42.3301° N, 83.0462° W

DETROIT

Most Famous People Born in Detroit, United States

Notable people
3,099
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1949
Most distinctive
Basket 4.6×

Motown, and everything Motown taught the rest of American music. Detroit's distinctive shelves run to basketball, baseball, hockey, and a music industry — singers, producers, novelists — that reads like the statistical fingerprint of a postwar Black working-class city that built a national sound and kept rebuilding one. Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Jack White, and Eminem all grew up inside a few miles of each other.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Detroit during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 458 notable births.

What Detroit Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Detroit's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (290).

Detroit over-indexes on basket4.6× the global rate.

Detroit under-produces politician — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Football290
  2. Actor242
  3. Politician227
  4. Basket179
  5. Music158
  6. Baseball157
  7. Singer156
  8. Hockey117
  1. Basket1794.6×
  2. Baseball1574.5×
  3. Music1583.6×
  4. Producer313.5×
  5. Hockey1173.2×
  6. Novelist383.1×
  7. Boxer332.7×
  8. Singer1562.4×
  1. Politician2270.6×
  2. Writer660.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Detroit's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All3,099
Sort By

3,099 notable people

0601 PRODUCER

DJ Rolando

-

Preview
0602 SKATER

Connie Paraskevin

Born 1961

Preview
0603 ACTOR

Phyllis Povah

1893 - 1975

Preview
0604 SONGWRITER

Henry Cosby

1928 - 2002

Preview
0605 PHYSICIST

Anthony E. Siegman

1931 - 2011

Preview
0606 MUSIC

Pheeroan akLaff

Born 1955

Preview
0607 BASKET

Johnny Davis (basketball)

Born 1955

Preview
0608 POLITICIAN

Barbara-Rose Collins

Born 1939

Preview
0609 SINGER

Chico DeBarge

Born 1966

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0610 ACTOR

Maureen Anderman

Born 1946

Preview
0611 ARTIST

John Nelson (visual effects artist)

Born 1953

Preview
0612 ACTOR

Marilyn Nash

1926 - 2011

Preview
0613 LAWYER

Greg Mathis

Born 1960

Preview
0614 POLITICIAN

Thomas W. Palmer

1830 - 1913

Preview
0615 ATTORNEY

Chokwe Lumumba

1947 - 2014

Preview
0616 SINGER

Johnny Desmond

1919 - 1985

Preview
0617 BASEBALL

Milt Pappas

1939 - 2016

Preview
0618 BASKET

Willie Burton

Born 1968

Preview
0619 GOVERNOR

Matthew E. Welsh

1912 - 1995

Preview
0620 MUSIC

Gerald Cleaver (musician)

Born 1963

Preview
0621 ACTOR

Barbara Tarbuck

1942 - 2016

Preview
0622 SINGER

June Carroll

1917 - 2004

Preview
0623 FOOTBALL

Tyrone Crawford

Born 1989

Preview
0624 WRITER

Malcolm Bosse

1926 - 2002

Preview
0625 BASKET

Voshon Lenard

Born 1973

Preview
0626 ECONOMIST

Jeffrey Miron

Born 1957

Preview
0627 MUSIC

Eddie Locke

1930 - 2009

Preview
0628 SINGER

El DeBarge

Born 1961

Preview
0629 BASKET

Ralph Simpson

Born 1949

Preview
0630 POLITICIAN

Mike Duggan

Born 1958

Preview
0631 FOOTBALL

Chance Warmack

Born 1991

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0632 SKI

Lindsey Van

Born 1984

Preview
0633 DIPLOMAT

John C. Kornblum

Born 1943

Preview
0634 PROFESSOR

Martin Julian Buerger

1903 - 1986

Preview
0635 HOCKEY

Craig Patrick

Born 1946

Preview
0636 RABBI

Lawrence Kushner

Born 1943

Preview
0637 ECONOMIST

Lawrence Bacow

Born 1951

Preview
0638 NOVELIST

Colleen Gleason

Born 1960

Preview
0639 JOURNALIST

John Sieg

1903 - 1942

Preview
0640 PRODUCER

Ollie E. Brown

Born 1952

Preview
0641 MUSIC

John Lee Hooker Jr.

