Fisher Building

Famous Detroiters

Famous people tied to this place 12

Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.

• Mitch Albom born 1958 · author, newspaper columnist, radio host, philanthropist

  Worked here

  WJR, which has broadcast from the Fisher Building since 1928, is the flagship station of his afternoon talk show.

• Charles Coughlin 1891–1979 · Catholic priest, radio broadcaster, political agitator

  Performed here

  WJR, where his weekly radio sermons largely originated, has broadcast from the Fisher Building since December 1928; his broadcasts were also carried from the Shrine in Royal Oak.

• Grace Lee Whitney 1930–2015 · actress, singer

  Performed here

  WJR has broadcast from the Fisher Building in New Center since December 1928; Whitney sang on the station at 14.

• Albert Kahn 1869–1942 · architect

  Worked here

  His firm's Art Deco masterpiece in New Center, with a gilded three-story arcade; a National Historic Landmark.

• Donyale Luna 1945–1979 · model, actress

  Related place

  Near here photographer David McCabe spotted her in 1963, launching her career.

• Géza Maróti 1875–1941 · sculptor, architect, applied artist

  Worked here

  Albert Kahn's Art Deco skyscraper in New Center; Maróti painted the arcade ceilings and designed sculpture and bronze details.

• Karl Haas 1913–2005 · classical music radio host, pianist, musicologist

  Worked here

  WJR has broadcast from the Fisher Building's 'Golden Tower' since 1928; Haas launched Adventures in Good Music on the station in 1959.

• J. P. McCarthy 1933–1995 · radio host, interviewer

  Worked here

  WJR has broadcast from the 'Golden Tower' of the Fisher Building since December 1928; McCarthy's morning show came from here.

• Charles T. Fisher 1880–1963 · co-founder of Fisher Body, industrialist and banker

  Founded

  The brothers' Art Deco tower by Albert Kahn, with the Fisher Theatre inside; a National Historic Landmark across from Cadillac Place.

• John H. Kunsky 1874–1952 · movie theater magnate, broadcaster

  Founded

  The last theater Kunsky opened, in 1928; remodeled in 1961 into Detroit's main stage for touring Broadway shows.

• James M. Nederlander 1922–2016 · theatrical producer, theater owner

  Related place

  The Nederlanders rebuilt the Fisher Building's movie palace into a 2,200-seat legitimate theater in 1961; it remains Detroit's main Broadway touring house.

• Joseph Z. Nederlander 1927–2021 · theater owner and operator, producer

  Worked here

  The Fisher Building's theater, which Nederlander helped convert into a live Broadway house in 1961 and then ran for decades.