Detroit,Michigan, is a major center in the United States for the creation and performance of music, and is best known for three developments:Motown, earlypunk rock (orproto-punk), andtechno.[1]
TheMetro Detroit area has a musical history spanning the past century, beginning with the revival of theDetroit Symphony Orchestra in 1914. The major genres represented in Detroit's music includeclassical,blues,jazz,gospel,R&B,rock,pop,punk,soul,electronic music, andhip hop. The greater Detroit area has been the birthplace and/or primary venue for numerousplatinum-selling artists, whose total album sales, according to one estimate, had surpassed 40 million units by 2000.[2][3] The success of Detroit-based rappers quadrupled that figure in the first decade of the 2000s.[4][5]
The Detroit area's diverse population includes residents of European, Middle Eastern, Latino, Asian and African descent, with each group adding its musical traditions.[6] TheAfrican-American population in particular contributed greatly to the musical legacy of Detroit in almost all genres. During the 1930s and 1940s, the near-east side neighborhoods known asBlack Bottom and Paradise Valley became a major entertainment district, drawing nationally known blues singers, big bands, and jazz artists – such asDuke Ellington,Billy Eckstine,Pearl Bailey,Ella Fitzgerald, andCount Basie.
During the 1940s, many of the same jazz acts also performed nearby atOrchestra Hall, which had been renamed the Paradise Theatre in honor of the Paradise Valley district.[7] Eventually urban renewal projects during the late 1950s and early 1960s demolishedBlack Bottom and replaced it with a freeway and the neighborhood centered onLafayette Park, (designed byMies van der Rohe and others).[8] As Black Bottom was disappearing, the nascentMotown label was beginning to build an eventual empire on West Grand Boulevard. From the 1960s on, the nightclubs and music venues in Detroit could be found dispersed throughout the city and catering to all genres; from jazz atBaker's Keyboard Lounge on the northern border of the city, to rock and roll at theGrande Ballroom on the west side.[9][10]
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The genesis ofblues music in Detroit occurred as a result of the first wave of theGreat Migration ofAfrican Americans from theDeep South. In the 1920s, Detroit was home to a number of pianists who performed in the clubs ofBlack Bottom and played in theboogie-woogie style, such asSpeckled Red,Charlie Spand,William Ezell, and most prominently,Big Maceo Merriweather. As Detroit had no established recording scene at the time, all of these players eventually migrated to Chicago to record for various labels. Spand reminisced about his time in Detroit while playing on the 1929Blind Blake single, "Hastings Street".
During the 1920s, Detroit was also host to most of the notable singers of theclassic female blues, including "The Queen of the Blues"Mamie Smith, "The Mother of the Blues"Ma Rainey, "The Empress of the Blues"Bessie Smith, "The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues"Ida Cox, "The Queen of the Moaners"Clara Smith, "The Famous Moanin' Mama"Sara Martin, andEthel Waters.[11] Most of these performers visited Detroit on tour as part of theTheatre Owners Booking Association (TOBA) circuit, playing primarily at theKoppin Theatre on the southern edge ofParadise Valley.[11] The Koppin was the premier venue for Detroit's black musical community throughout the 1920s. It ceased operation in 1931, a casualty of theGreat Depression. The decade of the 1930s saw a dearth of blues music in Detroit, which did not see a resurgence until the second wave of theGreat Migration hit during the 1940s, bringing musicians such asJohn Lee Hooker to Detroit to work in the factories of theArsenal of Democracy.
These artists brought with them a style of blues music rooted in theMississippi Delta region. Though not strictly aDelta blues musician, Hooker was born in the epicenter of the tradition, inClarksdale, Mississippi, and migrated to Detroit in 1943. He scored an early hit with his first single, "Boogie Chillen", and began a long career that made him the most prominent and successful of the Detroit blues players of the post-war period, as well as the most-recorded, with over 500 tracks to his credit.[12] Teaming up with Hooker in the late 1940s was the guitarist and harmonica playerEddie "Guitar" Burns, who played on several Hooker tracks and performed regularly on the Detroit blues scene. Another sideman of Hooker wasEddie Kirkland, who played second guitar for him in Detroit and on tour from 1949 to 1962, and later went on to a long solo career.