Born 1952

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0642 EDITOR

Robin Givhan

Born 1965

Preview
0643 BASKET

Terry Tyler

Born 1956

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0644 ACTOR

Shanésia Davis-Williams

Born 1966

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0645 MUSIC

Nathan Watts

Born 1954

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0646 MUSIC

Oliver Jackson

1933 - 1994

Preview
0647 BASKET

Derrick Gervin

Born 1963

Preview
0648 PRIEST

John Clayton Nienstedt

Born 1947

Preview
0649 MUSIC

Earl Van Dyke

1930 - 1992

Preview
0650 ACTOR

Nicki Micheaux

Born 1971

Preview
0651 MUSIC

Cameron Brown (musician)

Born 1945

Preview
0652 HOCKEY

Brett Bellemore

Born 1988

Preview
0653 ACTOR

Joyce Randolph

Born 1924

Preview
0654 COMPOSER

J. Moss

Born 1971

Preview
0655 BASKET

Carlos Rogers (basketball)

Born 1971

Preview
0656 ACTOR

Max Thayer

Born 1946

Preview
0657 FILM

Harry Keramidas

Born 1940

Preview
0658 THEOLOGIAN

Agnes Mary Mansour

1931 - 2004

Preview
0659 FOOTBALL

Antonio Granger

Born 1976

Preview
0660 BASKET

Jamie Arnold (basketball)

Born 1975

Preview
0661 SWIMMER

Jeff Farrell

Born 1937

Preview
0662 BASKET

Dominique Johnson

Born 1987

Preview
0663 BASKET

Derrick Dial

Born 1975

Preview
0664 HOCKEY

Alan Quine

Born 1993

Preview
0665 JOURNALIST

Daniel Okrent

Born 1948

Preview
0666 PRIEST

Michael J. Byrnes

Born 1958

Preview
0667 BASKET

John Brisker

1947 - 1985

Preview
0668 ACTOR

Joyce Reynolds (actress)

Born 1924

Preview
0669 BOXER

Frank Tate (boxer)

Born 1964

Preview
0670 COMEDIAN

Charlie Hill

1951 - 2013

Preview
0671 BASKET

Bill Jones (basketball, born 1966)

Born 1966

Preview
0672 RAPPER

Illa J

Born 1986

Preview
0673 BASKET

Doug Smith (basketball)

Born 1969

Preview
0674 ACADEMIC

H. Wiley Hitchcock

1923 - 2007

Preview
0675 ACTOR

Isabelle Nélisse

Born 2003

Preview
0676 GOLF

Calvin Peete

1943 - 2015

Preview
0677 HISTORIAN

William Roger Louis

Born 1936

Preview
0678 BASEBALL

Art Houtteman

1927 - 2003

Preview
0679 PASTOR

Leonard Bacon

1802 - 1881

Preview
0680 MATHEMATICIAN

Marc Levine (mathematician)

Born 1952

Preview
0681 POET

Brad Leithauser

Born 1953

Preview
0682 PRODUCER

Barry Crane

1927 - 1985

Preview
0683 ACTOR

Byron Allen

Born 1961

Preview
0684 CONDUCTOR

Warren Benson

1924 - 2005

Preview
0685 BASKET

Gino Sovran

1924 - 2016

Preview
0686 PAINTER

Amy Sillman

Born 1954

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0687 ACTOR

Michael C. Gwynne

Born 1942

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0688 ACTOR

Faye Runaway

Born 1987

Preview
0689 AUTHOR

Jerry Dumas

1930 - 2016

Preview
0690 BASKET

Edmond Sumner

Born 1995

Preview
0691 ACTOR

Julie Atlas Muz

Born 1973

Preview
0692 FOOTBALL

Alan Ball (American football)

