1973 in Michigan
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Events from the year 1973 in Michigan. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
(AP) selected the top news stories for 1973 in Michigan as follows: # The selection of Michigan Congressman
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
as
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
following the resignation of Spiro Agnew; # The
1973 oil crisis The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...
; # Layoffs in the automobile industry following a drop in sales; # Negotiations between the
United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico ...
and the Big Three automobile manufacturers; #
Coleman Young Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan, from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit. Young had emerged from the far-left ele ...
's election victory on November 6 over former police commissioner John F. Nichols to become the first African-American Mayor of Detroit; # (tie) The Michigan State Lottery earned $61 million in its first full year; # (tie) Natural gas forced residents to evacuate their homes in
Williamsburg, Michigan Williamsburg is an unincorporated community in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is located in central Whitewater Township, which is part of Grand Traverse County. M-72 runs directly through the town. History There is evidence ...
; # Severe winter storms struck the state in March; # Union construction workers protested at nonunion work sites in Kalkaska and Midland; and # Col.
William Nolde Colonel William Benedict Nolde (August 8, 1929 – January 27, 1973) was an officer in the United States Army. Born in Menominee, Michigan, Nolde was a professor of military science at Central Michigan University before joining the army. He is kn ...
of Michigan was the last American soldier to die in combat in the Vietnam War; he was killed on January 27 when artillery blew up his bunker 11 hours before the ceasefire. The AP also chose the state's top sports stories as follows: # The
1973 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1973 Big Ten Conference football season. In his fifth year as Michigan's head coach, Bo Schembechler led the team to a 10–0–1 record. It was Michigan's ...
's being passed over for the
1974 Rose Bowl The 1974 Rose Bowl was the 60th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Tuesday, January 1. The Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference defeated the USC Trojans of the Pacific-8 Con ...
despite its undefeated season and playing
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
to a 10–10 tie on November 24; # John Hiller's comeback from a heart attack to set a major league record with 34 saves; #
Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
signing a contract on June 19 to play with his sons for the Houston Aeros of the
World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
; # The Saginaw
Arthur Hill High School Arthur Hill High School is a public high school in Saginaw, Michigan, United States. It serves students in grades 9-12 as one of three high schools in the Saginaw Public School District. History The school was named after a successful lumberin ...
football team compiling an undefeated season and outscoring opponents, 443–0; # The September 2 firing of Billy Martin as manager of the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
; # Joe Schmidt's January 12 resignation as head coach of the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
; # The hiring of
Alex Delvecchio Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career t ...
as general manager of the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
and the firing of
Ted Garvin Ted Garvin (August 20, 1923 – November 18, 1992) was a Canadian ice hockey forward and head coach primarily in the International Hockey League. Playing career Born in Sarnia, Ontario, he began his playing career in the Eastern Hockey League ...
as coach; # The rise of girls' athletics in the state, including Carolyn King playing for a boys' Little League team in Ypsilanti; # The October 11 hiring of
Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...
as the new manager of the Detroit Tigers; and # The firing of Johnny Wilson as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and the naming of Ted Garvin as coach.


Office holders


State office holders

*
Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...
:
William Milliken William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he is the longest-serving governor in Michigan history, serv ...
( Republican) *
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...
: James H. Brickley (Republican) * Michigan Attorney General:
Frank J. Kelley Frank Joseph Kelley (December 31, 1924 – March 5, 2021) was an American politician who served as the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1999, made him both the youngest (36 years old ...
(
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
) * Michigan Secretary of State: Richard H. Austin (Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: William A. Ryan (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate:
Robert VanderLaan Robert "Robbie" VanderLaan (c. 1930-November 1, 2015) was a former majority leader of the Michigan State Senate. A Republican, he ran to replace Gerald Ford as representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district in a 1974 special election, ...
(Republican) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:


Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit:
Roman Gribbs Roman Stanley Gribbs (December 29, 1925 – April 5, 2016) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Detroit from 1970 to 1974. Later, Gribbs served as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Gribbs was the last white mayor of the ...
*
Mayor of Grand Rapids This is a list of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The current mayor is Rosalynn Bliss, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2016. References {{Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat ...
:
Lyman S. Parks Rev. Lyman S. Parks (1917 – November 4, 2009) was the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1971 to 1976. He was the first African-American to serve in the position. He was also the first African-American elected to the Grand Rapids City Commissi ...
* Mayor of Flint: Francis E. Limmer/ Paul Calvin Visser *
Mayor of Lansing List Lansing, Michigan, was incorporated as a city on February 15, 1859. * Hiram H. Smith, 1859 * John A. Kerr, 1860 * William H. Chapman, 1861–62 * Dr. Ira H. Bartholomew, 1863–65 * Dr. William H. Haze, 1866 * George W. Peck, 1867 * ...
: Gerald W. Graves * Mayor of Dearborn:
Orville L. Hubbard Orville Liscum Hubbard (April 2, 1903 – December 16, 1982) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan from 1942 to 1978. Hubbard was an effective administrator who served 15 consecutive terms while being national ...
*
Mayor of Ann Arbor This is a list of mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan, beginning with Ann Arbor's incorporation as a city on April 4, 1851. References Ann Arbor mayors, Political Graveyard website* Samuel W. Beakes, Past and Present of Washtenaw County' (Washtenaw C ...
: Robert J. Harris (Democrat) / James E. Stephenson (Republican) * Mayor of Saginaw: Paul H. Wendler/William F. Nelson, Jr.


Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:
Robert P. Griffin Robert Paul Griffin (November 6, 1923 – April 16, 2015) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Michigan in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate and was a Justice of the M ...
(Republican) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:
Philip Hart Philip Aloysius Hart (December 10, 1912December 26, 1976) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was known as t ...
(Democrat) * House District 1:
John Conyers John James Conyers Jr. (May 16, 1929October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. The districts he represented always included part of western Detroit. ...
(Democrat) * House District 2:
Marvin L. Esch Marvin Leonel Esch (August 4, 1927 – June 19, 2010) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and a member of the Republican Party. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1977 before unsuccessfully seekin ...
(Republican) * House District 3:
Garry E. Brown Garry Eldridge Brown (August 12, 1923 – August 27, 1998) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served six terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1979. Biography Brown was born in Schoolcraft, Michiga ...
(Republican) * House District 4:
J. Edward Hutchinson J. Edward Hutchinson (October 13, 1914 – July 22, 1985) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Michigan's 4th congressional district in the United States House of R ...
(Republican) * House District 5:
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
(Republican) * House District 6:
Charles E. Chamberlain Charles Ernest Chamberlain (July 22, 1917 – November 25, 2002) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Life and career Chamberlain was born in Locke Township, Michigan and after graduating from Lansing Central High School in Lans ...
(Republican) * House District 7:
Donald W. Riegle Jr. Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. (born February 4, 1938) is an American politician, author, and businessman from Michigan. He served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator in the U.S. Congress. Early life and family Donald W ...
(Republican) * House District 8:
R. James Harvey Russell James Harvey (July 4, 1922 – July 20, 2019) usually known as James Harvey, was a United States representative from Michigan and an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern Distric ...
(Republican) * House District 9: Guy Vander Jagt (Republican) * House District 10:
Elford Albin Cederberg Elford Albin "Al" Cederberg (March 6, 1918 – April 17, 2006) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Cederberg was born to dairy farmers Albin and Helen (Olson) Cederberg in Bay City, Michigan; his father and maternal grand ...
(Republican) * House District 11:
Philip Ruppe Philip Edward Ruppe (born September 29, 1926) is an American former politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and a member of the Republican Party. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1979 before running, unsuccessfully ...
(Republican) * House District 12:
James G. O'Hara James Grant O'Hara (November 8, 1925 – March 13, 1989) was a soldier and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving as U.S. Representative from 1959 to 1977. Early life O'Hara was born in Washington, D.C. He moved with his parents to ...
(Democrat) * House District 13:
Charles Diggs Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (December 2, 1922 – August 24, 1998) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served in the state senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first African American elected to Congress ...
(Democrat) * House District 14:
Lucien N. Nedzi Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...
(Democrat) * House District 15:
William D. Ford William David Ford (August 6, 1927 – August 14, 2004) was a U.S. Representative from Michigan and namesake of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Ford was known for his support of workers and educational opportunity. Among his significant ...
(Democrat) * House District 16: John Dingell Jr. (Democrat) * House District 17:
Martha Griffiths Martha Wright Griffiths (January 29, 1912 – April 22, 2003) was an American lawyer and judge before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1954. Griffiths was the first woman to serve on the House Committee on Ways and M ...
(Democrat) * House District 18: William Broomfield (Republican) * House District 19: Jack H. McDonald (Republican)