Other notable musicians on the 1950s blues scene were the singersAlberta Adams and singer/guitaristsDoctor Ross,Baby Boy Warren,Johnnie Bassett,Sylvester Cotton,Andrew Dunham,Calvin Frazier,Mr. Bo,John Brim andLouisiana Red; percussionistWashboard Willie; harmonica playersBig John Wrencher,Sonny Boy Williamson II,Little Sonny, andGrace Brim (who also sang and played drums); and pianistsJoe Weaver andBoogie Woogie Red. Also of note were singerJohnnie Mae Matthews and singer/guitaristBobo Jenkins, both of whom started their own labels, Northern Records and Big Star Records, respectively.[11]
It was the emergence of local record labels in Detroit in the 1940s and 1950s which helped the blues scene to flourish, compared to the 1920s, when blues artists generally emigrated to Chicago to record their music. Some small labels, including Staff, Holiday, Modern, and Prize Records, only existed for a brief time, while other labels experienced greater success.[13] The most prominent of the Detroit-based labels from this era wasFortune Records, and its subsidiary labels Hi-Q, Strate 8 and Blue Star, which ran from 1948 to 1970. Fortune released hundreds of recordings in many genres, including tracks by Hooker, Kirkland, Jenkins, Dr. Ross and Maceo Merriweather.[14]
Another important Detroit label from the period wasSensation Records, started by John Kaplan and Bernard Besman. In 1948, Besman recorded Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" and ran the artistic side of the label until its demise in 1952.[11] Local entrepreneurJoe Von Battle was another key figure on the blues scene; in the back of his record shop on Hastings Street he recorded a number of blues acts that appeared on his JVB and Von record labels.[15]
The entertainment districts of Hastings Street andParadise Valley were razed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the victims of urban renewal programs. This loss of music venues, along with the rise ofMotown in Detroit and the popularity ofrock and roll, led to the eventual demise of the Detroit blues scene in the late 1960s. Many Detroit-based musicians pursued their careers on tour elsewhere in the world, leaving only a few noteworthy artists to carry on the tradition. Among them wereThe Butler Twins, Clarence (guitar and vocals) and Curtis (harmonica), who emigrated to Detroit from Alabama in 1961, joining a long list of blues forebears who came to work in the automotive industry.[16] Another transplant was the former classic female blues singer,Sippie Wallace, who had moved to Detroit in 1929, but did not resume her blues singing career until 1966.
In the wake of the1967 Detroit riot the local blues scene nearly died out,[16] being salvaged only through the help ofMississippi Delta native Uncle Jessie White, pianist and harmonica player, who hosted weekend-long blues jams at his house for the next four years.[17] In 1973, theAnn Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival put on a "Music of Detroit" showcase, featuring a number of the older generation of blues artists, such as John Lee Hooker, Dr. Ross, Baby Boy Warren, Mr. Bo, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Eddie Burns, Bobo Jenkins, and Boogie Woogie Red. Shortly thereafter, the Chicago bluesmanWillie D. Warren moved to Detroit, and spent the rest of his life performing on the blues scene in and around the city. Another transplant from Chicago in the 1970s wasJohnny "Yard Dog" Jones, who played in Detroit for the next four decades.[13] Jones became part of a strong tradition of Detroit harp players, includingHarmonica Shah, who also came on the scene in the 1970s.
In the late 1980s, one of the most prominent Detroit blues players wasJim McCarty. After successful stints with theBuddy Miles Express and the rock bandsCactus andThe Rockets, McCarty joined the Detroit Blues Band, with whom he cut two records in the 1990s, after which he formed his own blues band, Mystery Train. Another artist to appear in the late 1980s was the blues singer and Detroit nativeThornetta Davis, who cut her first solo album in 1996. Davis has won numerous local awards as a blues artist and vocalist, and continued to perform locally and nationally.
The late 1990s saw the emergence ofThe White Stripes, led by guitarist and Detroit nativeJack White. Although ostensibly agarage rock band, a significant amount of their material consisted of blues cover songs, and the band is considered a proponent of thepunk blues andblues rock genres.[18][19][20]
In March 2016, blues singer and guitaristLaith Al-Saadi was chosen to be a contestant on the musical competition seriesThe Voice, and after impressing the judges with a version ofThe Box Tops' song "The Letter",Blake Shelton andAdam Levine both turned their chairs for his performance.[21]
Detroit also has a small community of country music artists. Some metro Detroit country artists that had minor to major success and/or critical acclaim include:Whitey Morgan and the 78's,Jana Kramer,Pete Anderson,Doop and the Inside Outlaws, Julianne,Bill Kirchen,Josh Gracin, Redhill,Blanche, and The Orbitsuns.[22]
Detroit has produced some of the most famous gospel singers in past decades. In the 1940s, Oliver Green formedThe Detroiters, who became one of the most popularGospel groups of their era. In the 1950s, Laura Lee and a youngDella Reese began their long and distinguished careers coming out of the Meditations Singers, indisputably the premier Detroit-based, female gospel group of that era. Theirs was the first Motor City act to introduce instrumental backing to traditional a cappella vocals. Della joined the ranks of the gospel elite in Detroit, whileMattie Moss Clark is believed to be the first to introduce three part harmony into gospel choral music.
