Music · 1934–1984
Jackie Wilsonsinger“Mr. Excitement” grew up in Highland Park, boxed and sang in Detroit clubs, and his early hits, written by Berry Gordy, helped bankroll the founding of Motown.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
- 7 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
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30 people
Clear filtersMusic · 1934–1984Jackie Wilsonsinger“Mr. Excitement” grew up in Highland Park, boxed and sang in Detroit clubs, and his early hits, written by Berry Gordy, helped bankroll the founding of Motown.James Jamersonbassist (Funk Brothers session musician)Motown's great uncredited bassist, a Funk Brother who played on nearly every Hitsville hit of the 1960s and is buried in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.
Music · 1937–1968Little Willie Johnsinger, songwriterDetroit-raised R&B singer who first recorded “Fever” and “Need Your Love So Bad,” and is buried at Detroit Memorial Park East in Warren.
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.Erma FranklinsingerAretha Franklin's elder sister, raised at New Bethel Baptist Church, who recorded the original "Piece of My Heart" (1967).
Music · 1939–1973Paul Williamssinger, choreographerFounding member and original lead singer of the Temptations, who also devised the group's early dance routines; he died in Detroit in 1973.
Music · 1935–2012Johnnie Bassettblues guitarist, singer, songwriterDetroit-raised blues guitarist who played on Fortune Records sessions in the 1950s and, late in life, became the city's elder statesman of jump blues.
Music · 1936–2015Marcus Belgravejazz trumpeter, educatorTrumpeter who left Ray Charles's band for Detroit in 1963 to record at Motown and became the city's great jazz teacher, mentoring a generation of Detroit stars.Teri Thorntonjazz singer, pianist, composerDetroit-born jazz singer and pianist, praised by Ella Fitzgerald and Cannonball Adderley, who sang the Naked City theme and made a celebrated comeback in the late 1990s.
Music · 1936–2005Renaldo "Obie" Bensonbass singer, songwriterDetroit-born bass singer of the Four Tops who wrote the first draft of "What's Going On" and persuaded Marvin Gaye to record it.
Konstantin Brombergfilm directorSoviet director of the beloved children's film The Adventures of the Elektronic (1979), who spent his last years in metro Detroit and is buried in Livonia.Freddie Gormansinger, songwriter, producerDetroit mail carrier turned songwriter who helped write "Please Mr. Postman" and later sang bass-baritone in the Originals.Sylvia Moysongwriter, record producerDetroit-born songwriter, the first woman to write and produce for Motown acts, whose "Uptight" kept Stevie Wonder on the label.Mack Ricesongwriter, singerDetroit singer-songwriter of the Falcons who wrote "Mustang Sally" and co-wrote "Respect Yourself", and whose songs include "Cadillac Assembly Line".
Music · 1934–2009Uriel JonesdrummerFunk Brothers drummer who played on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "The Tracks of My Tears".
Music · 1938–1995Ronnie Whitesinger, songwriterDetroit-born co-founder of the Miracles who co-wrote "My Girl" and brought the young Stevie Wonder to Motown's attention.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 · 1939–2007Billy Hendersonsinger, dancerFounding member of the Spinners, raised in Royal Oak Township, who was the group's leading dancer for half a century.Marv Johnsonsinger, songwriter, pianistDetroit singer whose "Come to Me" (1959) was the first record issued on Tamla, the label that became Motown; his gravestone reads "Motown Pioneer".Don Davisrecord producer, songwriter, guitarist, bankerDetroit guitarist and producer behind Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady", owner of United Sound Systems and founder of Michigan's only Black-owned commercial bank.Earl Van Dykekeyboardist, bandleaderDetroit-born keyboardist who led the Funk Brothers from 1964 and played on "My Guy", "Where Did Our Love Go" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".
Music · 1938–1997Lawrence Paytontenor, vocal arrangerDetroit-born tenor and vocal arranger of the Four Tops, credited with the group's seamless harmonies.
Music · 1936–2013Bobby SmithsingerPrincipal lead singer of the Spinners from their founding at a Ferndale high school in 1954 until 2013.
Press & broadcasting · 1933–1995J. P. McCarthyradio host, interviewerWJR's morning man for more than three decades, whose Focus interviews and easy wit made him the most listened-to voice in Detroit radio until his death in 1995.Darrell BankssingerSoul singer whose "Open the Door to Your Heart" (1966) on the Detroit label Revilot became a hit and a northern soul treasure; he was killed in Detroit in 1970.
Music · 1938–2024Henry FambroughsingerFounding baritone of the Spinners, who sang with the group for 69 years, from its 1954 start in Ferndale until 2023.
Music · 1938–2008Pervis Jacksonbass singerFounding bass singer and spokesman of the Spinners, famous for the "12:45" line in "Games People Play".Martha Jean Steinbergradio broadcaster, station owner, minister"The Queen" of Detroit soul radio on WCHB and WJLB, who pleaded for calm on air during the 1967 uprising and later bought her own gospel station, WQBH.Richard "Popcorn" Wyliepianist, bandleader, songwriter, producerDetroit pianist whose high-school band Popcorn and the Mohawks fed Motown's studio, who played on "Shop Around" and later produced northern soul classics.Sylvester Pottssinger, songwriterDetroit singer and songwriter who recorded for Fortune Records with the Hi-Fidelities and was a longtime member of the Contours.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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