Born 1985

Preview
0693 PAINTER

Julius Rolshoven

1858 - 1930

Preview
0694 HOCKEY

Marty Howe

Born 1954

Preview
0695 MUSIC

Dave Riley

1960 - 2019

Preview
0696 FOOTBALL

Cullen Jenkins

Born 1981

Preview
0697 FOOTBALL

Brandon Jackson (American football)

Born 1985

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0698 DIVER

Gary Tobian

Born 1935

Preview
0699 MUSIC

Deon Estus

Born 1956

Preview
0700 SINGER

Marv Johnson

1938 - 1993

Preview
0701 FILM

Stacie Passon

Born 1969

Preview
0702 HOCKEY

Eric Wellwood

Born 1990

Preview
0703 SINGER

Barbara Randolph

1942 - 2002

Preview
0704 ACTOR

Marlene Willoughby

Born 1948

Preview
0705 CINEMA

Nancy Schreiber

Born 1949

Preview
0706 PHILOSOPHER

Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge

1867 - 1940

Preview
0707 PAINTER

George Randolph Barse

1861 - 1938

Preview
0708 MUSIC

Guilty Simpson

Born 1980

Preview
0709 BASKET

Kelly Williams

Born 1982

Preview
0710 HOCKEY

Gordie Roberts

Born 1957

Preview
0711 SINGER

Jimmie Wilson (singer)

Born 1981

Preview
0712 POLITICIAN

Michael Chong

Born 1971

Preview
0713 BASKET

Andrew DeClercq

Born 1973

Preview
0714 ACTOR

Diamond White (singer)

Born 1999

Preview
0715 TRUMPET

Sam Donahue

1918 - 1974

Preview
0716 FOLKLORIST

Jeremiah Curtin

1835 - 1906

Preview
0717 LAWYER

Richard Rohmer

Born 1924

Preview
0718 SPRINT

Lorenzo Wright

1926 - 1972

Preview
0719 DIPLOMAT

George Argyros

Born 1937

Preview
0720 SINGER

Detail (record producer)

-

Preview
0721 SINGER

Lawrence Payton

1938 - 1997

Preview
0722 ARTIST

Anne Wilson (artist)

Born 1949

Preview
0723 MUSIC

Teri Thornton

1934 - 2000

Preview
0724 MUSIC

Sugar Chile Robinson

Born 1938

Preview
0725 BOTANIST

Douglas Houghton Campbell

1859 - 1953

Preview
0726 ACTOR

Theresa Tilly

Born 1953

Preview
0727 HOCKEY

Don Waddell

Born 1958

Preview
0728 BOXER

Steve McCrory

1964 - 2000

Preview
0729 PRIEST

Thomas Gumbleton

Born 1930

Preview
0730 MILITAR

Oliver Sipple

1941 - 1989

Preview
0731 PRODUCER

Marc Kinchen

Born 1972

Preview
0732 BASKET

Tim McCormick

Born 1962

Preview
0733 BASKET

Sir'Dominic Pointer

Born 1992

Preview
0734 BASEBALL

Ron LeFlore

Born 1948

Preview
0735 BASKET

Keith Appling

Born 1992

Preview
0736 ACTOR

R. J. Danvers

Born 1988

Preview
0737 WRITER

Kevin Siembieda

Born 1956

Preview
0738 CHILD

William Clay Ford Sr.

