Music · born 1975Jack Whiteguitarist, singer, songwriter, producerSouthwest Detroit native who co-founded the White Stripes at the Gold Dollar bar in 1997 and later opened Third Man Records' Cass Corridor store and pressing plant.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.
- 664 famous people
- 66 Detroit places
- 8 fields
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
27 people
Clear filtersMusic · born 1975Jack Whiteguitarist, singer, songwriter, producerSouthwest Detroit native who co-founded the White Stripes at the Gold Dollar bar in 1997 and later opened Third Man Records' Cass Corridor store and pressing plant.
Film & TV · born 1930Robert WagneractorHart to Hart and It Takes a Thief star, born in Detroit to a Ford Motor Company salesman, who lived in the city until his family moved to Bel Air in 1937.
Notorious figures · 1956–2002Aileen Wuornosserial killerSerial killer executed in Florida in 2002, born in Rochester and raised in Troy, two Oakland County suburbs of Detroit.
Film & TV · born 1952Billy Westvoice actor, musicianDetroit-born voice of Futurama's Fry, Farnsworth and Zoidberg, Ren & Stimpy and the red M&M, who grew up in Boston and New Jersey.
Music · 1934–1984Jackie Wilsonsinger“Mr. Excitement” grew up in Highland Park, boxed and sang in Detroit clubs, and his early hits, written by Berry Gordy, helped bankroll the founding of Motown.
Music · born 1974Meg Whitedrummer, singerGrosse Pointe-born drummer of the White Stripes, whose minimalist beat helped launch Detroit's late-1990s garage-rock revival.
Film & TV · born 1968Cynthia WatrosactressDaytime Emmy-winning soap star and Lost's Libby, born in Lake Orion and a former Macomb Community College student.
Music · born 1981Jimmie Wilsonsinger, musical theatre actorDetroit-born singer and stage actor who represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in a duet with Valentina Monetta.
Music · born 1952Don Wasbassist, record producer, label executiveDetroit-born producer of Bonnie Raitt and the Rolling Stones, co-founder of Was (Not Was) and president of Blue Note Records, who still champions the Detroit music scene.
Music · 1924–2011Margaret WhitingsingerDetroit-born pop singer of the 1940s and 1950s, daughter of songwriter Richard A. Whiting, who began his career writing for a Detroit music publisher.
Music · born 1951Kim Wilsonblues singer, harmonica playerDetroit-born blues harmonica player and frontman of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, known for the 1986 hit “Tuff Enuff”.
Music · born 1939Kim WestonsingerDetroit-born Motown singer of "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" and Marvin Gaye's duet partner on "It Takes Two".
Music · born 1962BeBe Winanssinger, songwriter, producerDetroit-born gospel and R&B singer, half of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans, and a close friend of Whitney Houston.
Music · 1951–2010Ali-Ollie Woodsonsinger, songwriter, keyboardistDetroit-born lead singer of the Temptations from 1983 to 1996, heard on "Treat Her Like a Lady".
Notorious figures · born 1969Richard Wershe Jr.former teenage FBI informant and drug traffickerEast Side Detroit teenager known as White Boy Rick who became the FBI's youngest known informant, then served decades in prison for a drug conviction at 17.
Music · born 1946Joyce Vincent WilsonsingerDetroit session singer on Motown, Golden World and Invictus records who became one of the two voices of Dawn with Tony Orlando.
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 · born 1953Vickie Winanssinger, songwriter, producer, comedianDetroit gospel singer called "The Hardest Working Woman in Gospel Music", known for "Shake Yourself Loose" and her Live in Detroit albums.
Music · born 1968Rodney Whitakerjazz double bassist, educatorDetroit-born bassist, a Marcus Belgrave protégé who played with Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis and now leads jazz studies at Michigan State University.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own.