Architecture & design · 1910–1961
Eero Saarinenarchitect, industrial designerFinnish-American architect who grew up at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills and ran his office there; his first masterpiece was the GM Technical Center in Warren.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
- 19 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
102 people · 1/3 page
Clear filtersArchitecture & design · 1910–1961Eero Saarinenarchitect, industrial designerFinnish-American architect who grew up at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills and ran his office there; his first masterpiece was the GM Technical Center in Warren.
Architecture & design · 1873–1950Eliel Saarinenarchitect, urban plannerFinnish architect who designed the Cranbrook campus in Bloomfield Hills and led the Cranbrook Academy of Art, making metro Detroit a center of modern design.
Music · born 1988Big Seanrapper, songwriterRapper raised in Detroit from infancy whose albums Detroit and Detroit 2 honor his hometown; he runs a youth foundation in the city and works with the Pistons.
Music · born 1945Bob Segersinger, songwriter, musicianHeartland rocker born at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital who was a regional star for years before Live Bullet, recorded at Cobo Arena, made him a national name.
Film & TV · born 1946Paul Schraderscreenwriter, film director, criticMichigan-born writer of Taxi Driver whose directing debut, Blue Collar (1978), was shot in Detroit and at the Ford Rouge plant about three autoworkers robbing their union.
Press & broadcasting · 1829–1906Carl Schurzjournalist, Union general, statesmanGerman-born revolutionary, Union general and later U.S. senator and Interior secretary, who edited the Detroit Post in 1866–1867.
Auto industry · 1875–1966Alfred P. Sloanpresident, CEO and chairman of General MotorsThe management architect of General Motors, who led it from its Detroit headquarters past Ford to become the world's largest automaker.
Sports · born 1974Jerry Stackhousebasketball player and coach, broadcasterTwo-time All-Star who set the Pistons' single-game scoring record with 57 points and later returned to Detroit as a television analyst.
Politics · born 1958Rick Snyderbusiness executive, governor of MichiganMichigan's governor (2011–2019) who put Detroit under an emergency manager, approved its 2013 bankruptcy filing and backed the 'grand bargain' that ended it.
Sports · born 1974Katie Smithbasketball guard, coachHall of Fame guard who won WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008 and was MVP of the 2008 Finals.
Sports · born 1986Rodney Stuckeybasketball guardCombo guard who spent seven seasons with the Pistons after being drafted 15th overall in 2007, becoming a reliable scorer as the team transitioned away from its championship core.
Sports · born 1964John Salleybasketball player, forward-centerBad Boys-era Pistons forward who won back-to-back NBA titles in Detroit in 1989 and 1990 and later became the first player to win championships with three franchises.
Sports · born 1969
Brendan Shanahanice hockey forward, executiveHall of Fame power forward who won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and remains one of only two players with over 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.
Sports · born 1976
Mikael Samuelssonice hockey player, right wingerSwedish winger who found his best NHL form with the Red Wings, winning the 2008 Stanley Cup and joining hockey's Triple Gold Club, and later returned to Detroit for two more seasons.
Sports · born 1971
Jiří Šlégrice hockey defenceman, later politicianCzech defenceman picked up by the Red Wings in a late-season trade in March 2002, just in time to win the Stanley Cup with Detroit that spring.Edwin Starrsinger, songwriterSoul singer who launched his career on Detroit's Ric-Tic label with "Agent Double-O-Soul" and then sang Norman Whitfield's protest anthem "War" for Motown.
Edmund SzokaCatholic cardinal, Archbishop of Detroit, Vatican administratorArchbishop of Detroit in the 1980s who hosted Pope John Paul II in 1987, then became the Vatican's top financial officer and governor of Vatican City.
Sports · born 1968Barry Sandersfootball running backHeisman Trophy winner who spent all ten NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, widely regarded as one of the most elusive running backs in football history.
Sports · born 1988Kyle Singlerbasketball forwardDuke's 2010 NCAA champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player who spent three seasons as a regular starter for the Pistons.
Music · born 1944Leonard Slatkinconductor, composer, authorAmerican conductor who led the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2018, through the city's financial crisis and a six-month strike, and became its first music director laureate.
Sports · born 1964
Otmar Szafnauerengineer, Formula One team principalRomanian-born, Detroit-raised engineer who went from Ford program manager to running Force India, Racing Point, Aston Martin and Alpine in Formula One.
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.