1925 - 2014

Preview
0739 ACTOR

Barbara Lea

1929 - 2011

Preview
0740 RUNNER

Brandon McBride

Born 1994

Preview
0741 COSTUME DESIGNER

Gwen Wakeling

1901 - 1982

Preview
0742 MUSIC

Carla Cook

Born 1962

Preview
0743 BASKET

Durrell Summers

Born 1989

Preview
0744 ACTOR

Zoey Monroe

Born 1992

Preview
0745 MATHEMATICIAN

Ronald DeVore

Born 1941

Preview
0746 SCREENWRITER

Tommy Blacha

Born 1962

Preview
0747 BASKET

Terence Dials

Born 1983

Preview
0748 SWIMMER

Clarke Scholes

1930 - 2010

Preview
0749 SINGER

Vickie Winans

Born 1953

Preview
0750 PSYCHOLOGIST

Selma Fraiberg

1918 - 1981

Preview
0751 SINGER

Anita Darian

1927 - 2015

Preview
0752 ACTOR

Dennis Cole

1940 - 2009

Preview
0753 CINEMA

Eric Saarinen

Born 1942

Preview
0754 SCREENWRITER

Cynthia Mort

Born 1956

Preview
0755 MATHEMATICIAN

Donald Sarason

1933 - 2017

Preview
0756 OFFICER

Iven Carl Kincheloe Jr.

1928 - 1958

Preview
0757 SKATER

Donald McPherson (figure skater)

1945 - 2001

Preview
0758 PLAYER

Russ Hamilton

Born 1948

Preview
0759 DRIVER

Ron Fellows

Born 1959

Preview
0760 WRITER

Beverly LaHaye

Born 1929

Preview
0761 COMPOSER

Harry Von Tilzer

1872 - 1946

Preview
0762 HISTORIAN

Maurice Meisner

1931 - 2012

Preview
0763 COACH

Jeff Blashill

Born 1973

Preview
0764 CHEMIST

Robert Garrels

1916 - 1988

Preview
0765 MARINE

Ernest C. Brace

1931 - 2014

Preview
0766 ACTOR

Timothy Scott (actor, born 1937)

1937 - 1995

Preview
0767 ASTRONAUT

Dominic A. Antonelli

Born 1967

Preview
0768 BASEBALL

Dick Radatz

1937 - 2005

Preview
0769 ACTOR

Dick Beals

1927 - 2012

Preview
0770 PRIEST

Patrick R. Cooney

1934 - 2012

Preview
0771 RACER

Doug Polen

Born 1960

Preview
0772 MUSIC

Ross Tompkins

1938 - 2006

Preview
0773 PRIEST

Paul-André Durocher

Born 1954

Preview
0774 SCREENWRITER

Josh Becker

Born 1958

Preview
0775 SCREENWRITER

Jon Cedar

1931 - 2011

Preview
0776 PHILOSOPHER

Tamar Ross

Born 1938

Preview
0777 THERAPIST

Paul Rebillot

1931 - 2010

Preview
0778 FOOTBALL

Andy Russell (American football)

Born 1941

Preview
0779 MUSIC

Dave "Baby" Cortez

Born 1938

Preview
0780 ATHLETIC

André Viger

1952 - 2006

Preview
0781 ACTOR

Lauri Peters

Born 1943

Preview
0782 BASKET

Negele Knight

Born 1967

Preview
0783 SKATER

Cathy Priestner

Born 1956

Preview
0784 WRITER

Norah Vincent

Born 1968

Preview
0785 DIVER

Richard Degener

1912 - 1995

Preview
0786 ENTOMOLOGIST

Edmund Murton Walker

1877 - 1969

Preview
0787 POLITICIAN

William C. Maybury

1848 - 1909

Preview
0788 FILM

Jonathan Glickman

Born 1969

Preview
0789 MUSIC

Robert Hurst (musician)

Born 1964

Preview
0790 PSYCHOLOGIST

Robert L. Kahn

1918 - 2019

Preview
0791 FOOTBALL

Pepper Johnson

Born 1964

Preview
0792 PIANIST

Johnny O'Neal

Born 1956

Preview
0793 SINGER

Twinkie Clark

Born 1954

Preview
0794 BIOGRAPHER

John McCabe (writer)

