1984 in Michigan
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Events from the year 1984 in Michigan.


Top Michigan news stories

The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top news stories as follows: 1. The July 16 decision by
Consumers Power Consumers Energy is an investor owned utility that provides natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state's Lower Peninsula counties. It is the primary subsidiary of ...
to shut down the
Midland Nuclear Power Plant The Midland Cogeneration Venture (MCV) is a natural gas-fired electrical and steam co-generation plant in Midland, Michigan owned by Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership. When it began operation in 1991, it was the largest gas-fired st ...
which was 85% complete, but had experienced massive cost overruns and total costs in excess of $3.6 billion;
2. (tie) The takeover of the Michigan Senate by Republicans in February 1984 following special elections to replace two Democratic Senators ( Philip Mastin and David Serotkin) who had been ousted in 1983 recall elections targeting legislators who voted in favor of a 38% income tax increase;
2. (tie) The resurgence of the automobile industry, including increased sales and profits and the announcement by Mazda that it would build a $450 million plant in Flat Rock, Michigan;
4. The United Auto Workers' six-day strike against 17 General Motors plants in September;
5. (tie) The defeat of Proposition C, a ballot initiative dubbed "Voter's Choice" which would have rolled back taxes to 1981 levels, required voter approval for future tax increases, and reduced Detroit's non-resident income tax;
5. (tie) The resurgence of the state's economy, including a decline in unemployment and a state budget surplus of $282 million;
7. The sentencing of Upjohn heir Roger A. Gauntlett, age 43, to "chemical castration" (through five years of treatment with Depo-Provera) for the repeated rape of his teenage stepdaughter. (The Depo-Provera aspect of the sentence was later reversed on appeal.)
8. (tie) The tarnishing of Detroit's image due to violent outbreaks in October, including a shooting death and other violence amid the celebration of the Detroit Tigers' October 14 victory in the
1984 World Series The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the Nationa ...
, and hundreds of fires set in Detroit on October 30, "Devil's night";
8. (tie) The federal civil rights trial, following protests over lenient state court sentencing (probation and fines), of Chrysler plant superintendent Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz, in the racially motivated Murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was beaten to death in June 1982 with a baseball bat after an altercation at the Fancy Pants Lounge, a Woodward Avenue strip club. Ebens was convicted on June 28 in the federal case and sentenced on September 18 to 25 years in federal prison. (The appellate court later ordered a new trial that resulted in Ebens' acquittal on May 1, 1987.)
10. (tie) The comeback of
Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
after repaying federal loan guarantees in 1983 and achieving record earnings of $803 million in the quarter from April to June 1984; and
10. (tie) The House of Judah controversies, including the trial and conviction of three members of the religious camp in South Haven arising out of the July 1983 beating death of 12-year-old John Yarbough, the conviction of another member for raping a 13-year-old girl, the removal of 66 children from the camp, and the death of two other children in a mobile home fire in October 1984.


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 ...
: James Blanchard (
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 ...
) *
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 ...
:
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) * 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) * Michigan Secretary of State: Richard H. Austin (Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Gary Owen (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate:
William Faust William Faust (March 29, 1929 – January 21, 1995) was a Democratic member of the Michigan Senate from 1967 through 1994, and was majority leader from 1976 to 1984. Early life A native of Ohio, Faust attended Indiana University and earned a ba ...
(Democrat)/ John Engler ( Republican) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:


Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit:
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 ...
*
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 ...
: Abe L. Drasin/Gerald R. Helmholdt * Mayor of Flint:
James A. Sharp, Jr. James A. Sharp Jr. (May 28, 1933 – July 2, 2023) was an American politician who served as mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan, and the second "strong" mayor under Flint's 1974 Charter. Career Sharp defeated James W. Rutherford at his attempt ...
*
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 * ...
: Terry John McKane *
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 ...
:
Louis Belcher Louis D. Belcher (born 1939) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, from 1978 to 1985. He won office in an unusual "special election" of 1978, held after lengthy court wranglings over the disputed 1977 mayoral con ...
(Republican)


Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:
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 ...
(
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 ...
) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:
Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services C ...
(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: Carl Pursell (Republican) * House District 3: Howard Wolpe (Republican) * House District 4: Mark D. Siljander (Republican) * House District 5:
Harold S. Sawyer Harold Samuel Sawyer (March 21, 1920 – April 2, 2003) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sawyer represented Michigan's 5th congressional district in the United ...
(Republican) * House District 6: Bob Dunn (Democrat) *
House District 7 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
: Dale Kildee (Democrat) * House District 8:
J. Bob Traxler Jerome Bob Traxler (July 21, 1931 – October 30, 2019), also known as J. Bob Traxler or Bob Traxler, was an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. He served ten terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 to 1993. Early ...
(Democrat) * House District 9: Guy Vander Jagt (Republican) * House District 10:
Donald J. Albosta Donald Joseph Albosta (December 5, 1925 – December 18, 2014) was an American farmer, businessman, and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served three terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985. Most n ...
(Democrat) * House District 11:
Robert William Davis Robert William Davis (July 31, 1932 – October 16, 2009) was an American politician from the state of Michigan. He represented the state's 11th congressional district, which at that time included the Upper Peninsula and a large portion of N ...
(Republican) * House District 12: David Bonior (Democrat) * House District 13:
George Crockett Jr. George William Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1909 – September 7, 1997) was an African-American attorney, jurist, and congressman from the U.S. state of Michigan. He also served as a national vice-president of the National Lawyers Guild and co- ...
(Democrat) * House District 14: Dennis M. Hertel (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 (Democrat) * House District 17: Sander Levin (Democrat) * House District 18: William Broomfield (Republican)


Population


Sports


Baseball

*
1984 Detroit Tigers season The 1984 Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901. It was the franchise's best season in terms of overall wins (104) and the ...
– Under manager Sparky Anderson, the Tigers compiled a 104–58 record, finished first in the American League East, defeated the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in the
1984 American League Championship Series The 1984 American League Championship Series matched the East Division champion Detroit Tigers against the West Division champion Kansas City Royals. The Tigers took the series in a three-game sweep to advance to the 1984 World Series against th ...
, and defeated the San Diego Padres in the
1984 World Series The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the Nationa ...
. The team's statistical leaders included
Alan Trammell Alan Stuart Trammell ( ; born February 21, 1958) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball ( ...
with a .314 batting average, Lance Parrish with 33 home runs and 98
RBI RBI most often refers to: *Reserve Bank of India *Run batted in RBI may also refer to: Organisations *Radio Berlin International *Raiffeisen Bank International *Reed Business Information *Restaurant Brands International *Ruđer Bošković In ...
s, Jack Morris with 19 wins, and Willie Hernández with a 1.92 earned run average (ERA). Hernandez was selected as the American League's Most Valuable Player.


American football

*
1984 Detroit Lions season The 1984 Detroit Lions season was their 55th in the National Football League. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 9–7, winning only four games. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Lik ...
– The Lions, under head coach Monte Clark, compiled a 4–11–1 record and finished fourth in the NFC Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included Gary Danielson with 3,076 passing yards, Billy Sims with 687 rushing yards, Leonard Thompson with 773 receiving yards, and Eddie Murray with 91 points scored. *
1984 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1984 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1984 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 16th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a ...
– 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 6–6 record, including a loss to No. 1 BYU in the Holiday Bowl. The team's statistical leaders included
Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
with 718 passing yards, Jamie Morris with 573 rushing yards, Sim Nelson with 459 receiving yards, and Bob Bergeron with 60 points scored.


Basketball

*
1983–84 Detroit Pistons season The 1983–84 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 36th season in the NBA and 27th season in the city of Detroit. The team played at the Pontiac Silverdome in surburban Pontiac, Michigan. During the 1984 playoffs against the New York Knicks, the ...
– Under head coach
Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era— ...
, the Pistons compiled a 49–33 record and finished second in the NBA's Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included
Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for ''NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Grea ...
with 1,784 points and 914 assists and
Bill Laimbeer William J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his rough and violent style of play, he played a big part in the P ...
with 1,003 rebounds.


