Music · born 1937
Eddie Floydsinger, songwriterSoul singer of "Knock on Wood" who came of age in Detroit, where he co-founded the Falcons in his uncle's music circle.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)
1747 people · 8/37 page
Clear filtersMusic · born 1937Eddie Floydsinger, songwriterSoul singer of "Knock on Wood" who came of age in Detroit, where he co-founded the Falcons in his uncle's music circle.
Religion · 1920–2004James Aloysius HickeyCatholic cardinal, Archbishop of WashingtonMichigan-born cardinal who trained for the priesthood at Detroit's Sacred Heart Seminary before leading the Archdiocese of Washington for twenty years.
Sports · 1938–2017Darrall Imhoffbasketball player, centreOlympic gold medalist centre, remembered for starting against Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, who spent two seasons as a backup big man for the Pistons in the early 1960s.
Sports · born 1957Bill Laimbeerbasketball player and coachCenter of the Pistons' rough-and-tumble "Bad Boys" teams who won back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, then coached the Detroit Shock to three WNBA championships.Thomas Ligottihorror writer, philosopherCult master of philosophical horror who was born in Detroit, studied at Wayne State and spent 23 years as an editor at Gale Research while writing his stories in the city.
Film & TV · 1926–2020James Liptontelevision host, writer, actor, educatorHost of Inside the Actors Studio who grew up in Detroit, worked as a Detroit Times copy boy, acted on local stages and radio, and studied at Central High and Wayne State.
Auto industry · 1864–1950Ransom E. Oldsautomotive pioneer, founder of Oldsmobile and REOLansing carmaker who opened Detroit's first dedicated auto factory in 1899; after it burned in 1901 his Curved Dash Olds became America's first mass-produced car.
Business & brands · born 1937Roger Penskeracing team owner, businessman, chairman of Penske CorporationFormer racing driver who built a transport and dealership empire based in Bloomfield Hills and became one of Detroit's key civic leaders, reviving the Detroit Grand Prix.Marge Piercynovelist, poet, activistFeminist novelist and poet of Woman on the Edge of Time who grew up in working-class Detroit and returned to the city in her 2015 collection Made in Detroit.
Labor · 1907–1970Walter Reutherpresident of the United Auto Workers (1946–1970)Tool-and-die maker who became the UAW's longest-serving president, building one of America's most powerful and progressive unions from Detroit.
Sports · born 1974Katie Smithbasketball guard, coachHall of Fame guard who won WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008 and was MVP of the 2008 Finals.
Sports · born 1986Rodney Stuckeybasketball guardCombo guard who spent seven seasons with the Pistons after being drafted 15th overall in 2007, becoming a reliable scorer as the team transitioned away from its championship core.
Religion · born 1952Joseph W. TobinCatholic cardinal, Archbishop of NewarkDetroit-born Redemptorist priest who served Southwest Detroit's Holy Redeemer parish for eleven years before becoming a cardinal and Archbishop of Newark.
Sports · born 1950Sheila Youngspeed skater and track cyclistDetroit-area speed skater and cyclist who became the first American athlete to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics, in Innsbruck in 1976.
Sports · born 1985Arron Afflalobasketball playerUCLA All-American guard whom the Pistons drafted 27th overall in 2007 and who spent his first two NBA seasons in Detroit.
Music · 1957–2017Geri Allenjazz pianist, composer, educatorPontiac-born, Detroit-raised jazz pianist and educator, a Cass Tech graduate and protégée of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, who became one of the most original pianists of her generation.
Sports · born 1979Carlos Arroyobasketball playerPuerto Rican point guard who ran the Pistons' offense off the bench in the 2005 NBA Finals, reaching Game 7 before Detroit lost to San Antonio.
Music · born 1962Juan Atkinsrecord producer, DJDetroit-born “Godfather of Techno,” one of the Belleville Three, whose Cybotron and Model 500 records laid down the Detroit techno sound.
Sports · 1931–2017Jim Bunningbaseball pitcher, later U.S. SenatorHall of Fame pitcher who spent nine seasons with the Tigers, throwing a no-hitter and a 20-win season, before a Hall of Fame career and later the U.S. Senate.
Sports · born 1951Doug Collinsbasketball coach and broadcasterHead coach of the Pistons from 1995 to 1998 who built the team around a young Grant Hill and ended a long losing streak against the rival Chicago Bulls.
Theatre & dance · 1893–1974Katharine Cornellstage actress, producerBroadway's 'First Lady of the Theatre', who learned her craft in Jessie Bonstelle's stock company on the stage of Detroit's Garrick Theatre around 1918–1920.
Sports · born 1955Adrian Dantleybasketball player, coachHall of Fame forward and two-time NBA scoring champion who spent three seasons with the Pistons, acquired in the trade that later brought Mark Aguirre to Detroit's first championship.