Sports · 1929–1970Terry Sawchukice hockey goaltenderHall of Fame goaltender who won three of his four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and, at his death, held the all-time NHL records for wins and shutouts.
Music · 1941–2023Barrett Strongsinger, songwriterSinger of "Money (That's What I Want)," Motown's first hit, who became the lyricist behind "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."
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.
Sports · born 1964Tomas Sandströmice hockey right wingerSwedish power forward whose brief 1997 trade to Detroit paid off immediately: he assisted on Darren McCarty's championship-winning goal in the Red Wings' first Stanley Cup in 42 years.
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.
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.
Comedy · 1926–2009Soupy Salescomedian, television hostPie-throwing comic whose Lunch with Soupy Sales on Detroit's WXYZ-TV (1953–1960) made him a local legend before he went national.
Sports · born 1988Matthew StaffordAmerican football quarterbackFirst overall pick of 2009 who quarterbacked the Lions for twelve seasons at Ford Field and holds the franchise's career passing records.
Sports · 1944–2012Emanuel Stewardboxing trainer, commentator, former boxerThe 'godfather of Detroit boxing', who built the Kronk Gym into a world-famous training ground and coached forty-one world champions, among them Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
Music · born 1964Kevin SaundersonDJ, record producer, label ownerOne of the Belleville Three who invented Detroit techno; his Inner City hits carried the city's sound onto pop charts worldwide.
Sports · born 1984Max Scherzerbaseball pitcherRight-hander who developed into a genuine ace during five seasons with the Tigers, winning the 2013 AL Cy Young Award and pitching Detroit to the 2012 World Series.
Sports · born 1969Mathieu Schneiderice hockey player, defensemanOffensive defenseman and 1993 Stanley Cup champion with Montreal who spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings, including a career-best 2005–06 campaign.
Literature · 1941–2024John Sinclairpoet, activist, music manager, radio hostJazz poet, MC5 manager and White Panther co-founder who helped build Detroit's 1960s Cass Corridor counterculture and died in the city in 2024.Alexander H. SmithmycologistLeading American mushroom expert who spent his entire career at the University of Michigan Herbarium and wrote popular guides to Michigan's mushrooms.
Sports · born 1987Marc Staalice hockey defenseman and coachVeteran Rangers defenseman who finished a long New York tenure with two seasons in Detroit before moving on to Florida.
Science & invention · born 1963
Ulana Suprunphysician, activist, health minister of UkraineDetroit-born radiologist from the city's Ukrainian community who trained at Wayne State and Henry Ford Hospital and later served as Ukraine's acting health minister (2016–2019).
Sports · 1924–2018Clyde ScottAmerican football player and Olympic hurdlerOlympic hurdling medalist who played three seasons for the Lions, including their 1952 NFL championship season.
Sports · 1926–2003The Sheikprofessional wrestler, promoterLebanese-American wrestler from Lansing who owned Detroit's Big Time Wrestling and packed Cobo Arena as the wild 'Sheik' in his long feud with Bobo Brazil.Clara Smithclassic blues singer1920s classic-blues star, billed as the Queen of the Moaners, who spent her last years singing in Detroit theater revues and died in the city in 1935.
Sports · 1908–1963Horton Smithprofessional golferWinner of the first Masters Tournament in 1934 and again in 1936, who was head professional at the Detroit Golf Club from 1946 until his death.
Music · born 1987Kierra Sheardsinger, songwriter, evangelistDetroit-born gospel singer, daughter of Karen Clark Sheard and granddaughter of Mattie Moss Clark, with five No. 1 gospel albums.Jack Scottsinger, songwriterRockabilly and ballad singer of “My True Love” and “What in the World's Come Over You,” who grew up in Hazel Park and lived in the Detroit suburbs all his life.
Music · 1948–1994Fred "Sonic" Smithguitarist, songwriterMC5 guitarist who led Sonic's Rendezvous Band, met Patti Smith at Detroit's Lafayette Coney Island in 1976, and spent his life in metro Detroit.
Sports · 1932–2024Joe SchmidtAmerican football linebacker and coachHall of Fame middle linebacker who spent his whole 13-year career with the Lions, won two NFL titles, coached the team and then worked in Detroit's auto industry.
Music · born 1934George Shirleyoperatic tenor, music educatorDetroit-raised tenor who became the first African American tenor to sing leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and the first Black music teacher in Detroit's high schools.
Music · 1942–2013Richard StreetsingerDetroit-born singer of the Distants and the Monitors who joined the Temptations in 1971 and sang with them until 1993.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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