Ice hockey

*
1983–84 Detroit Red Wings season The 1983–84 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 52nd season, the franchise's 58th. Offseason The Red Wings drafted Steve Yzerman in the first round, fourth overall. Regular season Final standings Schedule and results Playoffs ...
– Under head coach
Nick Polano Nick Polano (March 25, 1941 – September 26, 2019) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and scout. Polano was the Detroit Red Wings' head coach when owner Mike Ilitch first bought the team in 1982, and later served as the team's assistant ge ...
, the Red Wings compiled a 31–42–7 record and finished third in the National Hockey League's Norris Division. The team's statistical leaders included
Steve Yzerman Stephen Gregory Yzerman (; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent all 22 seasons of his NHL playing c ...
with 87 points, John Ogrodnick with 42 goals and Brad Park with 53 assists. The team's regular goaltenders were
Greg Stefan Gregory Steven Stefan (born February 11, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Flint Firebirds in the Ontario Hockey League. ...
(50 games), Eddie Mio (24 games), and Corrado Micalef (14 games).


Boxing


Other


Music and culture

* January 1984 - Ted Nugent's album '' Pentrator'' was released and reached No. 56 on the Billboard 200 album chart. * February 1984 -
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's song " Borderline" was released as a single and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. * March 1984 - '' The Big Chill (soundtrack)'', featuring Motown hits, was certified platinum. * May 1984 - " Ghostbusters", the title song from the movie recorded by Detroit native
Ray Parker Jr. Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters''. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-10 h ...
was released and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August. * June 1984 - Glenn Frey's album '' The Allnighter'' was released and reached No. 22 on the Billboard album chart. The album included the single "
Smuggler's Blues "Smuggler's Blues" is a song written by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin, and performed by Frey. It was the third and final single from Frey's second studio album, '' The Allnighter'' (1984). It followed " Sexy Girl" and "The Allnighter"; of the thre ...
". * August 1984 -
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 ...
's " I Just Called to Say I Love You" from '' The Woman in Red (soundtrack)'' was released. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. * September 1984 -
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 ...
' album '' Swept Away'' was released. The single "
Missing You Missing You, Missin' You, or Missing U may refer to: Film and television * ''Missing You'' (2008 film), a Singaporean film * ''Missing You'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Missing U'' (film), a 2013 short animated film by Brooke Wagstaff ...
", a tribute to
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 Ross' final top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. * November 1984 -
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's album '' Like a Virgin'' was released and reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The album included hit singles " Material Girl" (No. 2), " Like a Virgin" (No. 1), and " Angel" (No. 5).


Chronology of events


January

* January 2 - Coleman Young celebrated the 10th anniversary of his inauguration as Mayor of Detroit. * January 2 - No. 8 Michigan lost to No. 3 Auburn by a 9–7 score in the
1984 Sugar Bowl The 1984 Sugar Bowl was the 50th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1983–84 bowl game season, it matched the third-ranked Auburn Tigers ...
. Al Del Greco kicked three field goals for Auburn. * January 6 - The Census Bureau issued a report showing the cities over 50,000 population with the highest percentage of homes occupied by their owners. Redford Township ranked first in the nation with a 91.4% rate of owner-occupied housing. Livonia ranked second at 90.24%; Dearborn Heights was fifth with 85.76%; and St. Clair Shores was seventh with 84.06%. * January 8 - Jesse Jackson held a rally attended by 7,000 persons at Calihan Hall at the University of Detroit in support of his presidential campaign. * January 9 - The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to a Detroit Police Department requiring promotion of equal numbers of white and black officers. * January 9 - General Motors' Board of Directors approved a reorganization consolidating the company's five car divisions into two new groups, one for large cars and the other for small cars. * January 11 - Fred Cummings resigned as director of the Detroit Institute of Arts after months of controversy over his management of the museum. * January 20 - Two House of Judah members were sentenced to a year in prison and five years probation for child cruelty in the beating death of a 12-year-old boy. * January 21 - Detroit recorded a temperature of 21 degrees below zero, the coldest recording in the city since 1872. * January 26 - Astronaut
Jack Lousma Jack Robert Lousma (born February 29, 1936) is an American astronaut, aeronautical engineer, retired United States Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps officer, former United States naval aviator, naval aviator, NASA astronaut, and politici ...
announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to challenge
Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services C ...
for his seat in the U.S. Senate * January 29 - Isaiah Thomas was named the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game. * January 30 - Upjohn pharmaceutical heir Roger Gauntlett was sentenced to one year in county jail and five years of probation and ordered to take and experimental drug to reduce the male sex drive. He had been convicted of repeatedly raping his teenage stepdaughter over a seven-year period. The drug, Depo-Provera, was manufactured by Upjohn. In announcing the sentence, the judge described the treatment as "castration by chemical means". * January 31 - In special elections to fill the seats of two Democratic members of the Michigan Senate (both had been recalled for supporting an income tax increase), Republican candidates won both contests. The victories gave Republicans control of the Senate for the first time in 10 years. * A Michigan State University judicial board found the school's marching band director, Stanley DeRusha, had sexually harassed six women students, including coerced oral sex and multiple instances of sexual touching. DeRusha had been the band director since 1978.


