Famous people's places / Detroit – West Side
Northwestern High School
West-side Detroit high school since 1912 whose alumni include John Conyers, Casey Kasem, James Jamerson, Mary Wells and Willie Horton.
01 / The story of this place
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Northwestern High School opened in 1912 in a Malcomson & Higginbotham building at Grand River Avenue and West Grand Boulevard, and its enrollment grew tenfold by the late 1930s. In the 1920s the Colts piled up state titles in swimming, track and basketball. The alumni roster is astonishing. Albert Cleage Jr., who founded the Shrine of the Black Madonna, finished in 1929. Congressman John Conyers graduated in 1947 before joining the National Guard, and future radio legend Casey Kasem got his first taste of broadcasting by covering sports as a Northwestern student. Motown bassist James Jamerson graduated in 1954, singer Mary Wells studied here, and Tigers slugger Willie Horton graduated in 1960. In 1980 a larger new building opened just to the east, on West Grand Boulevard at Lawton Street, and the old school was torn down that fall; Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church has stood on the original site since 2001. The school has also gone by the name Detroit Collegiate Preparatory Academy at Northwestern, and since 2015 it has served Highland Park students as well.
- Opened in 1912; the Colts won many state titles in the 1920s
- John Conyers graduated in 1947; Casey Kasem started broadcasting here
- Motown's James Jamerson and Mary Wells, and Tiger Willie Horton, studied here
- Current building opened in 1980; the original was torn down that year
- Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church stands on the original site
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 20
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Casey Kasem 1932–2014 · radio host, disc jockey, voice actor
Studied here
Detroit public high school where Kasem got his first on-air experience covering sports.
- John Conyers 1929–2019 · politician, lawyer
Studied here
The West Side high school he graduated from before joining the National Guard in 1948.
- Henry Carr 1941–2015 · sprinter
Studied here
The Detroit high school where Carr set state sprint records; its current operating status was not verified for this entry.
- Ray Parker Jr. born 1954 · guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer
Studied here
Detroit public high school from which he graduated in 1971.
- James Jamerson 1936–1983 · bassist (Funk Brothers session musician)
Studied here
His high school, where he started on the upright bass; he graduated in 1954. The school now operates as Detroit Collegiate Preparatory Academy at Northwestern.
- Mary Wells 1943–1992 · singer, songwriter
Studied here
Her high school; she graduated shortly before signing with Motown. The school now operates as Detroit Collegiate Preparatory Academy at Northwestern.
- Melvin Franklin 1942–1995 · bass singer
Studied here
He attended school here with Otis Williams, his future Temptations partner.
- Norman Whitfield 1940–2008 · songwriter, record producer
Studied here
He finished high school here after his family moved from New York to Detroit.
- Otis Williams born 1941 · singer, founder of the Temptations
Studied here
Classmate of Melvin Franklin here; the two formed the Distants, forerunners of the Temptations.
- Wendell Harrison born 1942 · jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, label founder, educator
Studied here
West-side high school where Harrison switched from clarinet to tenor saxophone.
- Lloyd Richards 1919–2006 · theatre director, actor, educator
Studied here
Richards attended this west-side Detroit high school after McMichael Middle School.
- Johnny Desmond 1919–1985 · singer, entertainer
Studied here
West-side high school that Desmond attended.
- Willie Horton born 1942 · baseball player, left fielder
Studied here
His high school, city baseball champion in 1959; the school has since closed.
- Deon Estus 1956–2021 · bassist, singer
Studied here
Detroit high school where he sang in Brazel Dennard's choir.
- Damon Keith 1922–2019 · federal judge, civil rights lawyer
Studied here
The West Side public high school he graduated from in 1939.
- Naomi Long Madgett 1923–2020 · poet, publisher, teacher
Worked here
Where she spent most of her 12 years teaching the Detroit schools' first Black literature course.
- Joe Weaver 1934–2006 · blues and R&B pianist, singer, bandleader
Studied here
West-side high school where Weaver and Johnnie Bassett formed the Bluenotes.
- Pearl Cleage born 1948 · playwright, novelist, essayist, poet
Studied here
She graduated from this Detroit public high school in 1966.
- Richard "Popcorn" Wylie 1939–2008 · pianist, bandleader, songwriter, producer
Studied here
He led Popcorn and the Mohawks here with future Motown musicians.
- Brazeal Dennard 1929–2010 · choral director, singer, arranger, educator
Worked here
Dennard headed the fine arts department of this west-side high school before becoming the district's director of music education.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
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Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
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Official website & visitor information ↗