In the 1960s, theReverendCL Franklin found success with his recorded sermons on Chess Record's gospel label and with an album of spirituals recorded at his New Bethel Baptist Church included the debut of his young daughter, Grammy Award winnerAretha Franklin.[2]
In the 1980s, theWinans dynasty produced Grammy winnersCece andBeBe Winans. Other notable gospel acts includeJ Moss,Bill Moss, Jr.,The Clark Sisters,Rance Allen Group,Vanessa Bell Armstrong,Thomas Whitfield,Byron Cage andFred Hammond.[23]
As theJazz Age began, Detroit quickly emerged as an important musical center. Among the musicians who relocated to Detroit were drummerBill McKinney, who formed the seminal big bandMcKinney's Cotton Pickers with the arranger, bandleader and composer,Don Redman. Detroit's musical prominence continued through the 1950s.[11] Musicians from Detroit who achieved international recognition includeElvin Jones,Hank Jones,Thad Jones,Howard McGhee,Tommy Flanagan,Lucky Thompson,Louis Hayes,Barry Harris,Paul Chambers,Yusef Lateef,Marcus Belgrave,Milt Jackson,Kenny Burrell,Ron Carter,Curtis Fuller,Julius Watkins,Hugh Lawson,Frank Foster,J. R. Monterose,Doug Watkins,Sir Roland Hanna,Donald Byrd,Kenn Cox,George "Sax" Benson,Sonny Stitt,Alice Coltrane,Dorothy Ashby,Roy Brooks,Phil Ranelin,Faruq Z. Bey,Pepper Adams,Tani Tabbal,Charles McPherson,Frank Gant,Billy Mitchell,Kirk Lightsey,Lonnie Hillyer,James Carter,Geri Allen,Rick Margitza,Kenny Garrett,Betty Carter,Sippie Wallace,Robert Hurst,Rodney Whitaker,Karriem Riggins,Major Holley andCarlos McKinney.
Other significant players who spent part of their career in Detroit includeBenny Carter,Miles Davis,Joe Henderson,Wardell Gray,Grant Green andDon Moye. As this list reflects, Detroit musicians were major contributors to the hard-bop and post-bop styles, especially in the rhythm sections that drove the classic groups of Miles Davis andJohn Coltrane, and contributions to the bands ofCharles Mingus,Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers.
Venues in Detroit today include The Hot Club of Detroit, founded 2003 atWayne State University,[24]Cliff Bell's,Baker's Keyboard Lounge and The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe.
Detroit has been the home to several well-known pop artists, includingMargaret Whiting,Sonny Bono andSuzi Quatro, who may be best known for her role asLeather Tuscadero on the hit 1970s TV showHappy Days.[2] One of the most famous isMadonna. Although Madonna was born and spent her early summers in Bay City, she was raised outside of Detroit, in Rochester (about 35 miles from Detroit itself) and went to theUniversity of Michigan on a dance scholarship. Several of Madonna's early hits were co-written by ex-boyfriend and fellow Detroit NativeStephen Bray.
Also during the 1980s, Detroit pop rockersWas (Not Was) breakthrough albumWhat Up, Dog? spawned two Top 20 hits with the songs "Spy in the House of Love" and "Walk the Dinosaur."
1990s pop starAaliyah (1979–2001) was raised in Detroit and graduated from theDetroit School of Arts. Aaliyah was also the niece of former Detroit politicianBarry Hankerson and soul singerGladys Knight.[2] She had several hit songs including theNo. 1 hit "Try Again" in 2000.
Aaliyah was not the only Detroit School of Arts graduate to go on to musical success; since her graduation,Teairra Marí has enjoyed a successful career, including her hit single "Make Her Feel Good" in 2005.[25]
One of the highlights of Detroit's musical history was the success ofMotown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s.[2] The label was founded in the late 1950s was founded by auto plant workerBerry Gordy, and was originally known asTamla Records. As Motown, it became home to some of the most popular recording acts in the world, includingMarvin Gaye,The Temptations,Stevie Wonder,Diana Ross &The Supremes,Smokey Robinson &The Miracles,The Four Tops,Martha Reeves &the Vandellas,Edwin Starr,Little Willie John,The Contours andThe Spinners.[26][27]
Even before Motown, Detroit had an active R&B and soul community. In 1955, the influential soul singerLittle Willie John made his debut, and throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Detroit-based R&B labelFortune Records enjoyed success withNolan Strong & The Diablos and their hit songs "The Wind", "Mind Over Matter", and "The Way You Dog Me Around". Smokey Robinson noted in his biography that Strong's high tenor was his biggest vocal influence. Strong is remembered on the 2010 albumDaddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos – a tribute compilation that features current rock and roll bands covering Diablos songs. The album was compiled and released by The Wind Records andNorton Records.
In 1956, notable blues and R&B singerZeffrey "Andre" Williams recorded a string of singles for Fortune, including the song "Bacon Fat." In 1961,Nathaniel Mayer & Fabulous Twilights hit the charts with "Village of Love," which became one of Fortune's top-selling singles. Mayer recorded a string of popular 45s for Fortune, even once performing on Dick Clark'sAmerican Bandstand.
