Music · 1958–2009Michael Jacksonsinger, songwriter, dancerThe King of Pop, whose career began when the Jackson 5 auditioned for Motown in Detroit in 1968; he later gave his famous glove and fedora to the Motown Museum.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.
- 257 famous people
- 32 Detroit places
- 20 fields
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
257 people · 1/6 page
Music · 1958–2009Michael Jacksonsinger, songwriter, dancerThe King of Pop, whose career began when the Jackson 5 auditioned for Motown in Detroit in 1968; he later gave his famous glove and fedora to the Motown Museum.
Auto industry · 1863–1947Henry Fordautomaker, industrialist, founder of Ford Motor CompanyThe farm boy from Dearborn who built his first car in a Detroit shed, founded Ford Motor Company and turned the region into the world's motor capital.
Visual art · 1907–1954Frida KahlopainterMexican painter who spent 1932–33 in Detroit with Diego Rivera and made breakthrough works there, including Henry Ford Hospital.
Music · born 1972Eminemrapper, songwriter, record producer, actorDetroit-raised rapper who came up through the city's open-mic battles and became one of the best-selling artists in music history.
Civil rights & activism · 1913–2005Rosa Parkscivil rights activistThe Montgomery bus-boycott icon who lived in Detroit for nearly fifty years, worked for Congressman John Conyers and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Music · 1942–2018Aretha Franklinsinger, songwriter, pianistThe “Queen of Soul” grew up singing gospel in her father's Detroit church, spent most of her life in and around the city and is entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Film & TV · born 1961Eddie Murphycomedian, actor, singerBrooklyn-born comedy star whose Axel Foley, the wisecracking Detroit police detective of Beverly Hills Cop, is one of the most famous Detroiters in film.
Politics · born 1947Mitt Romneypolitician, businessmanDetroit-born son of automaker and governor George Romney; grew up in Bloomfield Hills, attended Cranbrook, later governed Massachusetts and ran for president in 2012.
Film & TV · born 1939Francis Ford Coppolafilm director, screenwriter, producerThe director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now was born at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and his middle name honors the city's most famous carmaker.
Music · born 1950Stevie Wondersinger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producerBlind child prodigy raised in Detroit who signed with Motown at 11 and grew into one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Theatre & dance · 1874–1926Harry Houdiniillusionist, escape artist, stage and film performerBudapest-born escape artist who played Detroit's vaudeville houses for decades, leapt handcuffed off the Belle Isle Bridge in 1906 and died in the city on Halloween 1926.
City history · 1902–1974Charles Lindberghaviator, military officer, authorThe pilot of the first solo nonstop New York–Paris flight (1927) was born in his grandfather's house on West Forest Avenue; his mother was a Detroit chemistry teacher.
Music · born 1944Diana Rosssinger, actressDetroit-born lead singer of the Supremes, Motown's biggest 1960s act, who grew up in the North End and the Brewster-Douglass projects before a long solo and film career.
Film & TV · born 1980Kristen Bellactress, singerStar of Veronica Mars, The Good Place and Disney's Frozen, born in Huntington Woods and raised in Detroit's northern suburbs.
Visual art · 1886–1957Diego Riverapainter, muralistMexican muralist who painted the Detroit Industry Murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1932–33, the city's most celebrated work of art.
Music · born 1948Alice Coopersinger, songwriterThe shock-rock pioneer was born in Detroit, grew up in East Detroit, and found his first real audience when his band moved to a Pontiac farmhouse in 1970.
Music · 1939–1984Marvin Gayesinger, songwriter, producerMotown's “Prince of Soul,” who lived in Detroit through the 1960s and recorded What's Going On at Hitsville U.S.A. in 1970–71.
Music · born 1945Neil Youngsinger, songwriter, guitarist, filmmakerCanadian rock icon whose first record deal was with Motown: in 1966 he recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit as a member of Rick James's band, the Mynah Birds.
Music · born 1946Patti Smithsinger, songwriter, poet, authorThe punk poet left New York for metro Detroit in 1980 to marry MC5 guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith, and raised a family in St. Clair Shores for more than a decade.
Music · 1979–2001Aaliyahsinger, actress, dancerBrooklyn-born R&B star raised in Detroit, who graduated from the city's performing-arts high school while already releasing hit albums.
Business & brands · born 1956Steve Ballmerbusinessman, investor, NBA team ownerMicrosoft's CEO from 2000 to 2014 was born in Detroit, the son of a Ford manager, grew up in Farmington Hills and graduated from Detroit Country Day School.
Film & TV · born 1932Ellen BurstynactressOscar-, Tony- and Emmy-winning actress born Edna Rae Gillooly in Detroit, where she went to Cass Tech and modeled for Hudson's before leaving for the stage.
