Music · 1938–2008
Pervis Jacksonbass singerFounding bass singer and spokesman of the Spinners, famous for the "12:45" line in "Games People Play".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 · 34/37 page
Clear filtersMusic · 1938–2008Pervis Jacksonbass singerFounding bass singer and spokesman of the Spinners, famous for the "12:45" line in "Games People Play".
Religion · 1907–1971Prophet Jonespastor, televangelist and faith healerFlamboyant preacher who founded the Church of Universal Triumph, Dominion of God, in Detroit and became the first Black preacher in the city with a weekly TV show.Phat KatrapperDetroit rapper best known as J Dilla's closest early collaborator, partner in the duo 1st Down and voice of the classic Carte Blanche.
Music · 1894–1979Karl KruegerconductorKansas-born conductor who revived the Detroit Symphony during the Second World War and led it from 1943 to 1949, when his departure caused it to disband again.
Business & brands · 1874–1952John H. Kunskymovie theater magnate, broadcasterDetroit-born son of Czech immigrants who built the city's first great chain of movie palaces, from nickelodeons to the Michigan and the Fisher, then co-founded WXYZ.
Music · born 1958Julian Kytastybandurist, kobzar, composer, singerDetroit-born bandurist from a family of Ukrainian refugee musicians, trained in the city's Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, and a leading kobzar in the Western Hemisphere.
Politics · 1804–1854John Ladueleather manufacturer, mayor of DetroitLeather merchant who, as mayor in 1850, defused a crisis over a jailed fugitive slave by raising money to buy the man's freedom.
Business & brands · 1822–1908Alexander Lewisgrain merchant, mayor of DetroitWindsor-born grain and flour merchant who ran one of Detroit's largest businesses, served as police commissioner and was Democratic mayor in 1876–1877.Peter LicavoliDetroit Mafia leader, Prohibition-era bootleggerSt. Louis-born gangster who ran rum-running and gambling rackets in Detroit and Toledo during Prohibition and was a founding leader of the Detroit Partnership.
Science & invention · 1876–1954Evangeline Lodge Land Lindberghchemistry teacherDetroit-born chemistry teacher at Cass Technical High School for two decades, best known as the mother of the aviator Charles Lindbergh.Seymour Lipkinpianist, conductor, educatorDetroit-born pianist who entered the Curtis Institute at eleven, toured with Jascha Heifetz at seventeen and became Leonard Bernstein's assistant conductor.Louis St. Louissongwriter, arranger, music director, singerDetroit-born Broadway arranger and songwriter who co-wrote Sandy for the film Grease, sang on its soundtrack and scored Grease 2.Bruce Martynhockey radio broadcasterRadio voice of the Detroit Red Wings from 1964 to 1995, famous for his call "He shoots, he scores!"
Literature · born 1982Jamaal Maypoet, editor, teacherDetroit poet of Hum and The Big Book of Exit Strategies, who taught poetry in Detroit public schools and co-founded the small press Organic Weapon Arts.
Law · born 1943Isaiah McKinnonpolice officer, police chief, deputy mayor, professorOne of Detroit's first Black police officers, nearly killed by fellow officers during the 1967 uprising, who rose to chief of police (1993–1998) and later served as deputy mayor.
Notorious figures · 1897–1969Angelo Meliconsigliere and leader of the Detroit PartnershipSicilian-born baker and restaurateur who became a leader of Detroit's warring Mafia factions and the Detroit Partnership's first and longest-serving consigliere.
Politics · 1810–1884Hugh Moffatcarpenter-builder, lumberman, mayor of DetroitScottish-born carpenter who built Detroit's Mariners' Church, grew rich in lumber and, as 'Honest Hugh Moffat,' served as Republican mayor from 1872 to 1875.Scott Morgansinger, guitarist, songwriterAnn Arbor soul-rock singer who fronted the Rationals in the 1960s and later co-led Sonic's Rendezvous Band with the MC5's Fred “Sonic” Smith.Bill Munceyunlimited hydroplane racerDetroit-area hydroplane racer, "Mr. Unlimited", who won a record 62 races and eight Gold Cups after starting out on the Detroit River.James M. Nederlandertheatrical producer, theater ownerDetroit-born head of the Nederlander Organization, which grew from a Detroit opera house lease into Broadway's second-largest theater owner; a ten-time Tony winner.Joseph Z. Nederlandertheater owner and operator, producerDetroit-born Nederlander brother who stayed home to run the family's Detroit theaters, rebuilt the Fisher Theatre in 1961 and helped open Pine Knob Music Theatre.
Sports · 1939–2011Jim Northrupbaseball player, outfielderMichigan-born Tigers outfielder whose grand slam and Game 7 triple were key blows in the 1968 World Series.Stanley NowakUAW organizer, Michigan state senatorPolish-American organizer who brought Detroit's Polish autoworkers into the UAW in the 1930s and served as a pro-labor Michigan state senator.
