Literature · 1940–2015
Wayne Dyerself-help author, motivational speaker, psychologistBest-selling self-help author of Your Erroneous Zones who spent part of his childhood in an east-side Detroit orphanage and earned three degrees at Wayne State.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
- 12 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
22 people
Clear filtersLiterature · 1940–2015Wayne Dyerself-help author, motivational speaker, psychologistBest-selling self-help author of Your Erroneous Zones who spent part of his childhood in an east-side Detroit orphanage and earned three degrees at Wayne State.
Visual art · 1924–2013Arthur C. Dantoart critic, philosopher, professorInfluential philosopher of art and longtime critic for The Nation who grew up in Detroit and studied art and history at Wayne University.
Science & invention · 1928–2023
Natalie Zemon DavishistorianHistorian of early modern France and author of The Return of Martin Guerre, born in Detroit and educated at Cranbrook's Kingswood School.
Auto industry · 1925–2005John DeLoreanautomotive engineer and executive, founder of DeLorean Motor CompanyDetroit-born GM maverick who created the Pontiac GTO, ran Chevrolet, then built the stainless-steel DeLorean made famous by Back to the Future.
Sports · 1940–2003Dave DeBusscherebasketball player and coach, baseball playerDetroit-born Hall of Famer who starred for the Pistons, became the youngest head coach in NBA history at 24, and later won two championships with the New York Knicks.J Dillarecord producer, rapper, composerConant Gardens-raised producer of Slum Village and the Soulquarians, whose off-grid, “drunk” drum programming reshaped hip-hop from a Detroit basement.
Film & TV · born 1951Pam DawberactressMork & Mindy's Mindy McConnell, born in Detroit, who went to North Farmington High School and Oakland Community College before modeling in New York.
Sports · 1944–2015Mel Danielsbasketball centerHall of Fame center, born and raised in Detroit, who grew up on the city's east side before becoming the ABA's all-time leading rebounder and a three-time champion with the Indiana Pacers.
Film & TV · 1934–1973Michael Dunnactor, singerOscar-nominated actor and singer with dwarfism, raised in Dearborn and schooled in Detroit, best remembered as Dr. Loveless in The Wild Wild West.
Sports · born 1987Chris Douglas-Robertsbasketball playerDetroit-raised guard who starred at Cass Technical High School before leading the University of Memphis to the 2008 national championship game.
Music · 1927–2024Barbara Danefolk, blues and jazz singer, guitarist, record producer, activistDetroit-born singer whom critic Leonard Feather called Bessie Smith in stereo; she started out singing at Detroit factory gates and union halls.
Press & broadcasting · 1921–2020Hugh Downstelevision host, broadcaster, authorVeteran host of Today, Concentration and ABC's 20/20 who got his early radio break at Detroit's WWJ in 1940 and studied at Wayne University.
Film & TV · 1931–2007Laura Devonactress, singerChicago-born actress raised partly in Grosse Pointe, who learned to act at Wayne State and was discovered in 1961 singing at Detroit's London Chop House.Bill Davidsonglass industrialist, owner of the Detroit PistonsDetroit-born glass magnate who owned the Pistons for 35 years, built the Palace of Auburn Hills with private money and won three NBA titles.
Politics · 1922–1998Charles Diggsfuneral director, state senator, congressmanDetroit funeral director who in 1954 became Michigan's first Black member of Congress, attended the Emmett Till murder trial and was the founding chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Music · born 1979Matthew Dearelectronic producer, DJ, singerTexas-born, Michigan-raised producer who co-founded Ghostly International and blended Detroit-inspired minimal techno with pop songwriting.
Music · 1919–1985Johnny Desmondsinger, entertainerDetroit-born big-band singer, the featured vocalist of Glenn Miller's Army Air Forces Orchestra in wartime Europe and a popular radio and television star afterward.
Music · 1943–2012Michael DavisbassistBassist of the MC5, a Wayne State art student who joined the band in 1964 and played on Kick Out the Jams, recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom.
Music · 1925–2000Lucia Dlugoszewskicomposer, poet, instrument inventorDetroit-born Polish American avant-garde composer who invented the 'timbre piano' and dozens of percussion instruments and was music director of the Erick Hawkins Dance Company.
MusicChez Damierhouse DJ and producerChicago-born house DJ who co-founded Detroit's legendary Music Institute in 1988 and later co-ran the deep-house label Prescription with Ron Trent.Toi Derricottepoet, memoirist, teacherFrost Medal–winning poet and co-founder of Cave Canem, born in Hamtramck and educated in Detroit, whose first book came out from Detroit's Lotus Press.Brazeal Dennardchoral director, singer, arranger, educatorDetroit choral director and music educator who founded the Brazeal Dennard Chorale in 1972 and carried the African American spiritual onto the concert stage.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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