Politics · 1904–1971Ralph Bunchediplomat, political scientistThe first Black Nobel laureate (Peace, 1950) was born in Detroit's Delray neighborhood and spent most of his early childhood in the city.
Film & TV · born 1955J. K. SimmonsactorOscar-winning character actor (Whiplash, Spider-Man) who was born in Grosse Pointe, spent his first ten years there and remains a devoted Detroit Tigers fan.
Film & TV · born 1959Sam Raimifilm director, producer, screenwriterRoyal Oak-born director who launched The Evil Dead from metro Detroit, premiered it at the Redford Theatre and later shot Crimewave on Detroit streets.
Film & TV · 1939–2014Richard KielactorDetroit-born giant of the screen, 7 ft 1.5 in tall, best remembered as Jaws, the steel-toothed henchman of two James Bond films.
Film & TV · 1927–1999George C. Scottactor, directorOscar-winning star of Patton who grew up in Detroit and graduated from Redford High School before joining the Marines.
Music · 1964–2017Chris Cornellsinger, guitarist, songwriterSoundgarden and Audioslave frontman who played his final concert at Detroit's Fox Theatre and died in the city hours later, in May 2017.
Literature · born 1938Joyce Carol Oatesnovelist, short-story writer, poet, professorOne of America's most prolific novelists, she taught at the University of Detroit in the 1960s and turned the city and its 1967 uprising into the National Book Award–winning novel them.
Comedy · born 1939Lily Tomlincomedian, actress, writerComedy legend raised in Detroit's Virginia Park area; Cass Tech and Wayne State alumna whose characters grew out of the neighbors on her childhood block.
Film & TV · born 1945Tom Selleckactor, producerMagnum, P.I. star born in Detroit, whose on-screen Detroit Tigers cap made him the team's most famous fan; he once took batting practice at Tiger Stadium.
Comedy · born 1964David Spadestand-up comedian, actor, podcasterSarcastic Saturday Night Live alumnus and Tommy Boy star, born in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham before his family moved west.
Theatre & dance · born 1972Dita Von Teeseburlesque dancer, model, businesswomanThe performer credited with bringing burlesque back to the mainstream was born Heather Sweet in Rochester, Michigan, in Oakland County.
Film & TV · 1932–2023Piper LaurieactressThree-time Oscar nominee (The Hustler, Carrie, Children of a Lesser God) who was born Rosetta Jacobs in a one-bedroom walk-up on Detroit's Tyler Street.
Film & TV · born 1958Bruce Campbellactor, producer, director, writerRoyal Oak-born cult actor, Ash of The Evil Dead, who made his first films with Sam Raimi in Detroit's suburbs and premiered them in Detroit theaters.
Press & broadcasting · 1932–2014Casey Kasemradio host, disc jockey, voice actorDetroit-born host of American Top 40 and original voice of Shaggy in Scooby-Doo, who started on the air at Northwestern High and Detroit radio stations.
Music · 1948–2016Glenn Freysinger, songwriter, guitaristThe Eagles co-founder was born in Detroit, grew up in Royal Oak and cut his teeth in the mid-1960s Detroit rock scene before heading to Los Angeles.
Music · 1925–1981Bill Haleysinger, guitarist, bandleaderRock and roll pioneer of “Rock Around the Clock,” born in Highland Park, the Ford factory town surrounded by Detroit, in 1925.
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.
Music · born 1974Xzibitrapper, actor, television hostRapper, actor and Pimp My Ride host who was born in Detroit and lived in the city until elementary-school age.
Film & TV · born 1972Selma Blairactress, authorStar of Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy, born in Southfield and educated at Hillel Day School and Cranbrook Kingswood.
Film & TV · 1926–2024Roger Cormanfilm director and producerDetroit-born king of low-budget cinema who produced or directed hundreds of films and gave first breaks to Coppola, Scorsese, Cameron and many more.
Music · born 1950Suzi Quatrosinger, bass guitarist, songwriter, actressThe leather-clad bass-playing rock star grew up in Detroit and Grosse Pointe and started out at 14 in the Pleasure Seekers, an all-girl band with her sisters.
City history · 1768–1813TecumsehShawnee chief and war leaderShawnee leader whose warriors, allied with Isaac Brock, forced the American surrender of Fort Detroit in August 1812.
Film & TV · 1922–2002Kim Hunterstage, film and television actressDetroit-born actress who created Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway, won an Oscar for the film, and later played Zira in Planet of the Apes.
Music · born 1988Lizzosinger, rapper, flutist, actressGrammy-winning singer and rapper of “Truth Hurts” and “About Damn Time,” born in Detroit in 1988 and raised there until age ten.
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.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own.