Population


Sports


Baseball

*
1973 Detroit Tigers season The 1973 Detroit Tigers compiled a record of 85–77. They finished in 3rd place in the American League East, AL East, 12 games behind the 1973 Baltimore Orioles season, Baltimore Orioles. They were outscored by their opponents 674 to 642. Off ...
– Under managers Billy Martin and Joe Schultz, the Tigers compiled an 85–77 record and finished third in the American League East. The team's statistical leaders included Willie Horton with a .316 batting average,
Norm Cash Norman Dalton Cash (November 10, 1933 – October 11, 1986) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. A power hitter, his 377 career home runs were the fourth most by an America ...
with 19
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s,
Aurelio Rodriguez Aurelio may refer to: People Politicians *Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. (born 1964), congressman in the Philippines *Aurélio de Lira Tavares (1905–1998), President of Brazil *Aurelio Martínez, Honduran politician *Aurelio Mosquera (1883–1939), Pre ...
with 58 RBIs, Joe Coleman with 23 wins, and John Hiller with a 1.44
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
.


American football

* 1973 Detroit Lions season – The Lions, under head coach
Don McCafferty Donald William McCafferty (March 12, 1921 – July 28, 1974) was an American football player and coach who, in his first year as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, led the team to a victory in Super Bowl V, and became the first rookie head coach ...
, compiled a 6–7–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL's Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included
Bill Munson William Alan Munson (August 11, 1941 – July 10, 2000) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He also played college football for Utah State where he set multiple passing re ...
with 1,129 passing yards,
Altie Taylor Altie Taylor (September 29, 1947 – March 14, 2010) was an American football running back. He played eight seasons in the National Football League, including seven with the Detroit Lions. He led the Lions in rushing for three consecutive years ...
with 719 rushing yards,
Charlie Sanders Charles Alvin Sanders (August 25, 1946 July 2, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1977. Sanders was chosen for the NFL's 1970s All-D ...
with 433 receiving yards, and
Errol Mann Errol Denis Mann (June 27, 1941 – April 11, 2013) was an American football placekicker. He played in the National Football League from 1968 to 1978, and was a member of the Oakland Raiders' Super Bowl XI winning team. When attempting kicks, M ...
with 53 points scored. *
1973 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1973 Big Ten Conference football season. In his fifth year as Michigan's head coach, Bo Schembechler led the team to a 10–0–1 record. It was Michigan's ...
– Under head coach
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of ...
, the Wolverines compiled a 10–0–1 record, tying with Ohio State in the final game of the season. The Wolverines were ranked No. 6 in the final
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
. The team's statistical leaders included
Dennis Franklin Dennis E. Franklin (born August 24, 1953) is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1975 NFL Draft. Prior to playing for the NFL he played college footbal ...
with 534 passing yards,
Ed Shuttlesworth Ed Shuttlesworth (born June 4, 1952) is a former American football fullback. He played for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973. He was the leading rusher for Michigan's 1972 and 1973 teams that compiled a combined record of 20&ndas ...
with 745 rushing yards and 78 points scored, and
Paul Seal Paul Nathan Seal (born February 27, 1952) is a former American football player. He played college football as a tight end for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973 and professional football as a tight end in the National Football League ( ...
with 254 receiving yards.


Basketball

*
1972–73 Detroit Pistons season The 1972–73 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 25th season in the NBA and 16th season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit. The Pistons finished with a 40-42 (.488) record, 3rd place in the Midwest Divi ...
– Under head coaches
Earl Lloyd Earl Francis Lloyd (April 3, 1928 – February 26, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was the first African American player to play a game in the National Basketball Association (NBA). An All–American player at W ...
and Ray Scott, the Pistons compiled a 40–42 record and finished third in the NBA's Midwest Division. The team's statistical leaders included Bob Lanier with 1,927 points and 1,205 rebounds and
Dave Bing David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player, businessman, and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After starring a ...
with 637
assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...
s. * 1972–73 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team – Under head coach Johnny Orr, the Wolverines compiled a 13–11 record and finished sixth in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
. The team's statistical leaders included
Henry Wilmore Henry Wilmore is an American former basketball player who is most known for being a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American in 1972 while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. He played at the University of Michigan from 1970†...
with 523 points and
Campy Russell Michael Campanella "Campy" Russell (born January 12, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks for nine ...
with 231 rebounds.


