Music · born 1956
Greg Phillinganeskeyboardist, singer, arrangerDetroit-born keyboard ace who went from classical lessons with a Detroit Symphony pianist to Stevie Wonder's band and musical director for Michael Jackson.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
- 22 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
923 people · 7/20 page
Clear filtersMusic · born 1956Greg Phillinganeskeyboardist, singer, arrangerDetroit-born keyboard ace who went from classical lessons with a Detroit Symphony pianist to Stevie Wonder's band and musical director for Michael Jackson.
Sports · born 1973Brian Rafalskiice hockey defensemanDearborn-born defenseman, an undrafted free agent who signed with his hometown Red Wings in 2007 and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2008.
Comedy · born 1984Sam Richardsonactor, comedian, writer, producerVeep and Ted Lasso actor who grew up in Boston-Edison, trained at Planet Ant and Second City Detroit and co-created Detroiters, a comedy shot on Detroit streets.Rockwellsinger, songwriterSon of Motown founder Berry Gordy, born and raised in Detroit, who scored a 1984 hit with "Somebody's Watching Me" featuring Michael Jackson.
Sports · born 1982Chris Sabinprofessional wrestlerDetroit-born wrestler who trained in the Michigan independent scene before becoming a multiple-time champion, half of the Detroit-nicknamed tag team the Motor City Machine Guns.Chris Savinoanimator, comic book artistCreator of Nickelodeon's The Loud House, whose fictional Michigan town of Royal Woods is modeled on his hometown of Royal Oak.
Comedy · born 1963Mary Scheeractress, comedian, writer, producerDetroit-born comedian, an original MADtv cast member and Freddie's overprotective mother Marissa Benson on Nickelodeon's iCarly.
Sports · born 1983Alex Shelleyprofessional wrestlerDetroit-born wrestler who, with tag partner Chris Sabin, built a career-long duo named for their hometown: the Motor City Machine Guns.
Music · 1945–2024J. D. Southersinger, songwriter, actorDetroit-born songwriter behind Eagles hits like “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town”, and early duo partner of fellow Detroit native Glenn Frey.
Music · 1936–2008Levi Stubbssinger, voice actorLifelong Detroiter and lead voice of the Four Tops, formed with Pershing High School friends, who sang “Reach Out I'll Be There” and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Music · born 1973Trick-Trickrapper, record producerDetroit rapper and producer of the Goon Sqwad, best known for the civic-pride anthem “Welcome 2 Detroit” with Eminem.
Sports · born 1994Jacob Troubaice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played youth hockey for the Detroit-area Compuware club and one standout season at the University of Michigan.
Film & TV · born 1984Jordan Vogt-Robertsfilm and television directorDirector of The Kings of Summer and Kong: Skull Island, who grew up in metro Detroit and graduated from Royal Oak's Dondero High School in 2003.
Music · born 1970Brendan Bensonsinger-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producerPower-pop songwriter born in Royal Oak whose Detroit attic was where he and Jack White wrote the first song of the Raconteurs in 2005.
Politics · born 1964Dave Bratpolitician, economist, diplomatEconomics professor and Virginia congressman who unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014; born in Detroit and raised in Alma, Michigan.
Film & TV · 1924–1973Wally Coxactor, comedianStar of early TV's Mister Peepers and voice of Underdog, born in Detroit and a graduate of the city's Denby High School.Myndy CristactressFilm and television actress with more than 50 screen credits, born in Detroit and raised in Marin County, California.
Literature · 1921–2019Carol Emshwillershort-story writer, novelistNebula-winning avant-garde science-fiction writer, praised by Ursula K. Le Guin, who was born, studied and married in Ann Arbor on the edge of the Detroit region.
Music · 1929–2021Barry Harrisjazz pianist, composer, educatorDetroit bebop pianist whose family home was a jam-session school for a generation of the city's jazz musicians, and who became one of jazz's great teachers.
Politics · born 1967Jon HustedpoliticianOhio Republican, U.S. senator since 2025, who was born in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak and adopted as an infant by an Ohio family.
Sports · born 1984Brad KeselowskiNASCAR driver and team ownerRochester Hills-born NASCAR champion who grew up in a Michigan racing family and has called winning at Michigan International Speedway more meaningful than winning the Daytona 500.
Military · 1908–1987Edward LansdaleU.S. Air Force general, CIA officerDetroit-born Air Force officer and CIA operative who pioneered psychological warfare in the Philippines and South Vietnam in the 1950s.
Science & invention · born 1955Jerry M. Linengerastronaut, Navy physicianNavy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut from East Detroit who spent almost five months aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997, surviving a fire on board; a Wayne State medical graduate.
