highway is named after him and he is buried at Woodlawn.
Notorious figures · 1919–2001Anthony GiacaloneDetroit Mafia capo and street bossEast Side-born mobster known as Tony Jack, a Detroit Partnership leader whom Jimmy Hoffa expected to meet on the day he vanished in 1975.Frank Gantjazz drummerDetroit drummer who backed Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk in local clubs, recorded extensively with Yusef Lateef and spent a decade in Ahmad Jamal's trio.
Press & broadcasting · 1917–1977Lou Gordontelevision interviewer, columnist, political reporterCombative Detroit TV interviewer whose Lou Gordon Program on WKBD (1966–1977) drew George Romney's 1967 'brainwashing' remark that sank his presidential hopes.Johnny GriffithkeyboardistDetroit-born Funk Brothers keyboardist who played the electric piano on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and the organ on "Stop! In the Name of Love".Robert Gordymusic publisher, songwriter, singerYoungest Gordy sibling, a singer as "Bob Kayli", who ran Motown's Jobete Music Publishing for more than two decades.
Visual art · born 1955Tyree GuytonartistDetroit artist who in 1986 turned his childhood street on the east side into the Heidelberg Project, one of the world's best-known outdoor art environments.Gary Grimshawgraphic artist, rock poster designer, light-show artistLincoln Park–raised poster artist who designed the Grande Ballroom's very first poster in 1966 and gave Detroit's rock revolution its psychedelic look.Russ Gibbconcert promoter, disc jockey, teacherDearborn schoolteacher and DJ who opened the Grande Ballroom in 1966, turning a faded dance hall into the Midwest's most important rock stage.Paul Gansonbassoonist, preservationist, orchestra historianDetroit-born DSO bassoonist who in 1970 founded Save Orchestra Hall and led the 20-year campaign that rescued the 1919 hall from demolition.Payroll GiovannirapperWest-side Detroit rapper and standout of Doughboyz Cashout, the flashy crew that shaped the city's street rap after 2007, later known for the Big Bossin' series with Cardo.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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