Music · born 1963Alan Oldhamtechno DJ, producer, graphic artist, painterDetroit radio host, comic artist and techno DJ known as DJ T-1000, who drew techno's early record art and toured with Underground Resistance.Omar-Selectronic producer, DJ, label ownerDetroit house and techno producer who has run the independent FXHE label since 2003 and became a mentor to younger local artists.Kevyn Orrbankruptcy lawyer, Detroit emergency managerBankruptcy lawyer appointed by Governor Rick Snyder as Detroit's emergency manager, who took the city into the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history in 2013 and out of it in December 2014.
Business & brands · 1852–1929John Pridgeon Jr.shipping executive, mayor of DetroitDetroit-born son of a shipping captain who ran the family's vessels and the Detroit & Windsor Ferry and served as Democratic mayor in 1888–1889.Dick Purtanradio host, comedianDetroit morning-radio comedian for 45 years, from WKNR 'Keener 13' in 1965 to WOMC in 2010, whose on-air charity drives raised millions for the Salvation Army.Bill Rauhauserphotographer, educatorDetroit street photographer who documented the city from the 1940s onward and taught photography at the College for Creative Studies for over thirty years.
Labor · 1909–1968Roy ReutherUAW organizer and political directorMiddle Reuther brother, a leader of the 1936–1937 Flint sit-down strike and later the UAW's political action chief and civil rights ally.
Labor · 1912–2004Victor ReutherUAW organizer and education directorYoungest of the organizing Reuther brothers, a key voice of the 1936–1937 sit-down strikes and the UAW's education and international director.Jeffrey Sellertheatrical producerBroadway producer from Oak Park, Michigan, behind Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights and Hamilton, who invented Broadway's rush and lottery tickets.
Press & broadcasting · 1926–2020Robin Seymourdisc jockey, TV dance-show hostDetroit-born DJ who pioneered rock and roll on WKMH from 1947 and hosted the TV dance shows Teen Town and Swingin' Time, a showcase for Motown and Detroit rock acts.
Law · 1922–1994Otis M. Smithlawyer, Michigan Supreme Court justice, GM general counselFirst African American justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1961–1966), who then rose to vice president and general counsel of General Motors at its Detroit headquarters.Martha Jean Steinbergradio broadcaster, station owner, minister"The Queen" of Detroit soul radio on WCHB and WJLB, who pleaded for calm on air during the 1967 uprising and later bought her own gospel station, WQBH.
Music · born 1978Jason Stollsteimersinger, guitarist, songwriter, producerSinger and main songwriter of the Von Bondies, one of the breakout bands of Detroit's early-2000s garage rock scene, known for “C'mon C'mon.”
Visual art · 1867–1961Mary Chase Perry Strattonceramic artist, founder of Pewabic PotteryCeramic artist who co-founded Pewabic Pottery in 1903, whose iridescent tiles decorate the Guardian Building, the DIA and churches across Detroit.Nolan StrongsingerHigh-tenor lead of the Diablos, Detroit's leading pre-Motown doo-wop group on Fortune Records ("The Wind"), and a key early influence on Smokey Robinson.Ron SweedTV horror host, comedian, disc jockeyCleveland's 'The Ghoul', a late-night horror-movie host whose firecrackers, Cheez Whiz and rubber frog Froggy made him a cult figure for Detroit kids on WKBD Channel 50 in the 1970s.
Labor · 1900–1967R. J. Thomasthird president of the United Auto Workers (1939–1946)Chrysler worker who rose from Detroit's assembly lines to lead the UAW through World War II, between Homer Martin and Walter Reuther.James Toccoconcert pianistDetroit-born concert pianist, the youngest of thirteen children of Sicilian immigrants, who co-founded the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Bloomfield Hills.John Toddradio and stage actorVeteran Shakespearean stage actor who voiced Tonto on WXYZ's The Lone Ranger from February 1933 to the final broadcast in 1954, and died in Detroit.
Politics · 1800–1883Charles C. Trowbridgeexplorer, ethnographer, banker, mayor of DetroitExplorer and early ethnographer of Michigan's Native peoples who became a leading Detroit banker, briefly served as mayor in 1834 and built what is likely the city's oldest surviving house.Johnny Trudelltrumpeter, flugelhornist, bandleader, composerCass Tech-trained Detroit trumpeter who organized and led Motown's brass section in the 1960s and remained a mainstay of the city's jazz scene for decades.Jaan Uhelszkimusic journalist, editorDetroit-raised co-founder of Creem and one of the first women in rock journalism, famous for performing onstage with Kiss in full makeup.
Music · born 1975Waajeedproducer, DJ, visual artistConant Gardens-raised producer and Slum Village insider who moved from J Dilla-era hip-hop to Detroit house with his Dirt Tech Reck label.
Civil rights & activism · 1912–2001Charleszetta WaddlesPentecostal minister, founder of the Mother Waddles Perpetual MissionPentecostal minister known as Mother Waddles who for more than four decades fed, clothed and trained Detroit's poor through her Perpetual Mission.
Business & brands · 1833–1891William W. Wheatonwholesale grocer, mayor of DetroitConnecticut-born wholesale grocer who was elected Detroit's mayor twice, serving 1868–1871, and later sat in the Michigan House.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 ↗