In 1959,The Falcons (featuringWilson Pickett andEddie Floyd) had a hit with "You're So Fine". Also that year,Jackie Wilson had his first hit with "Reet Petite", which was co-written by a youngBerry Gordy Jr.The Volumes had a hit single in 1962 for Chex Records with the single "I Love You". That same year singer/songwriterBarbara Lewis had a hit with the single "Hello Stranger", whileGino Washington had cross-racial appeal and achieved Midwest hits in 1963 and 1964 with "Out of This World" and "Gino Is a Coward".
Several other Detroit artists became nationally known without the help of Motown. Perhaps the best known of such artists wasAretha Franklin. Other non-Motown acts includedThe Capitols with their 1966 hit "Cool Jerk" andDarrell Banks with "Open the Door to Your Heart". The following year, J.J Barnes had his biggest hit with "Baby Please Come Back Home".
In 1967, longtime back room barbershopdoo wop groupThe Parliaments, featuringGeorge Clinton, scored a hit with "I Wanna Testify" for Revilot Records, and marked the beginning offunk in mainstreamR&B. In 1968, Clinton changed the name of The Parliaments in 1968 toFunkadelic following a legal dispute with Revilot, but in 1970 reclaimed the rights and renamed the group as simply"Parliament". Eventually the group became known as simplyP-Funk which is short forParliament-Funkadelic.
In 1967, Berry Gordy purchased what is now known asMotown Mansion in Detroit'sBoston-Edison Historic District.[28] Motown Records relocated to the West coast 1972, yet Detroit remained an important center of R&B with acts such asFreda Payne,The Floaters,Enchantment,Ray Parker Jr. (both solo and with his groupRaydio),One Way,Oliver Cheatham,Cherrelle,The Jones Girls,Anita Baker, andBeBe & CeCe Winans.
In 1969The Flaming Ember had several hits forHot Wax Records, a Detroit-based record label created in 1968 by theHolland-Dozier-Holland song writing team after they left Motown Records. The following yearChairmen of the Board had the first hit forInvictus Records with "Give Me Just a Little More Time."Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band's song "Scorpio" charted at number 6 on theBillboard Hot 100 in 1972.
During thedisco craze of the late 1970s, Detroit artists had several dance hits. In 1975,Stevie Wonder's drummerHamilton Bohannon had a hit with "Foot Stompin' Music", whileDonald Byrd &The Blackbyrds infused jazz with dance friendly elements that produced the song "Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)". In 1977Brainstorm &C. J. & Company each had soul driven dance hits.
In 1978,George Clinton's bass playerBootsy Collins had a top charting hit withBootzilla. George Clinton and his band Parliament-Funkadelic is often cited as being a direct influence on the futureDetroit techno scene that emerged in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
Anita Baker won severalGrammy Awards for her music in the 1980s and 1990s. Detroit nativeTony Rich won theGrammy Award for Best R&B Album for his 1996 albumWords.Aaliyah had several charting hits in the 1990s and 2000s.
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Detroit has a long and rich history associated withrock and roll. In 1954Hank Ballard & the Midnighters crossed over from the R&B charts to the pop charts with "Work with Me, Annie". The song nearly broke into the elite top 20 despite being barred from airplay on many stations due to its suggestive lyrics. In 1955, Detroit-nativeBill Haley ushered in the rock and roll era with the release of "Rock Around The Clock".[29]
In the late 1950srockabilly guitaristJack Scott had a string of top 40 hits. First, in 1957 with "Leroy", then in 1958 with the hits "My True Love" and "With Your Love" and then twice again in 1959 with the hits "Goodbye Baby" and "The Way I Walk." Scott was one of the first musicians to marrycountry music's melodic song craft to the dangerous, raw power of rock and roll.[29]
In 1959Hank Ballard &The Midnighters had a minor hit with their b-side song "The Twist". Acover by Philadelphia nativeChubby Checker followed in 1960. His single became a smash hit, reachingNo. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 and started a national dance craze. Also in 1960,Jack Scott had his final top 10 hits with "What in the World's Come Over You" and "Burning Bridges".
The following year, rockerDel Shannon had his ownNo. 1 hit in March 1961 with the song "Runaway". This was followed by the top 10 hits "Hats Off to Larry" in June 1961 and "Little Town Flirt" in 1962. In 1964, Detroit'sone-hit wondersThe Reflections had their own Top 10 hit single with "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet".[29]
By 1964, teen clubs aroundMetro Detroit such as the Fifth Dimension inAnn Arbor and the Hideout off of8 Mile Road and Harper Road, were a hotbed for young and promisinggarage rock bands such asThe Underdogs,The Fugitives,Unrelated Segments,Terry Knight and the Pack (which featuredDon Brewer), ASTIGAFA (which featured a youngMarshall Crenshaw), The Lords (featuring a youngTed Nugent),The Pleasure Seekers (which featured a youngSuzi Quatro), Four of Us and the Mushrooms (which both featuredGlenn Frey),Sky (which featured a young Doug Fieger), andblue-eyed soul rockersThe Rationals.[29]
In 1965Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels had a national top 10 hit with "Jenny Take A Ride!" and then again the following year in 1966 with "Devil with a Blue Dress On"/"Good Golly, Miss Molly". Also in 1966, Flint'sQuestion Mark & the Mysterians had aNo. 1 hit with "96 Tears". In 1967, Detroit blues-rock outfitThe Woolies had a regional smash hit with theBo Diddley song "Who Do You Love?".[29]Tommy James and the Shondells had several top 40 hits including "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Crimson and Clover".
