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.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.
- 1,743 famous people
- 96 Detroit places
- 16 fields
Hungarian ties 21 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
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59 people · 1/2 page
Clear filtersMusic · 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.
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.
Theatre & dance · 1925–2013Julie HarrisactressOne of the great actresses of the American stage, winner of five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play, born and raised in Grosse Pointe.
Business & brands · 1913–2001Bill Hewlettengineer, entrepreneurCo-founder of Hewlett-Packard, born in Ann Arbor, where his father taught at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Film & TV · born 1953Tom Hulceactor, theater producerOscar-nominated Mozart of Amadeus, born in Detroit and raised in Plymouth, the son of a Ford Motor Company employee.
Film & TV · born 1965Mike Henryvoice actor, writer, producerFamily Guy writer and longtime voice of Cleveland Brown, born in Pontiac, Michigan.
Film & TV · born 1979Elisabeth HarnoisactressFormer child star of Disney's Adventures in Wonderland and CSI investigator Morgan Brody, born in Detroit.
Film & TV · born 1965Butch Hartmananimator, writer, producerCreator of The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom, born in Highland Park and raised in Roseville and New Baltimore in Macomb County.
Sports · born 1961Lynn Hillrock climberDetroit-born rock climber, raised in California, widely regarded as one of the greatest climbers in the sport's history for her 1993 first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan.
Music · born 1991Angel Hazerapper, singerDetroit-born rapper and singer (now performing as ROES) known for the album Dirty Gold and raw, confessional verses; they grew up in the city before moving to New York at 15.
Music · 1929–2021Barry Harrisjazz pianist, composer, educatorDetroit bebop pianist whose family home was a jam-session school for a generation of the city's jazz musicians, and who became one of jazz's great teachers.
Politics · born 1967Jon HustedpoliticianOhio Republican, U.S. senator since 2025, who was born in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak and adopted as an infant by an Ohio family.
Civil rights & activism · 1939–2016Tom Haydenactivist, author, politicianRoyal Oak-raised author of the Port Huron Statement and New Left leader who grew up in Father Coughlin's parish and later served in the California legislature.
Film & TV · 1951–2020Dan HicksactorPontiac-born actor of Evil Dead II, Darkman and Intruder, a longtime member of Sam Raimi's Michigan circle.
Film & TV · born 1983Ellen HollmanactressDetroit-born actress known for the warrior Saxa in Starz's Spartacus and roles in The Matrix Resurrections.
Sports · born 1955Mark Howeice hockey defenseman and executiveDetroit-born son of Gordie Howe, a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman who played his final NHL season for the Red Wings and then spent decades in the club's front office.
Music · 1932–2002Roland Hannajazz pianist, composer, educatorDetroit-born pianist of the city's celebrated bebop piano school, a Cass Tech graduate and longtime Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra member, knighted by Liberia in 1970.
Sports · born 1972Derian Hatcherice hockey defensemanSterling Heights native who captained Dallas to the 1999 Stanley Cup and later came home to play for the Red Wings.
Music · born 1979Mayer Hawthornesinger, producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalistAnn Arbor-raised hip-hop DJ turned soul singer whose Motown-inspired records on Stones Throw revived classic Detroit soul for a new generation.
Music · born 1937Louis Hayesjazz drummer, bandleaderDetroit-born drummer who led a band in the city's clubs before he was 16 and went on to Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley and Oscar Peterson; NEA Jazz Master 2023.
Literature · 1927–1993James Leo Herlihynovelist, playwright, actorDetroit-born author of Midnight Cowboy, whose novel became the only X-rated film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
Military · 1819–1889Henry Jackson HuntUnion general, chief of artilleryDetroit-born chief of artillery of the Army of the Potomac, whose placement of guns at Gettysburg helped shatter Pickett's Charge.
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 · 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.
Music · born 1965Robert Hoodtechno producer, DJDetroit-born founding member of Underground Resistance who went on to invent the stripped-down sound of minimal techno.
Music · 1965–2021Mike Howeheavy metal singerDownriver-born heavy metal singer who started in the Detroit band Hellion and became the voice of Metal Church in two eras.
Music · 1926–1989Kenny Hagoodjazz singerDetroit-born bebop-era ballad singer who sang with Dizzy Gillespie's big band and on Miles Davis's "Darn That Dream" from Birth of the Cool.
Politics · born 1990Abdullah Hammoudpolitician, mayor of DearbornDearborn-born son of Lebanese immigrants who in 2022 became the city's first Arab American and first Muslim mayor, in the hometown of Henry Ford.
Music · born 1976Carla Harveysinger, writerDetroit-raised metal singer, a former co-vocalist of Butcher Babies, who has spoken about loving hard rock as a biracial kid in the Detroit area.
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.
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.
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.
Music · born 1953Derek St. Holmessinger, guitaristDownriver-born rock singer whose voice is on Ted Nugent's classic 1970s albums, including the original “Stranglehold.”
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.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own.