Film & TV · born 1939
Francis 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.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.
- 1,940 famous people
- 515 Detroit places
- 20 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
138 people · 1/3 page
Clear filtersFilm & 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 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.
Science & invention · 1911–1997Melvin CalvinbiochemistNobel Prize–winning chemist who traced how plants turn carbon dioxide into sugar; he grew up in Detroit, where his parents kept a grocery store, and finished Central High School in 1928.
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.
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.
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.
Science & invention · born 1951Ben Carsonpediatric neurosurgeon, author, politicianDetroit-born pediatric neurosurgeon who led the first separation of twins joined at the back of the head, later a presidential candidate and U.S. housing secretary.
Film & TV · born 1966Dean Cainactor, producer, former football playerTV's 1990s Superman in Lois & Clark was born at Selfridge Air Force Base in Macomb County, northeast of Detroit.
Auto industry · 1875–1940Walter P. Chryslerfounder of Chrysler CorporationKansas railroad mechanic who ran Buick, founded Chrysler Corporation in Detroit in 1925 and made it one of the Big Three by buying Dodge in 1928.
Music · born 1941George Clintonsinger, songwriter, producer, bandleaderLeader of Parliament-Funkadelic, who worked as a Motown staff writer and built P-Funk on Detroit labels and in Detroit studios such as United Sound Systems.
Sports · 1886–1961Ty Cobbbaseball player, center fielder, player-managerWidely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, Cobb played 22 of his 24 major-league seasons with the Detroit Tigers and served as the team's player-manager for his last six.
Notorious figures · 1873–1901Leon Czolgoszanarchist, assassin of President William McKinleyDetroit-born wireworker and anarchist who shot President William McKinley in Buffalo in 1901; his birth in the city is his main tie to Detroit.
Science & invention · 1864–1929Charles Horton CooleysociologistPioneer of American sociology who coined the 'looking-glass self'; he spent his whole life in Ann Arbor and taught the University of Michigan's first sociology course.
Auto industry · 1878–1941
Louis Chevroletracing driver, engineer, co-founder of ChevroletSwiss-born racer who designed the first Chevrolet in a Detroit workshop in 1911 and later returned to the city's factories as a mechanic.
Science & invention · 1872–1942Heber Doust CurtisastronomerAstronomer who argued in the 1920 'Great Debate' that spiral nebulae are other galaxies; he went to school and briefly taught Latin in Detroit, and later ran the University of Michigan's observatories.Art Clokeyanimator, director, producerCreator of Gumby, born Arthur Farrington in Detroit, who named his clay hero after the sticky 'gumbo' mud of his grandfather's Michigan farm.
Film & TV · 1935–2019Seymour CasselactorOscar-nominated star of John Cassavetes's independent films and Wes Anderson favorite, who grew up in Detroit and started out building theater props there.
Music · 1937–2007Alice Coltranejazz pianist, harpist, composer, spiritual leaderDetroit-born pianist and harpist, a Cass Tech product who played the city's jazz clubs before joining and marrying John Coltrane and pioneering spiritual jazz.
Sports · 1889–1972Ralph Craigtrack and field athlete, sprinterDetroit-born sprinter who won Olympic gold in both the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 1912 Stockholm Games, later carrying the American flag at the 1948 Olympics.
Music · 1929–1998Betty Carterjazz singer, bandleader, educatorFlint-born, Detroit-raised jazz singer famed for her daring scat and phrasing, who won a Paradise Theatre talent contest and sat in with Parker and Gillespie before joining Lionel Hampton.
Music · born 1937Ron Carterjazz double bassist, cellist, composerBorn in suburban Ferndale and trained at Detroit's Cass Tech, he became the most-recorded bassist in jazz history and anchored Miles Davis's 1960s quintet.
Politics · 1782–1866Lewis Cassterritorial governor, U.S. senator, secretary of stateGovernor of Michigan Territory from Detroit for 18 years and 1848 Democratic presidential nominee; Cass Avenue and Cass Tech bear his name, and he rests at Elmwood.
Politics · 1929–2019John Conyerspolitician, lawyerDetroit's congressman for more than half a century (1965–2017), the longest-serving African American member of Congress and Rosa Parks's longtime employer.