In the late 1960s, two well-known high-energy rock bands emerged from Detroit – theMC5 andIggy and the Stooges.[30][31] These two bands laid the groundwork for the futurepunk andhard rock movements in the late 1970s.[32][33][34] Other notable bands from this time frame includedAlice Cooper,The Amboy Dukes (featuring Ted Nugent),The Bob Seger System,Frijid Pink,SRC,The Up,The Frost (featuringDick Wagner), Popcorn Blizzard (featuring Pete Woodman),Cactus (featuringRusty Day andJim McCarty), and the soulful sounds ofRare Earth andThe Flaming Ember. Much of the music scene during this time was centered around the legendaryGrande Ballroom and its ownerRuss Gibb.[35]
In 1969 a magazine based in and around Detroit known asCREEM: "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was started by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. CREEM is known as the first publication to coin the words "punk rock" and "heavy metal" and featured such famous editors such asRob Tyner,Jaan Uhelszki,Patti Smith,Cameron Crowe, andLester Bangs, who is often cited as "America's Greatest Rock Critic,".
Detroit in the 1960s was also home for a few years to the then unknownJoni Mitchell.Fortune Records also released numerous "Hillbilly" Americana folk records in this period.
During the 1970s, several localMetro Detroit acts achieved national or international fame, includingBob Seger,Iggy Pop,Ted Nugent,Alice Cooper,Grand Funk Railroad, andGlenn Frey ofEagles.[2] Other local groups, likeBrownsville Station andCommander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, enjoyed brief national exposure. Non-Detroit rock bands paid tribute to the city through such songs as "Detroit Rock City" byKiss, "Detroit Breakdown" byThe J. Geils Band and "Panic in Detroit" byDavid Bowie.
In the early 1970s, several new Detroit bands were formed out of earlier bands that had broken up. These acts included rock acts such asSonic's Rendezvous Band (featuringFred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5,Scott Morgan of The Rationals,Scott Asheton of The Stooges), the band simply calledDetroit, which featuredMitch Ryder on vocals andJohnny "Bee" Badanjek on drums,The Rockets, which featuredJim McCarty on guitar andBadanjek on drums, and The Rob Tyner Band (aka The New MC5) featuring Rob Tyner on vocals.Suzi Quatro of The Pleasure Seekers released her debutsolo album in 1973. Two groups from this period remained relatively obscure while they were together, achieving greater fame only decades later:Destroy All Monsters andDeath. Destroy All Monsters featured artistsNiagara,Mike Kelley, Carey Loren, andJim Shaw as well as Stooges guitaristRon Asheton in its later incarnation. Formed in 1971, Death is now recognized as the first all African American punk band.Rodriguez began his career in the early 1970s, and while an unknown in Detroit, gained a following in South Africa and Australia. Also during this time, Detroit area nativeDeniz Tek was creating the punk bandRadio Birdman in Australia in the mold of classic Detroit rock bands of the MC5 and The Stooges.[35]The Ramrods were a short-lived punk rock band that debuted in 1977.
During the 1980s & 1990s, metro Detroit rock bands that had minor to major attention and/or critical acclaim includeThe Romantics,Glenn Frey,The Gories,Kid Rock and his bandTwisted Brown Trucker,The Dirtbombs,Outrageous Cherry,The Hentchmen,Sponge,The Verve Pipe,Big Chief,Discipline,Goober & the Peas,Loudhouse,Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise,Halloween,Seduce,Madam X,His Name Is Alive,Füxa,Majesty Crush,The Detroit Cobras,Brendan Benson,Demolition Doll Rods,Adrenalin,Bantam Rooster, andska-punk bandThe Suicide Machines.
The 1980s also sawMarshall Crenshaw from the Detroit suburb of Berkley, attain fame with his releases on Warner Bros. and an appearance asBuddy Holly in the filmLa Bamba. His 1981 recording, "Someday, Someway", made the Top 40 in both Billboard and Cash Box in 1982.