1920 - 2005

Preview
0795 BASKET

Derrick Nix

Born 1990

Preview
0796 FILM

Greta Schiller

Born 1954

Preview
0797 MUSIC

Everett Barksdale

1910 - 1986

Preview
0798 BUSINESS

Dan Gilbert

Born 1962

Preview
0799 SKATER

Jason Dungjen

Born 1967

Preview
0800 HOCKEY

Adam Burt

Born 1969

Preview
0801 ACTOR

Jude Demorest

Born 1992

Preview
0802 ACTOR

Joey Camen

Born 1970

Preview
0803 BASKET

Alex Legion

Born 1988

Preview
0804 VIOLIN

Yale Strom

Born 1957

Preview
0805 MUSIC

Terry Pollard

1931 - 2009

Preview
0806 NOVELIST

William X. Kienzle

1928 - 2001

Preview
0807 KICKBOXING

Howard Jackson (kickboxer)

1951 - 2006

Preview
0808 ACTOR

Claire Anderson

1891 - 1964

Preview
0809 MUSIC

Frank Isola

1925 - 2004

Preview
0810 POLITICIAN

Jenean Hampton

Born 1958

Preview
0811 CHESS

Gisela Kahn Gresser

1906 - 2000

Preview
0812 FILM

Lynn Goldsmith

Born 1948

Preview
0813 BASKET

Eric Money

Born 1955

Preview
0814 ACTOR

Buck Kartalian

1922 - 2016

Preview
0815 SINGER

Vanessa Bell Armstrong

Born 1953

Preview
0816 MATHEMATICIAN

Jerry Kazdan

Born 1937

Preview
0817 BIOGRAPHER

Edie Parker

1922 - 1993

Preview
0818 WRITER

E. M. Broner

1927 - 2011

Preview
0819 BASKET

Aerial Powers

Born 1994

Preview
0820 POLITICIAN

Katharine Byron

1903 - 1976

Preview
0821 ACTOR

Celia Keenan-Bolger

Born 1978

Preview
0822 COMPOSER

Wendell Harrison

Born 1942

Preview
0823 SWIMMER

Sharon Wichman

Born 1952

Preview
0824 PIANIST

Hugh Lawson (jazz pianist)

1935 - 1997

Preview
0825 FILM

Robert Green Hall

Born 1973

Preview
0826 MUSIC

Stacey Pullen

-

Preview
0827 COMPOSER

Sylvia Moy

1938 - 2017

Preview
0828 MUSIC

Fernando Saunders

Born 1950

Preview
0829 POLITICIAN

Rick Kriseman

Born 1962

Preview
0830 POLITICIAN

Louis C. Rabaut

1886 - 1961

Preview
0831 MUSIC

Kelli Hand

Born 1965

Preview
0832 BASKET

Donny Marshall

Born 1972

Preview
0833 BASEBALL

Stubby Clapp

Born 1973

Preview
0834 MUSIC

Benny Benjamin

1925 - 1969

Preview
0835 FOOTBALL

Jimmy Smith (wide receiver)

Born 1969

Preview
0836 SCREENWRITER

Carl Binder

Born 1960

Preview
0837 ARTIST

Allee Willis

1947 - 2019

Preview
0838 SINGER

Dorinda Clark-Cole

Born 1957

Preview
0839 BASKET

Chase Simon

Born 1989

Preview
0840 THERAPIST

Hal Stone

Born 1927

Preview
0841 BIOGRAPHER

Fred Foy

1921 - 2010

Preview
0842 MUSIC

J. D. Allen

Born 1972

Preview
0843 ACTOR

Besedka Johnson

1925 - 2013

Preview
0844 BASKET

Bob Armstrong (basketball, born 1933)

1933 - 2016

Preview
0845 CLIMATOLOGIST

David Phillips (climatologist)

