Press & broadcasting · 1918–2010
Ernie Harwellbaseball broadcasterThe voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 seasons, whose gentle Georgia drawl on WJR radio defined summer for generations of Michiganders.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
- 19 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
141 people · 3/3 page
Clear filtersPress & broadcasting · 1918–2010Ernie Harwellbaseball broadcasterThe voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 seasons, whose gentle Georgia drawl on WJR radio defined summer for generations of Michiganders.Charlie Hillstand-up comedian, actor, writerDetroit-born Oneida comedian who in 1977 became the first Native American stand-up to perform on national television.
Labor · born 1941James P. HoffaTeamsters General President (1999–2022), labor lawyerDetroit-born son of Jimmy Hoffa who practiced labor law in the city and led the Teamsters for five terms, from 1999 to 2022.
Sports · born 1942Willie Hortonbaseball player, left fielderDetroit-raised slugger of the 1968 champion Tigers; his No. 23 is retired, his statue stands at Comerica Park and the field on the old Tiger Stadium site bears his name.
Music · 1939–2007Billy Hendersonsinger, dancerFounding member of the Spinners, raised in Royal Oak Township, who was the group's leading dancer for half a century.
Science & invention · 1870–1938Edward N. Hinesroad builder, Wayne County road commissionerWayne County road commissioner who built the world's first mile of concrete highway on Woodward Avenue in 1909 and came up with the painted center line.
Music · born 1952John Lee Hooker Jr.blues singer, songwriter, ministerDetroit-born son of John Lee Hooker who sang on local radio as a child, toured with his father, and later earned Grammy nominations with his own modern blues.
Theatre & dance · 1842–1908Bronson HowardplaywrightDetroit-born son of an 1849 Detroit mayor, often called the first American to make a living as a professional playwright, author of Shenandoah and Saratoga.Chuck HughesAmerican football wide receiverLions receiver who collapsed and died on the field at Tiger Stadium in 1971, the only NFL player to die during a game; the Lions retired his No. 85.
Music · born 1964Robert Hurstjazz bassist, composer, educatorDetroit-born bassist who played with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, spent the 1990s in The Tonight Show Band, and now teaches jazz bass at the University of Michigan.Fred Hammondgospel singer, bassist, producerDetroit gospel bassist, singer and producer who played bass for the Winans, co-founded Commissioned, and became one of contemporary gospel's best-selling artists.
Sports · 1882–1951Pete Hillbaseball player and managerHall of Fame outfielder chosen by Rube Foster as the first player-manager of the Detroit Stars when the club was founded in 1919.
Sports · born 1943
John Hillerbaseball relief pitcherTigers relief pitcher whose comeback from a near-fatal 1971 heart attack to set a single-season saves record in 1973 became one of baseball's most celebrated stories of resilience.
Press & broadcasting · 1912–1979Al Hodgeradio and television actorActor who originated the Green Hornet on Detroit's WXYZ (1936–1943) before becoming television's Captain Video.
Music · born 1953Derek St. Holmessinger, guitaristDownriver-born rock singer whose voice is on Ted Nugent's classic 1970s albums, including the original “Stranglehold.”Jerome Horwitzchemist, cancer researcherDetroit chemist who in 1964 first synthesized AZT, which two decades later became the first approved drug against HIV.
Music · 1927–2007Joe Hunterpianist, bandleader, arrangerFirst leader of the Funk Brothers (1959–1964), who recruited James Jamerson and played piano on "Shop Around", "Do You Love Me" and "Heat Wave".
Music · 1913–2005Karl Haasclassical music radio host, pianist, musicologistGerman Jewish émigré who settled in Detroit and in 1959 launched Adventures in Good Music on WJR, which became the world's most widely heard classical music radio program.
Music · born 1973Deitrick Haddongospel singer, songwriter, producer, pastorDetroit-born progressive gospel singer and producer, leader of Voices of Unity, known for "Sinner's Prayer" and the reality series Preachers of L.A.Kelli HandDJ, producer, label owner“First Lady of Detroit techno”, who opened doors for Black women in electronic music and ran her own Acacia label for three decades.
Music · 1867–1922E. Azalia Hackleyconcert soprano, choral director, educator, activistDetroit-raised concert soprano and 'race musical missionary' who promoted music education for Black Americans; Detroit Public Library's Hackley Collection bears her name.