During the 2000s & 2010s, metro Detroit rock bands that had minor to major success and/or critical acclaim include:The White Stripes,The Raconteurs,Uncle Kracker,Taproot,The Von Bondies,Pop Evil,Crud,Jack White,Greta Van Fleet,La Dispute,The Hounds Below,We Came as Romans,The Nice Device,The Black Dahlia Murder,Great Lakes Myth Society,The Sights,The Go,Electric Six,The Waxwings, andI Prevail.[36]
In addition toproto-punk bands like theMC5 andThe Stooges in the 1960s, the Detroit suburbs were also the location of one of the first importanthardcore punk scenes that swept underground America in the early 1980s. By the end of 1981 the new style sometimes known as "Midwest Hardcore" had exploded across North America and Detroit was one of several important regional centers fostering its spread.[37] Two of the earliest Suburban Detroit hardcore punk bands were the Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan band The Holes andGrosse Pointe Park bandDegenerates.[38]
The Detroit scene was not an isolated phenomenon but also the focus for a number of sister scenes throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The major hardcore bands of this early regional scene includedLansing, Michigan'sThe Meatmen,Kalamazoo, Michigan'sViolent Apathy,[39]Spite,[40] andThe Crucifucks,Toledo, Ohio'sNecros, and Detroit'sNegative Approach.[41]
During this period, the Detroit hardcore scene become most important over the years forTouch and Go Records, which was started inLansing, Michigan, in 1979 by Tesco Vee and Dave Stinson as a popular localfanzine and eventually became a hardcore record label in 1981. Touch and Go subsequently moved toChicago.[42]
Many small clubs popped up hosting hardcore bands. The Golden Gate, The Falcon Lounge, the Freezer Theater, Kurt Kohls' Asylum, and The Hungry Brain (named after the club in the movie "The Nutty Professor"). A crucial venue for hardcore fans in Detroit was known as Clutch Cargo's, named after a limited-animation TV series. It featured such bands asBlack Flag,Fear,X, and theDead Kennedys, who played the venue while on tour, while theNecros,Negative Approach,L-Seven (not to be confused withL7) and other local and nearby regional bands also appeared. The venue was formerly located in a large, former athletic club in Detroit. As Clutch Cargo's often had shows for 18+ fans, many younger hardcore fans either never attended the site due to age, or even knew of it due to their tardy introduction to the subgenre.[37] Now the former club is a church called the Grace Gospel Fellowship.
The Hungry Brain, situated in a former second-hand store inDelray, Detroit, had been forced to relocate several times and by 1985 found a permanent home at a run-down old hall on Michigan Avenue deep in Detroit called[43]Graystone Hall. Bands that started at the Hungry Brain, like political hardcore stalwarts Forced Anger,[44] often opened for many West Coast touring punk bands, including 7 Seconds, T.S.O.L and Minor Threat, at the Graystone. The band published thefanzine, "Placebo Effect", which produced several compilation tapes featuring upstart punk bands from all over Michigan. Many Graystone gigs were captured byBack Porch Video, a video project of Dearborn public schools run byRuss Gibb (DJ of "Paul is Dead" rumor fame and previously known as the impresario of theGrande Ballroom) and aired on localpublic-access televisioncable TV.[37]
The bandCold As Life developed a loyal following right up to their demise in 2001, even surviving the murder of their frontmanRawn Beauty.Laughing Hyenas was an American post-hardcore band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, that existed from 1985 to 1995, fronted by Negative Approach vocalist John Brannon.
Detroit has been cited as the birthplace oftechno music.[45][46] ProminentDetroit techno artists includeJuan Atkins,Derrick May,Kevin Saunderson,Carl Craig, andJeff Mills. The template for a new style of dance music (that by the mid to late 1980s was being referred to as techno) was primarily developed by four individuals,Juan Atkins,Kevin Saunderson,Derrick May ("TheBelleville Three"), andEddie Fowlkes, all of whom attended high school together at Belleville High School, near Detroit, Michigan. By the close of the 1980s the four had operated under various guises: Atkins as Model 500, Flintstones, and Magic Juan; Fowlkes simply as Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes; Saunderson as Reese, Keynotes, and Kaos; with May using the aliases Mayday, R-Tyme, andRhythim Is Rhythim. There were also a number of joint ventures, the most commercially successful of which was the Atkins and Saunderson (withJames Pennington) collaboration on the firstInner City singleBig Fun. Prior to achieving notoriety the budding musicians, mix tape traders, and aspiring DJs found inspiration inMidnight Funk Association, an eclectic, 5-hour, late-night radio program hosted on various Detroit radio stations includingWCHB,WGPR, and WJLB-FM from 1977 through the mid-1980s by DJ Charles "The Electrifying Mojo" Johnson.[47][48] Mojo's show featured heavy doses of electronic sounds from the likes of Giorgio Moroder, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream alongside the funk ofParliament and the new wave sounds of the B-52s.[49]
Of the four individuals responsible for establishing techno as a genre in its own right, it is Juan Atkins who is recognized as the originator; indeed in 1995 American music technology publication Keyboard Magazine honored Atkins as one of "12 Who Count" in the history of keyboard music (this is remarkable considering Detroit techno was still relatively unknown in the United States at that time despite its notoriety in Europe). In the early 1980s Atkins began recording with musical partnerRichard "3070" Davis (and later with a third member Jon-5) asCybotron. This trio released a number ofelectro inspired tunes, the best known of which is "Clear". Eventually, Atkins started producing his own music under the pseudonym Model 500, and in 1985 he established the record labelMetroplex. In the same year he released a seminal work entitled "No UFO's" which, in terms of its aesthetic values, is credited by many as the first Detroit techno production. Another earlier track that is often cited is A Number of Names' Sharevari.
