Music · 1939–1984
Marvin Gayesinger, songwriter, producerMotown's “Prince of Soul,” who lived in Detroit through the 1960s and recorded What's Going On at Hitsville U.S.A. in 1970–71.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
- 20 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
80 people · 1/2 page
Clear filtersMusic · 1939–1984Marvin Gayesinger, songwriter, producerMotown's “Prince of Soul,” who lived in Detroit through the 1960s and recorded What's Going On at Hitsville U.S.A. in 1970–71.
Film & TV · born 1975Judy Greeractress, authorDetroit-born character actress raised in Redford Township and Livonia, who writes fondly of her hometown in her memoir.
Politics · born 1959Jennifer Granholmlawyer, governor of Michigan, U.S. energy secretaryCanadian-born lawyer who launched her career in Detroit as a clerk for Judge Damon Keith and Wayne County's top lawyer, then became Michigan's first woman attorney general and governor (2003–2011).
Film & TV · 1931–2024
Mitzi Gaynoractress, dancer, singerMusical film star of South Pacific, the daughter of a Hungarian-descended musician, who spent part of her childhood in Detroit before her family moved to Hollywood.
Film & TV · born 1965David S. Goyerscreenwriter, director, producerAnn Arbor-born writer of the Blade and Dark Knight films, whose Batman v Superman turned Detroit into Gotham and Metropolis.
Sports · born 1952George Gervinbasketball shooting guardHall of Fame scorer nicknamed "the Iceman", born and raised in Detroit, who became one of the greatest shooting guards in ABA and NBA history after starring at Eastern Michigan.
Music · born 1929Berry Gordyrecord executive, producer, songwriter, film producerDetroit-born founder of Motown, who turned a house on West Grand Boulevard into Hitsville U.S.A. and built the most successful Black-owned business of its era.
Theatre & dance · born 1971Renée Elise Goldsberryactress, singerTony- and Grammy-winning Angelica Schuyler of Hamilton, who grew up partly in the Detroit area and graduated from Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills.
Sports · born 1983
Ben Gordonbasketball player, shooting guardSixth Man of the Year winner who signed a big free-agent deal with the Pistons in 2009 and spent three seasons as Detroit's instant-offense scorer off the bench.
Sports · born 1994Jerami Grantbasketball player, forwardForward who became a Pistons focal scorer for two seasons, developing into a go-to offensive option during Detroit's rebuilding years.
Comedy · born 1956David Alan Grieractor, comedianIn Living Color star and Tony-winning stage actor from Detroit, a Cass Tech graduate whose family marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the city in 1963.
Science & invention · 1927–2021Edmund GettierphilosopherPhilosopher whose three-page 1963 paper 'Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?', written while he taught at Wayne State in Detroit, created the famous Gettier problem.
Architecture & design · 1859–1934Cass GilbertarchitectArchitect of the Woolworth Building and U.S. Supreme Court who designed Detroit's Main Library on Woodward and the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle.
Science & invention · born 1940John Grinderlinguist, author, consultantLinguist who co-created neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler in the 1970s; born in Detroit.
Press & broadcasting · born 1969Sanjay Guptaneurosurgeon, CNN chief medical correspondent, authorCNN's chief medical correspondent and a practicing neurosurgeon, born and raised in the Detroit suburb of Novi to parents who were Ford engineers.Ed Gordonathletics competitor, later science teacher1932 Olympic long jump gold medalist who settled in Detroit later in life, earned a delayed college degree at Wayne State University, and taught science there until his death.
Music · born 1960Kenny Garrettjazz alto and soprano saxophonist, flutist, composerDetroit-born alto saxophonist who went straight from Mackenzie High School into the Duke Ellington Orchestra and later played in Miles Davis's band.
Science & invention · born 1981Adam Grantorganizational psychologist, authorWharton organizational psychologist and best-selling author of Give and Take and Think Again, born in West Bloomfield and raised in the Detroit suburbs.
Sports · born 1983Tim Gleasonice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played his youth hockey for the Detroit Little Caesars club before a long career elsewhere.
Sports · born 1981Willie Greenbasketball player and coachDetroit-born guard who starred at Cooley High School and the University of Detroit Mercy before a 12-year NBA career, later becoming an NBA head coach.
Sports · born 1991Langston Gallowaybasketball player, guardUndrafted guard who earned a three-year, $21 million contract with the Pistons in 2017 and spent three seasons as a steady bench scorer in Detroit.
Sports · born 1994Jared GoffAmerican football quarterbackQuarterback traded to Detroit in 2021 for Matthew Stafford who revived his career, ending the Lions' decades-long playoff-win drought and leading them to consecutive division titles.
Sports · born 1986
Thomas Greissice hockey goaltenderGerman goaltender who signed with Detroit in 2020 and posted back-to-back shutouts during his two seasons with the Red Wings.
Sports · 1911–1986Hank Greenbergbaseball first baseman, team executiveHall of Fame slugger and two-time American League MVP who spent twelve of his thirteen major league seasons with the Tigers and led Detroit to two World Series titles.