Ice hockey

* 1972–73 Detroit Red Wings season – Under head coach Johnny Wilson, the Red Wings compiled a 37–29–10 record and finished fifth in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's East Division. The team's statistical leaders included Mickey Redmond with 52 goals and 93 points scored and
Alex Delvecchio Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career t ...
with 53 assists. The team's regular goaltenders were
Roy Edwards Allan Roy Edwards (March 12, 1937 – August 16, 1999) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 236 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1967 and 1973. Interna ...
and
Denis DeJordy Joseph Denis Emile DeJordy (born November 15, 1938), is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played goal for four National Hockey League teams, most notably the Chicago Black Hawks. In 1966–67, he and Glenn Hall won the Vezina ...
.


Golf

*
Buick Open The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players use ...
– *
Michigan Open The Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1916 at a variety of courses around the sta ...
–


Boat racing

* Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race – * Spirit of Detroit race – * APBA Gold Cup –


Other

* 1972 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships – *
Yankee 600 The NASCAR Cup Series has held stock car races annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. Traditionally, the track held two Cup Series races, one in June, around Father's Day weekend and another in August. The A ...
-


Music

Albums and singles by Michigan artists or centered on Michigan topics that were released or became hits in 1973 include the following: * Detroit native
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
had a big year. Her single, "
Touch Me in the Morning "Touch Me in the Morning" is a song recorded by Diana Ross on the Motown label. It was written by Ron Miller and Michael Masser, and produced by the latter and Tom Baird. It was released on May 3, 1973 as the first single from her album of t ...
", released in May 1973, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was ranked No. 10 on the
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973 This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1973. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of ''Billboard'' dated December 29, 1973, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 25, 1972 through November ...
. The album ''
Touch Me in the Morning "Touch Me in the Morning" is a song recorded by Diana Ross on the Motown label. It was written by Ron Miller and Michael Masser, and produced by the latter and Tom Baird. It was released on May 3, 1973 as the first single from her album of t ...
'' was released in June and reached No. 5 on the Billboard album chart. Ross had two other album releases in 1973. '' Diana & Marvin'', a duet album with
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
, was released in October and reached No. 26 on the album chart. It included the single " You're a Special Part of Me" that reached No. 12 on the Hot 100. A third album from Ross, '' Last Time I Saw Him'', was released in December 1973. *
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
, who was born in Saginaw and raised in Detroit, scored three of the year's biggest hits. "
You Are the Sunshine of My Life "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a 1973 single released by Stevie Wonder. The song became Wonder's third number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and his first number-one on the Easy Listening chart. It won Wonder a Grammy Award f ...
, released in April 1973, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked No. 19 on the
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973 This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1973. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of ''Billboard'' dated December 29, 1973, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 25, 1972 through November ...
. "
Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
", released in October 1972, also reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, and was ranked No. 19 on the 1973 year-end singles list. " Higher Ground", released in July 1973, reached No. 4 on the Hot 100, and was ranked No. 62 on year-end singles list. *
Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
's Grand Funk Railroad had a breakout year. The album ''
We're an American Band ''We're an American Band'' is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, credited as Grand Funk. The album was released by Capitol Records on July 15, 1973 (see 1973 in music) and was certified gold by the RIAA ...
'' was released in July 1973 and reached No. 2 on the Billboard album chart. The single "
We're an American Band ''We're an American Band'' is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, credited as Grand Funk. The album was released by Capitol Records on July 15, 1973 (see 1973 in music) and was certified gold by the RIAA ...
" reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and was ranked No. 23 on the
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973 This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1973. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of ''Billboard'' dated December 29, 1973, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 25, 1972 through November ...
. * The Spinners, from
Ferndale, Michigan Ferndale is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms part of the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,190. Ferndale is well known in the Detroit area for its LGBT population and progr ...
, also had a big year. Their single, " Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" was released in December 1972, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, and was ranked No. 47 on the Billboard's 1973 year-end singles list. The follow-up album, '' Spinners'', was released in April 1973 and reached No. 1 on the R&B album chart. The single "
One of a Kind (Love Affair) "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). It was written by Joseph B. Jefferson and produced by Thom Bell. The Spinners recorded the song at Philly's ...
" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was ranked No. 82 on the 1973 year-end singles list. *
The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...
released two albums in 1973: ''
Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
'' in February 1973 (No. 7 on the Billboard album chart); and ''
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
'' in December 1973 (No. 19 on the album chart). The Temptations also had two hit singles: "
Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
", released in February 1973, reached No. 7 on the Hot 100, and was ranked No. 80 on the Billboard year-end list for 1973. " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", released in September 1972, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, and was ranked No. 100 on the 1973 year-end list. * "
Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got) "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" is a song written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, released as a single by the Four Tops on the ABC/Dunhill record label, from the album ''Keeper of the Castle''. It peaked at number four on the U.S. ...
", a single from
The Four Tops ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, was released in January 1973, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked No. 60 on the
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973 This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1973. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of ''Billboard'' dated December 29, 1973, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 25, 1972 through November ...
. * "
Panic in Detroit "Panic in Detroit" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie for the album '' Aladdin Sane'' in 1973. Bowie based it on friend Iggy Pop's descriptions of revolutionaries he had known in Michigan Nicholas Pegg (2000). ''The Compl ...
" by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
was released in April 1973. * ''
Raw Power ''Raw Power'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges (credited as Iggy and the Stooges), released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two r ...
'', an album by
Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
's
The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
, was released in February 1973. It included the song " Search and Destroy". * ''
Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) ''Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)'' is the nineteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin. Released in mid-1973 by Atlantic Records, it was the first Atlantic album by Franklin to miss the Top 25 of the main ...
'', an album from
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
, was released in June 1973. The album included two songs that went to No. 1 on the R&B chart: "
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
" and "
Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appe ...
". * '' Back in '72'', an album from
Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...
, was released in January 1973. It included the song " Turn the Page".