Electro-disco tracks share with techno a dependence on machine-generated beats and dancefloor popularity. However, the comparisons remain contentious; as do the efforts to regress further into the past to find antecedents. The logical extension of this rationale entails a further regression: to the sequenced electronic music ofRaymond Scott (The Rhythm Modulator,The Bass-Line Generator, andIBM Probe, being remarkable examples of techno-like music).[50]
In 1980, Detroitelectro duoCybotron formed; the group were a staple ofthe Electrifying Mojo, an influential FM radio personality who helped popularizehip-hop music.[52] The same year, Detroit record store Future Funk Records opened on West Seven Mile Road, and an aspiring hip-hop emcee named Jerry Flynn Dale befriended the owner, Carl Mitchell, and convinced him to allow Dale to set up a makeshift stage in the store, play instrumentals and rap, signaling the beginnings of Detroit's hip-hop scene, as aspiring rappers would use the store tobattle rap, test out new songs and sell their albums, until 1992, when the store closed.[53][54] Dale would initially produce hip-hop beats in his bedroom, before launching Def Sound Studios in Detroit in 1985.[53] Another important figure who helped shape Detroit hip-hop was DJ the Blackman, who, as a teenager, helped teen emcees develop their lyrical skills in his basement.[53] Additionally, Detroit radiodisc jockey Billy T helped popularize hip-hop in Detroit through his programs Billy T's Basement Tapes and The Rap Blast, which exposed listeners to local developing emcees, helping to expand the genre's popularity in the city.[53] However, the growing popularity of the genre was not without problems, as rap shows in Detroit often ended in violence in the developing years of the city's local scene at concert venues such as Harpo's.[53]
The earliest successful Detroit rap act was the duo Felix & Jarvis, who released "The Flamethrower Rap" in 1983, utilizing large portions of the song "Flamethrower" by the J. Geils Band. However, it would take several years before more rap acts would come to prominence in Detroit. These would include Magic Juan & Normski and Prince Vince and the Hip Hop Force, both of which debuted in 1988, as well as Awesome Dre & The Hardcore Committee, Kaos & Mystro, Merciless Amir,Esham and Nikki D, who all debuted in 1989.[52]Detroit's Most Wanted and A.W.O.L. pioneered Detroithardcore hip-hop andgangsta rap, respectively, while Prince Vince was one of the first rappers to sample the funk music of Detroit's Parliament-Funkadelic collective in his song "Gangster Funk", whose release predated the coining of the termG-funk by West Coast producerDr. Dre.[53]
The early 1990s Detroit hip-hop scene was the launching point for several prominent female rappers, including Nikki D., Smiley, and Boss.[52]MC Breed, who was originally fromFlint, Michigan, launched his career in Detroit and would go on to national success with a G-funk sound influenced byWest Coast hip-hop, while Awesome Dre became the first Detroit rapper to appear onYo! MTV Raps andBET'sRap City.[52][53] The mid-90s would come to be known as Detroit hip-hop's "Golden Age". Despite the city being predominantly African American, many of Detroit's most successful hip-hop acts have been white rappers; such as Eminem, Kid Rock, Insane Clown Posse, and Twiztid.[52]
A thriving local hip-hop scene developed with club parties at St. Andrew's Hall on Friday evenings and the following day, at the clothing store the Hip Hop Shop, emceeProof hosted rap battles showcasing the skills of young, developing rap talents.[52] The Hip Hop Shop opened in 1993 and closed in 1997, before reopening under new management in 2005, where it stayed in business until 2014, when the store shut down again.[54] Not all Detroit rappers, however, developed their careers out of this battle rap scene, as Esham,Kid Rock andInsane Clown Posse all developed their own paths to success, before the Hip Hop Shop had even opened.[53][55][56][57] The Hip Hop Shop scene did, however, help a youngEminem develop his lyrical skills and flow. As M&M, he appeared on Bassmint Productions' single "Steppin' On To The Scene" in 1990. Two years later, he appeared in an acting performance in themusic video forChamptown's single "Do-Da-Dippity".[52] The same year, Champtown, Chaos Kid and Eminem formed the group Soul Intent, releasing "What Color Is Soul" in 1992, followed by "Biterphobia" and "Fuckin' Backstabber" in 1995, the latter of which featured an appearance from rapper Proof.[52] Champtown released the albumCheck It the following year, in the same year Eminem released his debut albumInfinite.[52] After being discovered byJimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, Eminem would go on to achieve mainstream success withThe Slim Shady LP in 1999, which was certified 5× platinum.[58][59] Credited with popularizing hip-hop inmiddle America, Eminem is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest rappers of all time.[51] Eminem's global success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in popular music, as well as helping launch the nationally successful careers of other Detroit rappers, includingHush, Proof,Obie Trice andTrick Trick, and forming the groupsD12, andBad Meets Evil, the latter of which featured fellow Detroit rapperRoyce da 5'9".[52][60]
