Viola Liuzzocivil rights activistDetroit homemaker and Wayne State student who drove to Alabama for the 1965 Selma march and was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan; a park and statue honor her in Detroit.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
- 21 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
403 people · 5/9 page
Clear filtersViola Liuzzocivil rights activistDetroit homemaker and Wayne State student who drove to Alabama for the 1965 Selma march and was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan; a park and statue honor her in Detroit.
Sports · born 1997Kyle MacksnowboarderRoyal Oak-born snowboarder from West Bloomfield who won Olympic silver in Big Air at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, an unusual winter-sports success story out of flat, suburban Detroit.
Music · born 1987Teairra Marísinger, songwriter, actressDetroit-born R&B singer who signed with Roc-A-Fella Records at 16 while a student at the city's performing-arts high school; her debut album reached the Billboard top five.
Sports · 1938–2020Wilbert McClureboxer and psychologist1960 Olympic boxing gold medalist, teammate of Cassius Clay, who later earned his doctorate in psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit.Steve McCroryboxerKronk Gym-trained flyweight, younger brother of world champion Milton McCrory, who won Olympic gold in 1984 before a career and life cut short.
Sports · 1932–2009Arthur Frank McKinlayrowerDetroit-born Olympic silver medalist rower, a 1950 graduate of Cooley High School with his twin brother, who won his medal in the coxless fours at the 1956 Games.Eric Namesnikcompetition swimmer, coachTwo-time Olympic silver medalist swimmer who spent nearly two decades in the University of Michigan swimming program, first as an athlete and later as a coach, before his death near Ann Arbor.
Science & invention · born 1945Deborah Tannenlinguist, authorGeorgetown linguist and author of the long-running best-seller You Just Don't Understand, who earned a master's degree in English literature at Wayne State University.
Fashion · born 1965Veronica Webbmodel, actress, writer, television personalityDetroit-born supermodel who in 1992 became the first Black model with an exclusive cosmetics contract (Revlon), and who acted in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever.
Film & TV · born 1962Doug Chiangfilm designer, concept artistDearborn-raised College for Creative Studies alumnus who became Lucasfilm's executive creative director and chief designer of the Star Wars prequels.
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.
Music · 1942–1995Melvin Franklinbass singerThe deep bass voice of the Temptations, a founding member who grew up in Detroit and sang with the group from 1961 until 1994.
Music · 1945–2011Gladys HortonsingerFounder and original lead singer of the Marvelettes from Inkster, whose "Please Mr. Postman" was Motown's first No. 1 pop hit.
Visual art · 1927–1995Ray Johnsoncollage and mail artistDetroit-born collagist and pioneer of mail art, a forerunner of Pop art often called New York's most famous unknown artist.Robert Kearnsengineer and inventor of the intermittent windshield wiperDetroit-educated engineer who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and fought Ford and Chrysler in court for decades; his story is the film Flash of Genius.
Architecture & design · 1917–2019Florence Knollarchitect, interior and furniture designerMichigan-born designer who grew up at Cranbrook's Kingswood School under the Saarinens' wing and went on to build Knoll into a modern furniture giant.
Fashion · 1945–1979Donyale Lunamodel, actressDetroit-born model widely regarded as the first Black supermodel, the first Black model on the cover of British Vogue (1966).Bruce Joel Rubinscreenwriter, meditation teacher, photographerOscar-winning screenwriter of Ghost and Jacob's Ladder, raised in Detroit, a Mumford High School graduate who discovered film at the city's Krim Theater and studied at Wayne State.
Film & TV · 1915–1968William TalmanactorPerry Mason's perpetually defeated district attorney Hamilton Burger, born in Detroit, who founded the drama club at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills.Norman Whitfieldsongwriter, record producerMotown producer and songwriter who pushed the Temptations into psychedelic soul and co-wrote "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "War" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
Music · born 1941Otis Williamssinger, founder of the TemptationsFounder and last original member of the Temptations, who grew up in Detroit and built the group out of the city's teenage vocal scene.
Music · 1956–2012Bob BirchbassistDetroit-born, Wayne State–trained bassist who played in Elton John's band for two decades.
Religion · born 1949Leonard Paul BlairCatholic Archbishop of Hartford (2013–2024)Detroit-born priest who served as an auxiliary bishop of Detroit, then as Bishop of Toledo and Archbishop of Hartford.Alexander Joseph BrunettCatholic Archbishop of Seattle (1997–2010)Detroit-born priest who spent 35 years in Detroit-area ministry, led the archdiocese's ecumenical and interfaith work, then became Archbishop of Seattle.