Politics · 1912–2003Martha Griffithslawyer, judge, politicianDetroit lawyer, first woman judge of the city's Recorder's Court and 20-year congresswoman who forced sex discrimination into the Civil Rights Act and pushed the ERA through the House.
Film & TV · born 1943Max GailactorBarney Miller's Detective Wojo, born in Detroit and raised on Grosse Ile in the Detroit River, who later earned an MBA at the University of Michigan.
Business & brands · born 1962Dan Gilbertbusinessman, founder of Rocket Mortgage and BedrockDetroit-born mortgage billionaire who moved Quicken Loans downtown in 2010 and bought and rebuilt dozens of city landmarks through Bedrock.
Sports · born 1984
Jonas Gustavssonice hockey goaltenderSwedish backup goaltender nicknamed "the Monster" who spent three seasons with the Red Wings and briefly caught fire during the 2012–13 season, and settled with his family in the Detroit area.
Music · 1878–1936
Ossip Gabrilowitschpianist, conductor, composerRussian-born pianist who became the first music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and made the city build Orchestra Hall for it in 1919.
Music · 1911–1991Slim Gaillardjazz singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalistJive singer of “Flat Foot Floogie” and inventor of the “Vout” language, often listed as Detroit-born, who spent his teenage years scraping a living in Detroit.
Sports · born 1963
Gerard Gallantice hockey player and coachPhysical left winger who spent nine of his eleven NHL seasons with the Red Wings, skating on Detroit's top line alongside Steve Yzerman before a long career as an NHL coach.
Sports · born 1991Josh Gattsoccer player, wingerMetro Detroit-born winger known for his speed, who built most of his career in Europe before briefly turning out for his hometown club, Detroit City FC.Wardell Grayjazz tenor saxophonistDetroit-raised tenor saxophonist who bridged swing and bebop, famous for “The Chase” with Dexter Gordon and for “Twisted,” and who got his big break in Detroit with Earl Hines.John Groganjournalist, memoiristNewspaper columnist and author of Marley & Me, born in Detroit and raised in the Oakland County lake suburb of Orchard Lake Village.
Sports · 1927–2016Bill Gadsbyice hockey defenseman and coachHall of Fame defenseman who finished his career with the Red Wings, briefly coached them and spent the rest of his life in metro Detroit.
Music · 1909–1995Josef Gingoldviolinist, teacherViolinist and legendary teacher who was concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony in the mid-1940s, between Toscanini's NBC Symphony and George Szell's Cleveland Orchestra.Joe Girardcar salesman, author and motivational speakerDetroit east-sider who sold 13,001 Chevrolets at an Eastpointe dealership and holds the Guinness record as the world's greatest car salesman.
Sports · born 1981Curtis Grandersonbaseball outfielderPopular Tigers center fielder of 2004–2009 who helped Detroit reach the 2006 World Series and joined the rare 20-20-20-20 club in 2007.
Politics · 1923–2015Robert P. Griffinlawyer, U.S. senator, state Supreme Court justiceDetroit-born, Dearborn-raised Republican who co-wrote the Landrum-Griffin labor law, told Nixon to comply with Watergate subpoenas and lost his Senate seat to Carl Levin in 1978.Judith Guestnovelist, screenwriterDetroit-born author of Ordinary People, the basis of the Oscar-winning 1980 film, and great-niece of Free Press poet Edgar Guest.Damon Guptonorchestral conductor, actorDetroit-born conductor and actor who has guest-conducted the Detroit Symphony, led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on tour and appeared in Whiplash and La La Land.
Religion · 1930–2024Thomas GumbletonCatholic auxiliary bishop, peace and social justice activistDetroit-born auxiliary bishop (1968–2006) and nationally known peace activist who spent decades as pastor of St. Leo's, a poor inner-city parish.
Sports · born 1980Antonio GatesAmerican football tight endDetroit Central High School star who never played college football yet became one of the NFL's greatest tight ends and a 2025 Hall of Famer.
Press & broadcasting · born 1964Robin Givhanfashion critic, journalistDetroit native, Renaissance High valedictorian and former Detroit Free Press writer who in 2006 became the first fashion critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Music · 1893–1962
Jean Goldkettebandleader, pianist, booking agent, ballroom operatorDetroit-based bandleader and impresario whose 1920s Victor orchestra, with Bix Beiderbecke, played his Graystone Ballroom and who launched McKinney's Cotton Pickers.
Music · born 1977King Gordyrapper, singerDetroit battle rapper and singer of the Fat Killahz, who played “Big O” in 8 Mile and made his debut album with production by Eminem.
Sports · 1900–1971Goose Goslinbaseball player, left fielderHall of Fame left fielder whose ninth-inning single won the 1935 World Series, Detroit's first championship.
Music · born 1994Tee GrizzleyrapperWest-side Detroit rapper whose 2017 prison-release anthem “First Day Out” went viral and opened the national door for a new wave of Detroit street rap.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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