February


March


April


May


June


July


August


September


October


November


December


Births

* January 12 - Scott Olsen, baseball pitcher, in Kalamazoo * February 9 - Maurice Ager, basketball player, in Detroit * February 12 -
Peter Vanderkaay Peter William Vanderkaay (born February 12, 1984) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in middle-distance freestyle events and is a four-time Olympic medalist. He was a member of the United States Olympic team in 2004, 2008, ...
, swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist, in Royal Oak, Michigan * March 1 -
Naima Mora Naima Mora (born March 1, 1984) is an American fashion model and the winner of Cycle 4 of ''America's Next Top Model''. Biography Early life Mora was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of jazz vocalist and entrepreneur Theresa Mora and ja ...
, model and winner of Cycle 4 of America's Next Top Model, in Detroit * March 7 -
Brandon T. Jackson Brandon Timothy Jackson (born March 7, 1984) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for his roles in the films '' Roll Bounce'' (2005), ''Tropic Thunder'' (2008), '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010), '' ...
, stand-up comedian, rapper, actor, and writer, in Detroit * May 7 -
Drew Stanton Drew may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;In the United States * Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Drew, Mississippi, a city * Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Drew County, Arkansas ...
, American football quarterback, in Okemos, Michigan * June 1 -
Jennie Ritter Jennifer Darlene Ritter (born June 1, 1984) is an American, former collegiate All-American, retired softball pitcher and current sports commentator. She played college softball and was a starting pitcher for the Michigan Wolverines softball f ...
, softball pitcher, in Dexter, Michigan * June 23 - Walshy, professional gamer, in Grandville, Michigan * July 21 - Paul Davis, basketball player, in Rochester, Michigan * August 28 - Denmark Vessey, rapper and record producer, in
Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...
* August 30 -
Joe Staley Joseph Andrew Staley (born August 30, 1984) is an American former American football, football offensive tackle who played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Central ...
, American football player, in Rockford, Michigan * November 30 - LaMarr Woodley, American football linebacker and winner of the Lombardi and Hendricks Awards in 2006, in Saginaw, Michigan


Gallery of 1984 births


Deaths

* January 11 -
Peter Licavoli Peter Joseph Licavoli (June 7, 1902 – January 11, 1984), was an American organized crime figure in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to Detroit, Michigan. He controlled criminal operations in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, throughout the Prohibition ...
, organized crime figure, at age 81 in Tucson, Arizona * January 21 -
Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...
, singer and Detroit native, at age 49 in New Jersey * January 21 - Rebecca Shelley, pacifist, at age 97 in Battle Creek, Michigan * March 18 -
Charley Lau Charles Richard Lau (April 12, 1933 – March 18, 1984) was an American professional baseball player and a highly influential hitting coach. During his playing career in Major League Baseball, Lau appeared in 527 games as a catcher and pinch hitt ...
, baseball catcher and hitting coach, at age 50 in Florida * April 1 -
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 ...
, Motown singer, at age 44 in Los Angeles * April 29 - Neno DaPrato, American football fullback, at age 91 in Pennsylvania * July 14 - Philippé Wynne, singer and member of The Spinners, at age 43 in Oakland, California * July 15 - Marcus Plant, law professor and athletic administrator, at age 72 in Ann Arbor * July 27 -
C. L. Franklin Clarence LaVaughn Franklin (Birth name, ''né'' Walker; January 22, 1915 – July 27, 1984) was an American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Minister (Christianity), minister and civil rights, civil rights activist. Known as the man with t ...
, Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and father of
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 ...
, at age 69 in Detroit * August 14 -
Bobo Jenkins Bobo Jenkins (January 7, 1916 – August 14, 1984) was an American Detroit blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He also built and set up his own recording studio and record label in Detroit. Jenkins is best known for his re ...
, Detroit blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, at age 68 in Detroit


Gallery of 1984 deaths


See also

* History of Michigan * History of Detroit


References

{{Michigan year nav