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.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.
- 1,940 famous people
- 515 Detroit places
- 22 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
1370 people · 14/29 page
Clear filtersBill 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.
Law · 1846–1917Donald M. Dickinsonlawyer, U.S. postmaster generalLeading Detroit trial lawyer and Democratic organizer who served as Grover Cleveland's postmaster general (1888–1889); Dickinson County in the Upper Peninsula is named for him.
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.Ruth Ellisprinter, LGBTQ rights activistBlack lesbian printer whose West Side Detroit home was a refuge for Black gay and lesbian Detroiters for decades; she lived to 101, and the Ruth Ellis Center for LGBTQ youth bears her name.
Law · 1889–1982Homer S. Fergusonjudge, U.S. senator, diplomatDetroit lawyer and Wayne County circuit judge whose one-man grand jury exposed city corruption (1939–1941), launching him into the U.S. Senate (1943–1955).
Music · born 1970Dean Fertitamulti-instrumentalist, singer, songwriterRoyal Oak–born guitarist and keyboardist who led Detroit's Waxwings, then joined Queens of the Stone Age and Jack White's the Dead Weather.
Sports · 1941–2021Bill Freehanbaseball catcherDetroit-born catcher who spent his entire 15-year career with the Tigers, an 11-time All-Star who caught the final out of the 1968 World Series.
Auto industry · 1881–1955
József Galambmechanical engineer, chief designer of the Ford Model THungarian engineer from Makó who became Ford's chief designer and drew up much of the Model T at the Piquette Avenue Plant.
Press & broadcasting · born 1964Robin Givhanfashion critic, journalistDetroit native, Renaissance High valedictorian and former Detroit Free Press writer who in 2006 became the first fashion critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Music · 1893–1962
Jean Goldkettebandleader, pianist, booking agent, ballroom operatorDetroit-based bandleader and impresario whose 1920s Victor orchestra, with Bix Beiderbecke, played his Graystone Ballroom and who launched McKinney's Cotton Pickers.
Sports · 1907–1985
Ebbie Goodfellowice hockey forward and defensemanRed Wings captain who won three Stanley Cups, became the first Red Wing to win the Hart Trophy and founded the Red Wings Alumni Association.
Music · born 1977King Gordyrapper, singerDetroit battle rapper and singer of the Fat Killahz, who played “Big O” in 8 Mile and made his debut album with production by Eminem.
Sports · 1900–1971Goose Goslinbaseball player, left fielderHall of Fame left fielder whose ninth-inning single won the 1935 World Series, Detroit's first championship.
Music · born 1994Tee GrizzleyrapperWest-side Detroit rapper whose 2017 prison-release anthem “First Day Out” went viral and opened the national door for a new wave of Detroit street rap.
Music · born 1942Wendell Harrisonjazz saxophonist, clarinetist, label founder, educatorDetroit saxophonist and clarinetist who co-founded Tribe, the 1970s Black-consciousness jazz label and magazine, and later the Rebirth education organization.
Sports · 1954–2023Willie Hernándezbaseball relief pitcherPuerto Rican left-handed closer who won both the Cy Young and MVP awards in 1984, the "missing link" of the Tigers' championship team.
Sports · born 1955Ken Hollandhockey executive, former goaltenderRed Wings general manager from 1997 to 2019, architect of the Cup teams of 1998, 2002 and 2008 and one of the most successful executives in NHL history.
Sports · born 2000Aidan HutchinsonAmerican football defensive endMetro Detroit native and University of Michigan star whom the Lions drafted second overall in 2022; a hometown face of the team's revival.
Sports · 1869–1928Hughie Jenningsbaseball manager, former shortstopTigers manager from 1907 to 1920 who led Detroit to its first three American League pennants, famous for his "Ee-Yah!" cries from the coaching box.Anybody KillarapperEast-side Detroit rapper of Lumbee heritage who performs as a Native American warrior and became a Psychopathic Records mainstay.
Music · born 1974Uncle Krackersinger, songwriter, DJMount Clemens-born singer who started as Kid Rock's DJ in Twisted Brown Trucker and scored solo hits with “Follow Me” and “Drift Away”.
Politics · 1811–1843Stevens T. Masonterritorial secretary, first governor of MichiganThe 'Boy Governor' who ran Michigan Territory from Detroit at 19, led it to statehood in 1837 as its first governor and now lies under his statue in Capitol Park.
Business & brands · 1838–1902James McMillanindustrialist, U.S. senatorCanadian-born Detroit railcar and shipping magnate who led Michigan's Republican machine as a U.S. senator (1889–1902) and chaired the McMillan Commission that reshaped Washington's National Mall.
Politics · 1894–1966Patrick V. McNamarapipefitter, union leader, U.S. senatorDetroit pipefitter and union local president who upset Senator Homer Ferguson in 1954 and served in the U.S. Senate until 1966; Detroit's federal building bears his name.Big Maceo Merriweatherblues pianist, singerGeorgia-born blues pianist who learned his trade in Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s, wrote "Worried Life Blues" and was buried in metro Detroit.