Press & broadcasting · 1819–1888John H. Harmonprinter, newspaper publisher, mayor of DetroitPrinter who came to Detroit with the 1838 Patriot raiders, rose to own the Detroit Free Press and served as Democratic mayor in 1852–1853.Lonnie Hillyerjazz trumpeterDetroit-raised bebop trumpeter who began studying with Barry Harris at 14 and spent more than a decade in Charles Mingus's bands.Mike HuckabyDJ, producer, educatorBeloved Detroit deep-house and techno DJ who held residencies at the city's key clubs and taught music production to young Detroiters.Ivy Jo Huntersongwriter, producer, singer, keyboardistDetroit-raised Motown songwriter and producer who co-wrote "Dancing in the Street" and "Ask the Lonely".
Business & brands · 1804–1870Oliver Moulton Hydemanufacturer, mayor of DetroitHardware dealer turned maker of scales and steamboat engines who was elected Detroit's mayor three times (1854, 1856 and 1857).
Military · 1756–1803Jean François HamtramckUS Army officer, first American commander of DetroitMontreal-born Revolutionary War officer who took over Detroit from the British in July 1796 and commanded it until his death; the city of Hamtramck bears his name.Marion Haydenjazz bassist, educatorDetroit bassist, a Marcus Belgrave student at Cass Tech, founding member of the all-woman band Straight Ahead and 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist.
Press & broadcasting · born 1970Stephen Hendersonjournalist, columnist, radio and TV hostDetroit-born editorial writer who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for commentary on the city's bankruptcy and hosts WDET's Detroit Today.Charles A. HillBaptist pastor, civil rights and labor activistDetroit-born pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church (1920–1968) who opened his pulpit to the UAW and led fights for integrated housing and jobs.Nicholas Hoodminister, civil rights leader, Detroit City Council memberPastor of Plymouth Congregational Church who fought urban-renewal evictions, built affordable housing and became the second Black member of Detroit's City Council.
Business & brands · 1804–1883Charles Howardshipping merchant, banker, mayor of DetroitFormer schooner captain and Great Lakes shipping agent who built railroad lines, ran two banks and was elected Detroit's mayor for 1849.
Politics · 1801–1878Henry Howardmerchant, lumberman, mayor of Detroit, state treasurerLumber and dry-goods partner who was Detroit's mayor in 1837, the year of statehood, and the first treasurer of the State of Michigan.
Business & brands · 1846–1912
J. L. Hudsonmerchant, founder of the J. L. Hudson department storeEnglish-born merchant who founded Hudson's, Detroit's legendary Woodward Avenue department store, and bankrolled the Hudson Motor Car Company.David Hackneyguitarist, songwriterGuitarist and visionary of Death, the east side Detroit trio of brothers now hailed as one of the first punk bands, and the first all-Black one.francine j. harrispoetDetroit-born poet whose Here Is the Sweet Hand won the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award and whose debut, allegiance, came out from Wayne State University Press.Erma 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.Jerry 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.Jean Hoxietennis coachHamtramck tennis coach who turned the children of Polish immigrant autoworkers into state and national champions, producing more than 300 national titlists.
Politics · 1786–1826Henry I. Huntmerchant, mayor of DetroitEarly Detroit merchant and officeholder who became mayor in 1826 and died in office that September; uncle of the Civil War artillery chief of the same name.Bobby Hackneysinger, bassist, songwriterBassist and singer of Death, the Hackney brothers' east side Detroit proto-punk trio, who brought the band back to the stage in 2009.Dannis HackneydrummerDrummer of Death, the Hackney brothers' mid-1970s Detroit trio, whose lost recordings were rediscovered in 2009 and rewrote the early history of punk.Kyle Hallhouse and techno producer, DJ, label ownerWest-side Detroit prodigy of raw house and techno, founder of the Wild Oats label and heir to a family of Detroit jazz musicians.
Jules Haltenbergerautomotive engineer and inventor, member of the Model T design teamKassa-born engineer who worked beside Galamb and Balogh in Ford's closed Model T room at Piquette, later Briscoe's chief engineer and a lifelong auto inventor.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 ↗
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