Chronology of events


January


February


March

* March 5 - Pizza manufacturer Mario Fabbrini publicly disposes of 29,188 frozen cheese-and-mushroom pizzas after a recall from the Food and Drug Administration, dubbed the
Great Michigan Pizza Funeral The Great Michigan Pizza Funeral (also referred to as the Great Pizza Funeral of Michigan and the Great Pizza Burial) was the ceremonial disposal of 29,188 frozen cheese-and-mushroom pizzas in Ossineke, Michigan on March 5, 1973. The manufacture ...
.


April


May


June


July


August


September


October


November


December


Births

* January 20 -
Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines' " Fab Five" (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy K ...
, basketball player, in Detroit * February 21 - Brian Rolston, hockey player, in
Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
* March 1 - Chris Webber, basketball player, in Detroit * October 2 -
Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a con ...
, rapper, in Detroit * Date unknown -
Betsy Brandt Betsy Brandt (born March 14, 1973) is an American actress. She portrayed Marie Schrader in ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spinoff show, ''Better Call Saul'' (2022) and played Heather Hughes in the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' (2015– ...
, actress (''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
'', ''
Life in Pieces ''Life in Pieces'' is an American sitcom television series created by Justin Adler and which premiered on CBS on September 21, 2015 and concluded on June 27, 2019. The series was produced by 40 or 50 Years, Inc., Kapital Entertainment in associa ...
''), in
Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...


Gallery of 1973 births

File:BrianRolstonBruins.jpg, Brian Rolston File:Chris Webber NBA Asia Challenge 2010.jpg, Chris Webber File:ProofAug05.jpg,
Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a con ...


Deaths

* March 26 -
George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Br ...
, baseball player at the University of Michigan (1913-1915) and Major League Baseball (1915-1930) and
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
inductee, at age 80 in Richmond Heights, Missouri * August 17 - Paul Williams, baritone singer and choreographer and original member of
The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...
, of suicide at age 34 in Detroit * December 19 -
Prentiss M. Brown Prentiss Marsh Brown (June 18, 1889December 19, 1973) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Brown was born in St. Ignace, Michigan and attended the public schools there. He attended the Uni ...
, U.S. Congressman (1933-1936) and Senator (1936-1943), at age 84 in
St. Ignace, Michigan St. Ignace is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Mackinac County. The city had a population of 2,452 at the 2010 census. St. Ignace Township is located just to the north of the city, but the two are administered autono ...


Gallery of 1973 deaths

File:George-sisler.jpg,
George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Br ...
File:Paul Williams of the Temptations on Ed Sullivan Show.jpg, Paul Williams File:Prentiss Marsh Brown.jpg,
Prentiss M. Brown Prentiss Marsh Brown (June 18, 1889December 19, 1973) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Brown was born in St. Ignace, Michigan and attended the public schools there. He attended the Uni ...


See also

* History of Michigan *
History of Detroit Detroit, the largest city in the state of Michigan, was settled in 1701 by French colonists. It is the first European settlement above tidewater in North America., p. 56. Founded as a New France fur trading post, it began to expand during the 19 ...


References

{{Michigan year nav