Film & TV · born 1951Pam DawberactressMork & Mindy's Mindy McConnell, born in Detroit, who went to North Farmington High School and Oakland Community College before modeling in New York.Austin Dayebasketball player, small forwardLanky forward drafted 15th overall by Detroit in 2009 who spent parts of four seasons developing with the Pistons before later winning an NBA title with San Antonio.
Sports · 1940–2023Terry Dischingerbasketball player, forward1963 Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star who played six seasons for the Pistons across two stints, sharing the frontcourt with Hall of Famers Dave Bing and Bob Lanier.
Music · 1906–1988
Antal Doráticonductor, composerBudapest-born conductor and pupil of Bartók and Kodály who led the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1981 and put it back on the world's record shelves.
Architecture & design · 1907–1978Charles Eamesdesigner, architect, filmmakerAmerican designer who came to Cranbrook in 1938, began his furniture experiments there with Eero Saarinen and met his partner Ray Kaiser.
Science & invention · 1918–2011Robert Ettingerphysics teacher, author, founder of cryonics'Father of cryonics' who taught physics and mathematics at Wayne State and Highland Park Community College and founded the Cryonics Institute, now in Clinton Township.
Music · 1950–2022Maria Ewingopera singer (mezzo-soprano and soprano)Detroit-born opera star, celebrated as Carmen and Salome, who was discovered at Oakland University's Meadow Brook festival and made her debut with a Detroit company in 1970.
Science & invention · 1927–2021Edmund GettierphilosopherPhilosopher whose three-page 1963 paper 'Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?', written while he taught at Wayne State in Detroit, created the famous Gettier problem.
Architecture & design · 1859–1934Cass GilbertarchitectArchitect of the Woolworth Building and U.S. Supreme Court who designed Detroit's Main Library on Woodward and the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle.
Science & invention · born 1940John Grinderlinguist, author, consultantLinguist who co-created neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler in the 1970s; born in Detroit.
Sports · born 1958Thomas Hearnsboxer, champion in five weight divisionsThe Kronk Gym's most famous product: a lanky Detroit fighter who became the first boxer to win world titles in five weight divisions.
Sports · born 1993Connor Hellebuyckice hockey goaltenderMetro Detroit-born goaltender who grew up in Commerce Township and went on to win the NHL's Hart Trophy as MVP and lead the United States to Olympic gold in 2026.John Henry Hollandcomputer scientist, complexity theoristPioneer of genetic algorithms who earned the University of Michigan's first computer science PhD and taught there for more than five decades.
Film & TV · born 1961Al Jeantelevision writer, producerLongtime showrunner of The Simpsons, born in Detroit and raised in Farmington Hills, where he graduated from Harrison High School.
Film & TV · born 1983Jana Krameractress, country singerActress and country singer from Rochester Hills in metro Detroit, known for One Tree Hill and the top-ten country hits "Why Ya Wanna" and "I Got the Boy."
Science & invention · born 1954Geoffrey MarcyastronomerAstronomer whose team found many of the first known planets around other stars; born in the Detroit suburb of St. Clair Shores.
Music · 1927–1999Guy Mitchellpop singer, actorDetroit-born son of Croatian immigrants who became one of the top-selling pop singers of the 1950s with “Singing the Blues”.
Notorious figures · born 1963Larry Nassarformer sports physician, convicted sex offenderFormer USA Gymnastics and Michigan State team physician from Farmington Hills, convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of young athletes and imprisoned for life in effect.
Sports · born 1978Michael Russelltennis player, coachDetroit-born professional tennis player who reached a career-high world No. 60 and set the all-time record for USTA Pro Circuit singles titles.
Sports · born 1964John Salleybasketball player, forward-centerBad Boys-era Pistons forward who won back-to-back NBA titles in Detroit in 1989 and 1990 and later became the first player to win championships with three franchises.
Sports · 1930–2010Clarke Scholescompetitive swimmer, Olympic championDetroit-born and Redford High School-raised swimmer who won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
Comedy · 1912–1991Danny Thomascomedian, actor, TV producerLebanese-American entertainer from Michigan who started his show-business career on Detroit radio in the 1930s before becoming a TV star and founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Sports · born 1984Charlie Villanuevabasketball forwardDominican-American stretch forward who spent five seasons with the Pistons on a five-year, 40-million-dollar contract signed in 2009.Quincy Wattssprinter, track coachDetroit-born sprinter who won two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, in the 400 meters and the 4 × 400 meters relay.
Music · born 1970John 5guitarist, songwriterGrosse Pointe-raised guitarist of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and Mötley Crüe, who learned blues and rock 'n' roll from a Detroit guitar teacher.
Literature · born 1971Megan Abbottcrime novelist, screenwriterEdgar Award–winning crime novelist born in Detroit and raised in Grosse Pointe, whose suburban noirs about girls and women draw on her Michigan youth.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 ↗