Music · born 1976
Carla Harveysinger, writerDetroit-raised metal singer, a former co-vocalist of Butcher Babies, who has spoken about loving hard rock as a biracial kid in the Detroit area.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)
1949 people · 27/41 page
Music · born 1976Carla Harveysinger, writerDetroit-raised metal singer, a former co-vocalist of Butcher Babies, who has spoken about loving hard rock as a biracial kid in the Detroit area.
Press & broadcasting · 1918–2010Ernie Harwellbaseball broadcasterThe voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 seasons, whose gentle Georgia drawl on WJR radio defined summer for generations of Michiganders.Charlie Hillstand-up comedian, actor, writerDetroit-born Oneida comedian who in 1977 became the first Native American stand-up to perform on national television.
Labor · born 1941James P. HoffaTeamsters General President (1999–2022), labor lawyerDetroit-born son of Jimmy Hoffa who practiced labor law in the city and led the Teamsters for five terms, from 1999 to 2022.
Sports · born 1942Willie Hortonbaseball player, left fielderDetroit-raised slugger of the 1968 champion Tigers; his No. 23 is retired, his statue stands at Comerica Park and the field on the old Tiger Stadium site bears his name.
Politics · 1829–1896David Jeromemerchant, Union colonel, governor of MichiganSaginaw merchant and Civil War colonel who became Michigan's 18th governor (1881–1883) and the first born in the state – in Detroit, in 1829.Mable Johnblues singerDetroit-raised blues singer, sister of Little Willie John, and the first woman Berry Gordy signed to Tamla; later a Stax hitmaker and Raelette.
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".
Law · 1924–2021Frank J. Kelleylawyer, Michigan attorney generalDetroit-born lawyer nicknamed 'the Eternal General,' who served as Michigan's attorney general for 37 years (1961–1999) and pioneered state consumer protection.
Politics · 1895–1971Harry Kellylawyer, governor of Michigan, state Supreme Court justiceOne-legged World War I hero and Detroit lawyer who governed Michigan during the 'Arsenal of Democracy' years (1943–1947) and later sat on the state Supreme Court.
Auto industry · 1868–1957Charles Brady Kingengineer, automotive pioneerEngineer who drove the first gasoline car on Detroit's streets on March 6, 1896, with Henry Ford following on a bicycle.Michael Kinsleypolitical journalist, editor, commentatorDetroit-born political journalist, Cranbrook graduate, editor of The New Republic, co-host of CNN's Crossfire and founding editor of Slate.
Music · 1923–2011Eddie Kirklandblues guitarist, harmonica player, singerJamaica-born, Alabama-raised bluesman who met John Lee Hooker at Detroit house parties while working at Ford's Rouge plant and toured with him from 1949 to 1962.
Music · born 1968Kenny Larkintechno producer, DJDetroit-born second-wave techno producer whose soulful, melodic records on Plus 8 and Warp made him a major influence in Europe.
Sports · 1930–2017Yale LaryAmerican football safety, punter and return specialistHall of Fame safety and one of the greatest punters in NFL history, who played eleven seasons for the Lions and won three championships.Barbara Leajazz singer, actressDetroit-born jazz singer, admired for her faithful readings of the American songbook, whose father was a clarinetist turned Michigan attorney general.
Religion · 1804–1869Peter Paul LefevereCatholic bishopBelgian-born bishop who led the Catholic Diocese of Detroit for 28 years, built Saints Peter and Paul Church as its cathedral and brought teaching and nursing orders to the city.
Music · born 1937Kirk Lightseyjazz pianist, flutistDetroit-born pianist who accompanied singers in Detroit and California in the 1960s, toured with Dexter Gordon, played in The Leaders and has lived in Paris since 2000.
Sports · 1940–2026Mickey Lolichbaseball pitcherLeft-hander who won three complete games, including Game 7, to be MVP of the 1968 World Series; he holds the Tigers' career strikeout record and stayed in metro Detroit for life.Shorty Longsinger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producerMotown singer of "Here Comes the Judge" and co-writer of "Devil with a Blue Dress", who drowned in a boating accident on the Detroit River in 1969.
Visual art · 1875–1941
Géza Marótisculptor, architect, applied artistHungarian sculptor and designer whom Eliel Saarinen brought to Detroit in 1927; he created the Fisher Building's arcade paintings and sculpture and the reliefs of Belle Isle's Livingstone Lighthouse.
Law · born 1960Greg Mathisjudge, television arbitrator, authorDetroit-raised former gang member who became a 36th District Court judge in the city and then TV's 'Judge Mathis' for 24 seasons (1999–2023).
Sports · born 1944Denny McLainbaseball pitcherTigers right-hander who won 31 games in 1968, the last major-leaguer to win 30 in a season, taking the MVP and Cy Young awards for the world champions.
