Michigan was once home to many great music artists. While some of the names on this list are well-known for being Michiganders, others might surprise you. Learn more about some fantastic musicians born in Michigan below.
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (Vincent Damon Furnier) was born on February 4, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan. He is commonly known as The Godfather of Shock Rock. Alice Cooper has had an extremely successful solo career as well as with the Alice Cooper Band in his early years.
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 1, 1962. The band is still cranking out studio albums and hits. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Bob Seger
Born in Detroit on May 6, 1945, Bob Seger has a long list of hit songs. He is one of the world’s top-selling artists and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 2004. Bob Seger is also a fantastic songwriter and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross was born in Detroit on March 26, 1944. She got her start as the lead singer of The Supremes. The band made a name for themselves during the 1960s Motown era. Diana then went on to have a successful solo career.
Glenn Frey
Best known for being a founding member of the Eagles, Glenn Frey was born in Detroit on November 6, 1948. He grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan where he learned to play the piano and guitar. The Eagles are the best-selling group of all time. But Frey also had a very successful solo career while the band was on a break.
Kid Rock
Kid Rock makes his Michigan roots known by regularly referencing Michigan in his songs. Robert James Ritchie, or Kid Rock as he is known, was born in Romeo, Michigan on January 17, 1971. His music spans multiple genres including country, hard rock, and rap.
Lizzo
Lizzo’s Michigan roots are lesser-known. Melissa Viviane Jefferson as the singer and rapper is legally known as was born in Detroit on April 27, 1988. Her career didn’t take off until she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Madonna
Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan. Some recognize her as the Queen of Pop. Madonna originally pursued a career in dance in New York City. There she was part of a band called the Breakfast Club before releasing her first solo album in 1983.
Mike Posner
Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born in Detroit on February 12, 1988. He was raised in Southfield, Michigan. He started his career in music as a record producer after his graduation from Duke University. After two years as a producer, he released his first album 31 Minutes to Takeoff in 2010.
Sonny Bono
Another Detroit musician, Salvatore Philip Bono was born on February 16, 1935. Sonny started writing songs as a teen and began his musical career as a songwriter. He is half of the famous Sonny & Cher duo. The two also had a famous TV show. Bono also dabbled in politics and was a member of the House of Representatives for California.
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris, also known as Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950. He is well-known for a wide range of musical genres including blues, jazz, pop, and soul. He is a member of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Uncle Kracker
Matthew Shafer, Uncle Kracker’s name, was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan on June 6, 1974. Before becoming a solo artist he was a DJ for Kid Rock. Uncle Kracker is best known for his country-rock hits but has also dabbled with some hip hop.
Some Artists You Probably Think We Missed
The following musicians are commonly referend to when Michigan music artists are brought up. But they actually were born elsewhere before getting their starts in Michigan.
Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Franklin got her start singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit where her father was the minister. During her career, she lived in New York City and Los Angeles before returning to the suburbs of Detroit where she lived until she passed away in 2018.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, professionally known as Eminem, got his musical start in Detroit. The rapper was actually born in St. Joseph, Missouri on October 17, 1972.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was an influential Motown artist. He was born in Washington D.C. before moving to Detroit in 1960. He is part of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
This list is the start of musicians from Michigan. If we listed all of the Motown greats, we’d be here all day! If we missed your favorite artists born in Michigan, leave us a comment!
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