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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.

1,912 famous people
135 Detroit places
21 fields

Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →

402 people · 9/9 page

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Music · 1940–1985James Frazierconductor, composerDetroit-born conductor, the son of a city sanitation worker, who won Italy's Cantelli Award in 1969 and composed a King Requiem premiered in Detroit.Born hereGrew up here

Press & broadcasting · 1909–1941Earle Graserradio actorDetroit-raised Wayne University graduate who was the voice of the Lone Ranger on WXYZ from 1933 until his death in a Farmington car crash in 1941.Grew up hereDetroit career

Politics · 1917–2009Erma Hendersoncivil rights activist, city council presidentBlack Bottom-raised social worker and civil rights leader who became the first Black woman on the Detroit City Council and its first Black president (1977–1989), and led the fight against redlining.Grew up hereDetroit career

Press & broadcasting · born 1942Jerry Hodaktelevision meteorologist, news anchorDetroit-born TV weatherman who forecast for Detroiters for 45 years on WJBK and WXYZ, retiring as WXYZ's chief meteorologist in 2010.Born hereGrew up here

Science & invention · 1916–1998Neal Vernon Lovingaviator, aircraft designer, aeronautical engineerDetroit aviator and designer, the first African American and the first double amputee licensed as a racing pilot, who co-founded Michigan's first Black-owned aircraft company.Born hereGrew up here

MusicKaren NewmansingerSinger known as “the voice” of the Detroit Red Wings for more than 30 years of national anthems, and for the local holiday favorite “Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue.”Grew up hereDetroit career

Law · 1918–1998John Nicholspolice commissioner, sheriffSon of Detroit's southwest-side Hungarian community who rose to Detroit police commissioner and narrowly lost the 1973 mayoral race to Coleman Young.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1938–2017Sylvester Pottssinger, songwriterDetroit singer and songwriter who recorded for Fortune Records with the Hi-Fidelities and was a longtime member of the Contours.Born hereGrew up here

Music · born 1943Paul Riserarranger, trombonistCass Tech-trained trombonist who became one of Motown's key arrangers, scoring "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".Detroit careerStudied here

MusicHouse Shoeship-hop DJ and producerThe Detroit hip-hop scene's signature DJ, resident at Saint Andrew's Hall from 1994 to 2004, champion of J Dilla and producer for Elzhi, Phat Kat and Danny Brown.Born hereGrew up here

Theatre & danceGary Andersontheater director, producerWayne State-trained director who co-founded Plowshares Theatre Company in 1989 and built it into Michigan's professional African American theater company.Detroit careerStudied here

Music · 1974–2009BaatinrapperSlum Village co-founder whose playful, spiritual verses helped define the group's sound alongside J Dilla and T3 in the 1990s.Born hereGrew up here

Film & TV · 1925–2003Rita Belltelevision host, singerDetroit-born host of WXYZ-TV's weekday-morning Prize Movie (1960–1977), billed as the first woman television broadcaster in Michigan.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1944–2021George Fraynepianist, singer, bandleader, painterAs Commander Cody, the University of Michigan art student founded the Lost Planet Airmen in Ann Arbor in 1967, pioneering boogie-woogie country rock and the hit “Hot Rod Lincoln.”Detroit careerStudied here

Theatre & dance · ?–2023Bruce Millantheater founder, artistic directorDetroit-born co-founder of the Detroit Repertory Theatre (1957), whose 61 years as its artistic director and color-blind casting made him a pillar of Detroit theater.Born hereGrew up here

ComedyMark Ridleycomedy club founder, producerWayne State graduate who opened Michigan's first comedy club, the Comedy Castle, in 1979, where Tim Allen and Dave Coulier started out.Detroit careerStudied here

MusicT3rapper, producerCo-founder and last original member of Slum Village, the Conant Gardens group that grew up with J Dilla and shaped soulful Detroit hip-hop.Born hereGrew up here

Business & brandsSam Valenti IVrecord label founderFounder of Ghostly International, the influential electronic label he started in Ann Arbor in 1999 as a University of Michigan student.Grew up hereDetroit career

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 ↗

Famous Detroiters

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