Born 1944

Preview
0846 OPERA

Kenneth Tarver

Born 1965

Preview
0847 FOOTBALL

Mike Lodish

Born 1967

Preview
0848 BOXER

Johnathon Banks

Born 1982

Preview
0849 POLITICIAN

Mary Ruwart

Born 1949

Preview
0850 SINGER

Val Young

Born 1958

Preview
0851 NOVELIST

Thomas Adcock

Born 1947

Preview
0852 ATHLETIC

Darnell Hall

Born 1971

Preview
0853 CONDUCTOR

Francis Travis

1921 - 2017

Preview
0854 ARCHITECT

Grosvenor Atterbury

1869 - 1956

Preview
0855 HISTORIAN

George Makdisi

1920 - 2002

Preview
0856 NOVELIST

Michael Zadoorian

Born 1957

Preview
0857 PHILOSOPHER

Charles Butterworth (philosopher)

Born 1938

Preview
0858 BASKET

Reggie Harding

1942 - 1972

Preview
0859 FOOTBALL

Larry Foote

Born 1980

Preview
0860 MUSIC

Rodney Whitaker

Born 1968

Preview
0861 SINGER

Troy Gregory

Born 1966

Preview
0862 FOOTBALL

Griff Whalen

Born 1990

Preview
0863 COMPOSER

Lucia Dlugoszewski

1931 - 2000

Preview
0864 ACTOR

H. M. Wynant

Born 1927

Preview
0865 BASEBALL

Frank Tanana

Born 1953

Preview
0866 ACTOR

Richard Stahl

1932 - 2006

Preview
0867 ARCHITECT

Cyril M. Harris

1917 - 2011

Preview
0868 PIANIST

Carlos McKinney

Born 1978

Preview
0869 FILM

Herman Cohen

1925 - 2002

Preview
0870 ACTOR

Sam Richardson (actor)

Born 1984

Preview
0871 LAWYER

Dennis Archer

Born 1942

Preview
0872 SOCIALITE

Clara Ward, Princesse de Caraman-Chimay

1873 - 1916

Preview
0873 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Walter Auffenberg

1928 - 2004

Preview
0874 SWIMMER

Margaret Woodbridge

1902 - 1995

Preview
0875 POLITICIAN

Sterling Lyon

1927 - 2010

Preview
0876 SINGER

Davina (R&B singer)

Born 1965

Preview
0877 GUITAR

Mary Kaye

1924 - 2007

Preview
0878 ACTOR

Nickola Shreli

Born 1981

Preview
0879 SPORT

David Grylls

Born 1957

Preview
0880 LAWYER

Ann Claire Williams

Born 1949

Preview
0881 PRODUCER

DJ Head

Born 1971

Preview
0882 WRITER

Gerald McDermott

1941 - 2012

Preview
0883 ACTOR

Kalla Pasha

1879 - 1933

Preview
0884 COACH

Chuck Fairbanks

1933 - 2013

Preview
0885 MODEL

Carole Gist

Born 1969

Preview
0886 ACTOR

Daniel Durant

Born 1989

Preview
0887 SKATER

Gary Visconti

Born 1945

Preview
0888 MUSIC

Kiane Zawadi

Born 1932

Preview
0889 MANAGER

Thomas E. White

Born 1943

Preview
0890 BASKET

Tajuan Porter

Born 1988

Preview
0891 NOVELIST

Caroline Roe

Born 1943

Preview
0892 SCREENWRITER

Jack Epps Jr.

Born 1949

Preview
0893 HISTORIAN

Dan Georgakas

Born 1938

Preview
0894 SINGER

Ryan Destiny

Born 1995

Preview
0895 ARTIST

Mike Manley (artist)

Born 1961

Preview
0896 NOVELIST

Herbert Brean

1907 - 1973

Preview
0897 EMPLOYEE

Mark Zbikowski

Born 1956

Preview
0898 PRODUCTEUR

DJ Assault

Born 1977

Preview
0899 LIBRETTIST

Gene Buck

1885 - 1957

Preview
0900 BASKET

Bill Buntin

1942 - 1968

Preview