Sports · born 1976Kate Markgrafsoccer player and executiveBloomfield Hills-born defender who starred at Detroit Country Day School before a decorated international career that included three Olympic medals and a World Cup title.
Film & TV · born 1958Ellen Sandweissactress, singerCheryl in The Evil Dead, a Detroit-born high school friend of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell whose film premiered at Detroit's Redford Theatre in 1981.
Film & TV · born 1939Robert Shayefilm executive, producer, director, actorDetroit-born founder of New Line Cinema, the studio behind A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Lord of the Rings, and a graduate of Mumford High School.
Sports · 1937–2017George Steeleprofessional wrestler, teacher, actorDetroit-born wrestler and Madison Heights schoolteacher whose 'George the Animal Steele' character, born out of the local Detroit wrestling scene, became a national WWE star.
Music · born 1949Garry Tallentbassist, record producerFounding bassist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, born in Detroit before his family moved to the Jersey Shore.
Film & TV · born 1955Rob Tapertfilm and television producer, writer, directorRoyal Oak-born producer who co-founded Renaissance Pictures with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, produced The Evil Dead and co-created Xena: Warrior Princess.
Sports · born 1984Peter Vanderkaaycompetition swimmerFour-time Olympic medalist swimmer born in Royal Oak who won relay gold for the United States and later worked in Detroit-area commercial real estate.
Music · born 1951Kim Wilsonblues singer, harmonica playerDetroit-born blues harmonica player and frontman of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, known for the 1986 hit “Tuff Enuff”.
Music · born 1964CeCe Winansgospel singer, songwriterDetroit-born member of the Winans gospel family who became the most awarded female gospel singer, with 18 Grammy Awards.
Sports · 1926–1972Lorenzo Wrighttrack and field athlete, coach, administratorDetroit-born long jumper and sprinter, a 1948 Olympian and two-time NCAA All-American at Wayne State, who later ran the city's public-school athletic league.Elizabeth Armstrongwater polo goalkeeper, coachSoutheastern Michigan-born Olympic gold medalist goalkeeper who set save records at the University of Michigan before becoming one of the sport's most decorated Americans.
Music · 1932–1986Dorothy Ashbyjazz harpist, pianist, singer, composerDetroit-born pioneer who made the harp a bebop instrument, a product of Paradise Valley, Cass Tech and Wayne State who also ran a Black theater company in the city.
Music · 1930–2014Robert AshleycomposerAnn Arbor-born avant-garde composer who co-founded the ONCE Festival of new music in his hometown and later invented the “television opera”.Chuck BehlerdrummerLivonia-born drummer who played on Megadeth's So Far, So Good... So What! and later returned to the Detroit area, where he plays with Motor City Freaks.
Music · born 1985Porcelain Blacksinger, songwriter, rapperSinger-songwriter raised in metro Detroit who mixes industrial rock with pop; known for "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" and "One Woman Army."
Film & TV · born 1984Jayson BlairactorActor from The New Normal and The Hard Times of RJ Berger, born in Detroit and a tennis player at L'Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb Township.
Politics · born 1954Suzanne Bonamicilawyer, politicianDetroit-born lawyer who has represented Oregon's 1st congressional district, covering western Portland and its suburbs, since 2012.Robert John Braidwoodarchaeologist, anthropologistPioneer of scientific archaeology who searched for the origins of farming in the Near East, born in Detroit and trained at the University of Michigan.
Sports · born 1987Joe Cadaprofessional poker playerPoker pro from Shelby Township in Macomb County who won the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event at 21, then the youngest champion ever.
Sports · born 1990Will Clyburnbasketball playerDetroit-born forward who starred at Romulus High School before a college career at three schools and a long professional career in Europe, winning EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2019.Frederick Coffinactor, singer, songwriterDetroit-born character actor of Hard to Kill, Wayne's World and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, and a singer-songwriter.
Business & brands · born 1963Dick Costolotechnology executive, former CEO of TwitterRoyal Oak–born University of Michigan graduate who co-founded FeedBurner and ran Twitter as CEO from 2010 to 2015.
Sports · born 1988Jordan Crawfordbasketball playerDetroit-born guard who attended a Detroit public high school before a college and NBA career that took him to Washington, Boston and several other franchises.
Sports · 1912–1995Richard DegenerdiverDetroit-born diver who won an Olympic bronze in 1932 and gold in 1936, trained at the Detroit Athletic Club, and was honored in his hometown as one of the era's "City of Champions" stars.
Film & TV · born 1960Don HarveyactorCharacter actor of Eight Men Out, Casualties of War and The Thin Red Line, born and raised in St. Clair Shores, where he began acting at Lake Shore High School.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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