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.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
- 12 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
17 people
Clear filtersFilm & 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 · 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.
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.
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.
Sports · 1922–1990Nathaniel Cliftonbasketball and baseball playerOne of the first African American players in the NBA, who closed his basketball career with the Pistons after their move to Detroit, then joined the Negro-league Detroit Stars.
Sports · 1928–1986Jack ChristiansenAmerican football safety and return specialistHall of Fame safety whose name was given to the Lions' famed 1950s secondary, "Chris's Crew", and one of the most dangerous punt returners in NFL history.
Politics · 1928–1979Jerome Cavanaghlawyer, mayor of DetroitDetroit-born Kennedy-era liberal who won an upset in 1961, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 and was mayor during the 1967 uprising; first mayor to live in the Manoogian Mansion.
Press & broadcasting · 1928–2016Paul Careyradio broadcasterWJR announcer for 36 years and Ernie Harwell's longtime partner on Tigers radio, known for his deep baritone.
Civil rights & activism · 1920–2002Lily Chincivil rights activistChinese immigrant mother of Vincent Chin who, after his 1982 killing, became the moral voice of the national campaign for justice that launched the Asian American civil rights movement.
Law · 1924–2022Avern Cohnlawyer, federal judgeDetroit-born lawyer and civic leader who chaired the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners and served as a federal judge in Detroit for more than four decades (1979–2022).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 ↗