Architecture & design · 1912–1988Bill Mitchellautomotive designer, GM vice president of designHarley Earl's successor as GM's design chief, the man behind the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray and Buick Riviera.
MusicMoodymannhouse producer, DJ, label ownerDetroit's most defiantly local house producer, whose soulful, sample-rich records and Soul Skate parties celebrate the city's Black music culture.Sonny Redjazz alto saxophonist, flutist, composerDetroit alto saxophonist who began with Barry Harris as a teenager and recorded hard bop for Blue Note, Jazzland and Donald Byrd before dying in his hometown at 48.
Theatre & dance · born 1951Roz Ryanactress, singer, comedianDetroit nightclub singer who jumped to Broadway in Ain't Misbehavin' (1978) and became the longest-serving Matron 'Mama' Morton in Chicago.
Sports · 1932–2024Joe SchmidtAmerican football linebacker and coachHall of Fame middle linebacker who spent his whole 13-year career with the Lions, won two NFL titles, coached the team and then worked in Detroit's auto industry.
Music · born 1934George Shirleyoperatic tenor, music educatorDetroit-raised tenor who became the first African American tenor to sing leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and the first Black music teacher in Detroit's high schools.
Music · 1942–2013Richard StreetsingerDetroit-born singer of the Distants and the Monitors who joined the Temptations in 1971 and sang with them until 1993.Jean TerrellsingerSinger chosen by Berry Gordy to replace Diana Ross as lead of the Supremes in 1970, fronting "Stoned Love", "Up the Ladder to the Roof" and "Floy Joy".
Sports · born 1935Norm Ullmanice hockey centerQuiet, consistent Hall of Fame center who played thirteen seasons for the Red Wings and led the NHL in goals in 1964–1965.
Military · 1810–1878Alpheus S. Williamslawyer, newspaper editor, Union general, congressmanDetroit lawyer, editor and postmaster who became one of the Union's most dependable division commanders; his equestrian statue stands on Belle Isle and he is buried at Elmwood.
Sports · 1880–1971Gar Woodpowerboat racer, inventor, industrialistDetroit inventor and boat builder who dominated powerboat racing on the Detroit River and became the first person to travel over 100 miles per hour on water.
Politics · 1780–1861William Woodbridgeterritorial secretary, governor of Michigan, U.S. senatorLewis Cass's lifelong friend who came to Detroit in 1814 as territorial secretary and became Michigan's second governor; his farm became the site of Tiger Stadium, and the Woodbridge neighborhood bears his name.
Civil rights & activism · born 1952Helen Ziajournalist, author, activistChinese American journalist who worked in Detroit's auto plants and, after Vincent Chin's killing in 1982, co-founded American Citizens for Justice and helped build the Asian American civil rights movement.
Music · 1936–2015Marcus Belgravejazz trumpeter, educatorTrumpeter who left Ray Charles's band for Detroit in 1963 to record at Motown and became the city's great jazz teacher, mentoring a generation of Detroit stars.
Sports · born 1976Dan CampbellAmerican football coach, former tight endFormer Lions tight end who became head coach in 2021 and, after a famous "kneecaps" introduction, turned Detroit into a Super Bowl contender.
Music · born 1989Kash Dollrapper, actressDetroit rapper who built a following in local clubs, signed with Republic Records and scored with “Ice Me Out” before moving into acting.
Music · born 199442 DuggrapperEast-side Detroit rapper who signed with Yo Gotti and Lil Baby and scored a top-ten hit with “We Paid” in 2020.
Music · 1935–2024Abdul "Duke" FakirsingerDetroit-born co-founder and last original member of the Four Tops, who sang with the group from 1953 until weeks before his death in 2024.
Sports · born 1963Cecil Fielderbaseball first baseman, designated hitterSlugger who came back from Japan to hit 51 home runs for the 1990 Tigers, the first 50-homer season in the majors in 13 years.
Sports · 1925–2014William Clay Ford Sr.owner of the Detroit Lions, Ford Motor Company executiveHenry Ford's youngest grandson owned the Detroit Lions for fifty years and brought them back downtown to Ford Field in 2002.Carolyn Franklinsinger, songwriterYoungest Franklin sister, raised at New Bethel Baptist Church, who wrote Aretha's "Ain't No Way" and "Angel".
Politics · born 1982Garlin Gilchristsoftware engineer, lieutenant governor of MichiganDetroit-born Microsoft engineer and civic-tech organizer who built the Improve Detroit app for the city and in 2019 became Michigan's first African American lieutenant governor.
Visual art · 1899–1973Maija Grotellceramic artist, teacherFinnish-born potter who led Cranbrook's ceramics department for 28 years and is often called the mother of American studio ceramics.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 ↗