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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.

1,912 famous people
135 Detroit places
20 fields

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Music · 1943–2022J. J. Barnessinger, songwriterDetroit soul singer whose Ric-Tic and Groovesville records, including "Baby Please Come Back Home", became northern soul favorites.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1944–2015Ortheia BarnesR&B and jazz singer, ministerDetroit R&B and jazz singer, sister of J. J. Barnes, who opened for Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight and later entered the ministry.Detroit career

Music · born 1943Annette BeardsingerDetroit-born original Vandella who sang on "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave" and "Quicksand" before leaving in 1964.Born hereGrew up here

Visual art · born 1946McArthur BinionpainterAbstract painter raised in Detroit, the first Black MFA graduate in painting from Cranbrook, who founded an artists' residency in the city in 2019.Grew up hereStudied here

Literature · born 1948Pearl Cleageplaywright, novelist, essayist, poetAtlanta playwright and Oprah-picked novelist who grew up in Detroit as the daughter of the Rev. Albert Cleage, founder of the Shrine of the Black Madonna.Grew up here

Music · born 1944Juanita CowartsingerOriginal Marvelette from Inkster who sang on "Please Mr. Postman" and left the group in 1963; the last surviving member of the group.Grew up hereDetroit career

Music · 1940–1985Lonnie Hillyerjazz trumpeterDetroit-raised bebop trumpeter who began studying with Barry Harris at 14 and spent more than a decade in Charles Mingus's bands.Grew up here

Music · 1940–2022Ivy Jo Huntersongwriter, producer, singer, keyboardistDetroit-raised Motown songwriter and producer who co-wrote "Dancing in the Street" and "Ask the Lonely".Born hereGrew up here

Literature · born 1948Lawrence Josephpoet, essayist, lawyer, law professorDetroit-born Lebanese-Syrian American poet and law professor whose poems about work, violence, law and money often return to the Detroit of his youth.Born hereGrew up here

Music · born 1944Betty KellysingerFormer Velvelette who replaced Annette Beard in Martha and the Vandellas in 1964 and sang in the lineup behind "Nowhere to Run" and "I'm Ready for Love".Detroit career

Music · born 1948Bill Kirchenguitarist, singer, songwriterAnn Arbor–raised guitarist of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, whose twangy solo on “Hot Rod Lincoln” earned him the title “Titan of the Telecaster.”Grew up hereDetroit career

Music · born 1948Lois ReevessingerMartha Reeves's younger sister, who joined Martha and the Vandellas in 1967 and still lives and performs in Detroit.Born hereGrew up here

Music · born 1946Harmonica Shahblues harmonica player, singerOakland-born harmonica player who moved to Detroit in 1967, worked at Ford and drove a cab, and became a leading voice of later Detroit blues.Moved hereDetroit career

Visual art · born 1940Leni Sinclairphotographer, activistGerman-born photographer who documented Detroit's jazz and rock underground from the 1960s, co-founded the Detroit Artists Workshop and the White Panther Party, and still lives in Detroit.Moved hereDetroit career

Literature · born 1941Toi Derricottepoet, memoirist, teacherFrost Medal–winning poet and co-founder of Cave Canem, born in Hamtramck and educated in Detroit, whose first book came out from Detroit's Lotus Press.Born hereGrew up here

Visual art · 1946–2014Gary Grimshawgraphic artist, rock poster designer, light-show artistLincoln Park–raised poster artist who designed the Grande Ballroom's very first poster in 1966 and gave Detroit's rock revolution its psychedelic look.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1942–2021Louis 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.Born here

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.Moved hereDetroit career

Film & TV · 1949–2019Ron 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.Detroit career

Music · born 1943James 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.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1942–2009Lyman Woodardjazz organist, bandleaderDetroit-based Hammond organist, Martha and the Vandellas' musical director, whose Lyman Woodard Organization made the 1975 jazz-funk cult album Saturday Night Special.Detroit career

Press & broadcasting · born 1945George Blahasports broadcasterDetroit-born play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons since 1976, the longest-serving broadcaster in the team's history.Born hereDetroit career

Music · 1941–2021Gil Bridgessaxophonist, flutist, singerDetroit-born founder of Rare Earth, the first all-white band signed to Motown, whose 1970 version of "Get Ready" reached No. 4 on the Hot 100.Born hereGrew up here

Politics · born 1947Sheila Cockrelactivist, city councilwoman, consultantRadical organizer, widow of Ken Cockrel Sr. and stepmother of Ken Cockrel Jr., who served on the Detroit City Council for fifteen years (1994–2009).Detroit career

Music · 1949–1996Ken Collierclub DJBlack, gay Detroit DJ who bridged Motown-era soul and disco with house and techno and mentored a generation from the decks of Todd's and Club Heaven.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1940–1985James Frazierconductor, composerDetroit-born conductor, the son of a city sanitation worker, who won Italy's Cantelli Award in 1969 and composed a King Requiem premiered in Detroit.Born hereGrew up here

Press & broadcasting · born 1942Jerry 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.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1941–1981Hubert JohnsonsingerOriginal bass singer of the Contours and cousin of Jackie Wilson, whose connection helped the group sign with Motown.Born hereGrew up here

Press & broadcasting · born 1948Harvey Ovshinskyjournalist, broadcaster, documentary producer, teacherDetroit storyteller who founded the underground newspaper Fifth Estate at 17 in 1965, then chronicled the city for decades on radio and television.Grew up hereDetroit career

Music · born 1943Michael Quatrokeyboardist, songwriter, promoterDetroit keyboard prodigy and eldest brother of Suzi and Patti Quatro, who mixed Bach with rock, promoted festivals and managed his sisters' band Cradle.Born hereGrew up here

Music · born 1943Paul Riserarranger, trombonistCass Tech-trained trombonist who became one of Motown's key arrangers, scoring "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".Detroit careerStudied here

Music · born 1944Peter Riverasinger, drummerDetroit-born lead singer and drummer of Rare Earth, Motown's rock band, whose voice carried “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate.”Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1948–2020Rance Allengospel singer, songwriter, bishopMonroe, Michigan-born gospel singer with a huge vocal range, who founded the Rance Allen Group in Detroit in 1969 and was signed by Stax after a Detroit talent contest.Born hereDetroit career

Music · 1944–2021George Fraynepianist, singer, bandleader, painterAs Commander Cody, the University of Michigan art student founded the Lost Planet Airmen in Ann Arbor in 1967, pioneering boogie-woogie country rock and the hit “Hot Rod Lincoln.”Detroit careerStudied here

Music · born 1948Patti Quatroguitarist, singer, bandleaderFounder of the Pleasure Seekers, the all-female Detroit garage band she started in 1964 with her sister Suzi Quatro, one of the first women's rock bands on a major label.Born hereGrew up here

Music · 1945–1982Abrim Tilmonsinger, songwriter, arrangerSongwriter and leader of the Detroit Emeralds, who wrote all their hits, including "Do Me Right" and "Feel the Need in Me", for the Detroit labels Ric-Tic and Westbound.Moved hereDetroit career

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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