Rapper, DJ and breakdancer Kid Rock was a member of the Beast Crew in the 1980s, alongside Champtown and the Blackman, before signing a solo record contract withJive Records at the age of 17, releasing his debut albumGrits Sandwiches for Breakfast in 1990. The label subsequently dropped Kid Rock, fearing that the backlash against white rapperVanilla Ice would hurt Kid Rock's sales,[61] and subsequently in 1993, a college radio station was fined $23,750 for playing Kid Rock's vulgar song, "Yo-Da-Lin In the Valley," the highest penalty leveled against a college radio station by the FCC up until that point. Undeterred by these controversies, Kid Rock continued to record independently. Although his debut album featured a hip-hop sound, the rapper became known locally in Detroit for hisrap rock sound, which he developed with his backing band,Twisted Brown Trucker. After developing a strong local following in Detroit, Kid Rock signed withAtlantic Records and released his most successful album,Devil Without a Cause in 1998, which was certified diamond.[52][62] Kid Rock also helped launch the careers of Detroit hip-hop artistsJoe C.,Uncle Kracker andParadime.[52] Additionally,Devil Without a Cause featured the national debut of Eminem, who delivered a guest verse on Kid Rock's song "Fuck Off" in exchange for Kid Rockscratching on Eminem's song "My Fault" onThe Slim Shady LP, which was released the following year.[61]
The late 1990s saw the launch of Detroit'sbooty bass scene, a sound that was popular atBelle Isle Park parties, with artistsDJ Assault, DJ Godfather and Disco D, and fusions of hip-hop andtechno with artists like Anthony "Shake" Shakir, Robert Hood, Daniel Bell, Claude Young, Kenny Larkin, Eddie "Flashin'" Fowlkes, and Stacey Pullen.[52] After the Hip Hop Shop first closed in 1997, Lush Lounge became the new launching pad for aspiring hip-hop emcees, until the mid-2000s, when it closed down, although it was briefly reopened in 2008.[54] The following year, the sportswear store Bob's Classic Kicks began hosting the Air Up There Hip-Hop Showcase for developing hip-hop talents in its first 40 events, after which it has continued once a year at several other venues.[54]
Detroit hip-hop producerJ Dilla developed his beat making skills as a member of the groups1st Down andSlum Village, before embarking on a solo career in 2002; Dilla's music raised the artistic level ofhip-hop production in Detroit, before his death in 2006. Dilla would subsequently become a major source of inspiration for future Detroit hip-hop artists, includingGuilty Simpson andElzhi.[52] The 2010s saw the rise of Detroit'sunderground hip-hop scene with artists such asDanny Brown, and the Crown Nation collective's Quelle Chris and Denmark Vessey, and Nick Speed.[2][52][63]
Detroit is also home to the SKA band PBM (band).[64]
The city is home to theDetroit Symphony Orchestra and theDetroit Opera House. Major theaters include theFox Theatre,Masonic Temple Theatre,[65]Fisher Theatre,The Fillmore Detroit,Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts,St. Andrews Hall,The Shelter,The Majestic Theatre,The Old Miami,The Magic Stick,The Lager House,[66]Detroit Repertory Theatre and the Detroit Film Theatre at theDetroit Institute of Arts,[67] along withWayne State University's Hillberry, Bonstelle, and Studio Theatres.[67]
The metropolitan Detroit area boasts two of the top live music venues in the U.S.Pine Knob Music Theater (formerly DTE Energy Music Theater, renamed back to the original Pine Knob) was the most attended summer venue in the U.S. in 2005 for the fifteenth consecutive year, whileThe Palace of Auburn Hills ranked twelfth, according to music industry sourcePollstar.[68]
Suburban Detroit is also home to a handful of live music venues, including Clutch Cargo's (Pontiac), The Magic Bag (Ferndale),[69]The Crofoot (Pontiac),[65] The Historic Eagle Theater (Pontiac), The Blind Pig (Ann Arbor) The Ritz (Roseville MI 1980–1995, Warren MI 2006–present), Smalls (Hamtramck), High Octane—formerly Static Age (Romeo), Royal Oak Music Theatre (Royal Oak), NTP Backstage (Waterford).[70]
At least 25 groups or solo artists, non-performers and sidemen who are connected with the Detroit area have been inducted into theRock & Roll Hall of Fame, including Detroit-native Bill Haley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Hank Ballard, the Four Tops,Gladys Knight & the Pips, John Lee Hooker, Alice Cooper, Wilson Pickett,Martha and the Vandellas, Little Willie John, Parliament-Funkadelic, James Jamerson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Bob Seger, Glenn Frey, The Stooges, Berry Gordy, Patti Smith and Eminem.[71][72]
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