Politics · born 1957Hansen Clarkepolitician, artistEast Side Detroiter of Bengali and African American parentage, trained as a painter, who served in both houses of the Michigan Legislature and as the first Bangladeshi American in Congress (2011–2013).
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.Eshamrapper, producer, label founderOne of Detroit's first hip-hop artists, who released his debut at 16 in 1989 and pioneered the dark “acid rap” that inspired horrorcore and Insane Clown Posse.
Music · 1952–2010Doug Fiegersinger, guitarist, songwriterDetroit-born, Oak Park-raised frontman of the Knack, who co-wrote and sang “My Sharona,” the biggest U.S. hit of 1979.
Business & brands · 1914–2010
John Klugemedia entrepreneur, founder of MetromediaGerman immigrant who grew up in Detroit, studied at Wayne State and built Metromedia into a television empire, once ranked America's richest man.
Science & invention · 1927–2005Emmett Leithelectrical engineer, physicistDetroit-born co-inventor of three-dimensional laser holography, who studied at Wayne State and did his pioneering work at the University of Michigan's Willow Run Laboratories.
Music · born 1988Maejorrecord producer, singer, rapperSouthfield-born producer and singer who scored his first gold record while a University of Michigan student and later wrote and produced for Justin Bieber.
Literature · born 1965
Dunya Mikhailpoet, journalist, teacherIraqi-American poet of The War Works Hard who fled Saddam Hussein's regime, settled in metro Detroit, studied at Wayne State and teaches Arabic at Oakland University.
Music · 1926–1978Frank Rosolinojazz trombonist, singerDetroit-born trombonist, a Cass Tech alumnus, who became a star of West Coast jazz with Stan Kenton and the Lighthouse All-Stars and wrote the standard "Blue Daniel".
Politics · 1939–2021Barbara-Rose Collinspolitician, activistDetroit-born single mother turned activist who rose from the school board and City Council to become the first Black woman from Michigan elected to Congress (1991–1997).
Science & invention · born 1952Guy Consolmagnoastronomer, Jesuit brotherDetroit-born planetary scientist and Jesuit brother who directs the Vatican Observatory; a graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School.
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.
Religion · born 1970Francis KalabatChaldean Catholic bishopKuwait-born Chaldean priest trained in Detroit who has led the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit since 2014, the church of Metro Detroit's large Iraqi Christian community.
Press & broadcasting · 1950–2026Dave Marshrock critic, editor, author, radio hostPontiac-born rock critic who left Wayne State in 1969 to help build Creem, Detroit's irreverent rock magazine, before becoming a Rolling Stone editor and Springsteen biographer.
Film & TV · born 1944Denise Nicholasactress, writerRoom 222's Liz McIntyre and In the Heat of the Night's Harriet DeLong, born in Detroit, raised there and in Milan, Michigan, who left the University of Michigan to join the civil rights theater movement.
Religion · born 1945John M. QuinnCatholic Bishop of Winona–Rochester (2008–2022)Detroit-born priest who served parishes across metro Detroit and as an auxiliary bishop of Detroit before leading the Diocese of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota.
Music · born 1975Colin Stetsonsaxophonist, multi-reedist, composerAnn Arbor–born saxophonist, trained at the University of Michigan, known for circular-breathing solo records and work with Arcade Fire and Bon Iver.
Visual art · 1915–1978
Harry Bertoiasculptor, furniture and jewelry designerItalian-born artist who grew up in Detroit, studied at Cass Tech and Cranbrook, and later created the Diamond Chair and sounding sculptures.
Science & invention · born 1944Larry Brilliantepidemiologist, technologist, philanthropistDetroit-born epidemiologist and Wayne State medical graduate who helped the World Health Organization eradicate smallpox and later led Google.org.
Music · 1938–2005Roy Brooksjazz drummer, percussionist, bandleaderDetroit drummer who played on Horace Silver's Song for My Father, joined Max Roach's M'Boom, and after returning home in 1975 became a pillar and teacher of the city's jazz scene.
Sports · 1957–2024Earl Curetonbasketball forward and centerDetroit native who played for the University of Detroit and his hometown Pistons and won NBA titles with Philadelphia and Houston.
Politics · born 1942Dennis Archerlawyer, Michigan Supreme Court justice, mayor of DetroitEast Side-born special-education teacher turned lawyer and state Supreme Court justice who as mayor (1994–2001) brought casinos, Comerica Park and Ford Field to Detroit, then led the American Bar Association.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.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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