Sports · born 1993Kentavious Caldwell-Popebasketball player, shooting guardEighth overall pick in 2013 who became the Pistons' starting shooting guard for four seasons and their best perimeter defender before winning NBA titles elsewhere.
Sports · 1941–2015Henry CarrsprinterTwo-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter who grew up in Detroit and set state records at Northwestern High School before starring at Arizona State.
Sports · born 1959Rick Carlislebasketball coach, former playerHall-of-Fame-caliber coach who ran the Pistons bench for two seasons, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals before Detroit let him go with a year left on his contract.
Press & broadcasting · 1891–1979
Charles CoughlinCatholic priest, radio broadcaster, political agitatorThe Royal Oak 'Radio Priest' whose 1930s broadcasts from the Shrine of the Little Flower reached tens of millions before turning to antisemitism and support for fascism.
Film & TV · born 1976Jessica Cauffielactress, singerLegally Blonde's Margot and White Chicks' Tori, a Detroit native who moved to Chelsea as a teen and studied musical theater at the University of Michigan.
Film & TV · born 1956Vondie Curtis-Hallactor, film and television directorDetroit-born actor and director, Dr. Dennis Hancock on Chicago Hope, who wrote and directed the Detroit-set cult film Gridlock'd.
Film & TV · born 1991Garrett Claytonactor, singer, dancerDearborn-born actor and singer who started out in his high school drama club and starred in Disney's Teen Beach Movie and NBC's Hairspray Live!
Science & invention · 1919–1974Clyde CowanphysicistCo-discoverer of the neutrino in the 1956 Cowan–Reines experiment, born in Detroit.
Music · 1935–1969Paul Chambersjazz double bassistHard-bop bassist raised in Detroit, trained at Cass Tech and by a Detroit Symphony bassist, who anchored Miles Davis's first great quintet.
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.Rex Cawleytrack and field athlete, 400-meter hurdlerHighland Park-born hurdler who set a world record and won Olympic gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Sports · born 1962Chris Cheliosice hockey defensemanHall of Fame defenseman who joined the Red Wings in 1999, won Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008 and played in Detroit into his late forties.Elden Campbellbasketball forward and centerVeteran big man who turned down bigger offers to join the Pistons in 2003 and became a key defensive piece off the bench for Detroit's 2004 championship team.
Sports · born 1979Swin Cashbasketball player, broadcaster, executiveWNBA Hall of Famer who was the second overall pick of the Detroit Shock in 2002 and led the team to championships in 2003 and 2006.Derrick Colemanbasketball player, entrepreneurSyracuse star raised in Detroit who returned late in his career to play for the Pistons, then came home for good as a local developer and Flint water crisis volunteer.
Press & broadcasting · born 1943E. Jean Carrolljournalist, advice columnist, authorDetroit-born journalist whose Ask E. Jean column ran in Elle for 26 years and who later won major civil verdicts against Donald Trump.
Comedy · born 1959Dave Couliercomedian, actor, voice actorFull House's Joey Gladstone, born in Detroit and raised in St. Clair Shores, who started in stand-up at Royal Oak's Comedy Castle, where he met Bob Saget.
Film & TV · 1913–1984Bob Clampettanimator, director, puppeteerLooney Tunes director and creator of Beany and Cecil, who died in Detroit in 1984 while touring to promote his cartoons on home video.
Sports · born 1996Kyle Connorice hockey forwardMetro Detroit-born NHL forward for the Winnipeg Jets who learned the game in the Belle Tire youth hockey program before starring at the University of Michigan.
Film & TV · 1924–1973Wally Coxactor, comedianStar of early TV's Mister Peepers and voice of Underdog, born in Detroit and a graduate of the city's Denby High School.Myndy CristactressFilm and television actress with more than 50 screen credits, born in Detroit and raised in Marin County, California.
Sports · born 1987Joe Cadaprofessional poker playerPoker pro from Shelby Township in Macomb County who won the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event at 21, then the youngest champion ever.
Politics · 1813–1879Zachariah Chandlermerchant, mayor of Detroit, U.S. senatorDetroit merchant and abolitionist who backed the Underground Railroad, served as mayor in 1851 and became Michigan's Radical Republican boss in the U.S. Senate.
Sports · born 1990Will Clyburnbasketball playerDetroit-born forward who starred at Romulus High School before a college career at three schools and a long professional career in Europe, winning EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2019.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 ↗