Music · born 1983Black Milkrapper, record producerDetroit rapper-producer who carried the J Dilla and Slum Village tradition into the 2000s with dense, live-sounding beats and albums such as Tronic and Album of the Year.
Music · 1895–1981Mischa Mischakoffviolinist, concertmaster, teacherUkrainian-born violinist who led the string sections of America's top orchestras and was concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony under Paul Paray from 1952 to 1968.
Music · 1918–1983Wild Bill MooreR&B and jazz tenor saxophonistDetroit tenor saxophonist and former Golden Gloves champion whose 1947 "We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll" is counted among the first rock and roll records.Nicholas NixonphotographerDetroit-born large-format photographer best known for The Brown Sisters, his annual portrait of his wife and her three sisters since 1975.
Press & broadcasting · born 1950George Nooryradio talk-show host, TV news producerDetroit-born host of the late-night radio show Coast to Coast AM, who started as a newscaster at WCAR and a news producer at WJBK-TV.
Film & TV · born 1946Suzanne de Passeproducer, record and television executiveHarlem-raised executive who joined Motown in Detroit as Berry Gordy's creative assistant, shaped the Jackson 5's act and later ran Motown Productions.
Music · born 1944Scherrie PaynesingerDetroit-born singer, sister of Freda Payne, who led the Invictus group the Glass House and then co-led the Supremes from 1973 to 1977.
Music · born 1962Roxy PetruccidrummerMetro Detroit drummer who co-founded the glam metal band Madam X in Detroit in 1981 with her sister Maxine and later drove Vixen, one of the most successful all-female hard rock bands.
Mickey Redmondice hockey right winger, TV color commentatorFirst Red Wing to score 50 goals in a season, who became the team's long-serving TV analyst known for his colorful sayings.
Religion · 1767–1832
Gabriel RichardCatholic priest, educator, territorial delegate to CongressFrench priest of Sainte-Anne's who wrote Detroit's motto after the fire of 1805, co-founded the University of Michigan and printed Michigan's first newspaper.
Visual art · 1858–1930Julius Rolshovenpainter, teacherDetroit-born painter who trained in Germany, taught in Paris and London, lived in a castle near Florence and painted the Southwest.Dennis Rowlandjazz singer, actorDetroit-born jazz singer who worked as a singer and actor in the city before Count Basie hired him in 1977 as his band vocalist for seven years.
Politics · 1903–1961George G. Sadowskilawyer, politicianDetroit-born son of a Polish-American family who went from the city's east-side schools to the Michigan Senate and three terms in Congress in the 1930s.
Sports · 1946–2015Charlie SandersAmerican football tight end, broadcaster, scoutHall of Fame tight end who played his whole career with the Lions (1968–1977) and served the franchise for decades afterward as broadcaster, coach and scout.Dana SchutzpainterPainter from Livonia, in suburban Detroit, known for inventive, colorful figurative canvases that stage strange scenarios and imagined events.
Music · 1932–2015Joseph Silversteinviolinist, conductorDetroit-born violinist, the son of a Detroit school music teacher, who was concertmaster of the Boston Symphony for 22 years and music director of the Utah Symphony.
Sports · born 1955Billy SimsAmerican football running backHeisman Trophy winner and first overall pick of 1980 who revived the Lions in the Pontiac Silverdome before a knee injury ended his career in 1984.
Business & brands · 1893–1932Eddie Stinsonpilot, aircraft manufacturerStunt flyer and record-setting pilot who, backed by Detroit investors, founded the Stinson Aircraft Company, maker of the SB-1 Detroiter, one of the first enclosed-cabin airliners.
Law · 1932–2017Anna Diggs Taylorfederal judge, civil rights lawyerYale-trained lawyer who built her career in Detroit and in 1979 became Michigan's first Black woman federal judge; in 2006 she struck down the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program.
MusicRosie Thomassinger-songwriter, comedianDetroit-raised indie folk singer-songwriter known for gentle Sub Pop albums and for her comic stage character Sheila Saputo.
Music · 1944–1980Georgeanna TillmansingerInkster-born original member of the Marvelettes, heard on "Please Mr. Postman", who left the group because of illness and died at 35.
Sports · born 1957Lou Whitakerbaseball second basemanTigers second baseman for 19 seasons and half of baseball's longest double-play partnership with Alan Trammell; his No. 1 was retired in 2022.
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.
Music · 1893–1940Rudy Wiedoeftsaxophonist, clarinetist, composerDetroit-born virtuoso of the C-melody saxophone whose 300-plus recordings and novelty solos made the saxophone a craze in the 1910s and 1920s.
Military · 1823–1907Orlando B. WillcoxUnion general, lawyer, authorDetroit-born West Pointer and Detroit lawyer who led the 1st Michigan Infantry to Bull Run, won the Medal of Honor and served as a Union general.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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