Do you know ONE of Jack White’s former jobs...was in the furniture business? There’s a chance you may be sitting on furniture upholstered by Detroit rocker Jack White! Before he was known as the White Stripes frontman, one of Jack’s previous jobs was in the furniture business. After Jack White apprenticed as an upholsterer for a few years, he opened his own shop in Detroit, Third Man Upholstery. The business cards read ‘Your Furniture is Not Dead’. He told Rolling Stone magazine he ran the business like a cartoon. He was writing bills in crayon and writing poetry inside people's furniture. Jack White didn't care if he was making money. He explained he was just happy to pull up in front of someone's house wearing a yellow-and-black uniform, with a yellow clipboard.
Eminem: 2
Detroiter Eminem is not only the first rapper to have TWO diamond albums, but he has done this faster than any artist in the history of music! His albums "The Eminem Show" and "The Marshall Mathers LP" have both sold over 10 million copies. Eminem joins an iconic company of artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston, & Led Zeppein to have more than one diamond album. The only rap album to top both of Eminem’s diamond albums in sales is Outkast’s "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" at 11 million. MC Hammer’s "Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em," 2Pac’s "Greatest Hits," and Notorious B.I.G’s "Life After Death" have also gone diamond. The next closest rap albums to diamond certification are the Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill," Nelly’s "Country Grammar," and 2Pac’s "All Eyez on Me," each selling 9 million copies.
Kid Rock: 4
Insane Clown Posse: 6
Detroit rap group Insane Clown Posse are two-time JCW Tag Team Champions. ICP are founding members of the wresting stable Juggalo World Order.
Ted Nugent: 7
Did you know – The Nuge has authored a total of SEVEN books & published articles?! The Motor City Madman has released more than 34 albums and has sold a career total of 30 million records. He's also added four novels to his resume! His written works include "Blood Trails: The Truth About Bow Hunting," "God, Guns & Rock and Roll," "Blood Trails II: The Truth About Bow Hunting," "Kill It & Grill It," and "Ted, White, and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto." In 1991, he wrote an article titled "Cat Scratch Thiever: Hey Napster, get your greasy paws off my intellectual property” for the Wall Street Journal and 2013’s “The Greatest Phony America's Ever Known” for a political website.
Big Sean: 9
Detroit rapper Big Sean is the winner of NINE BET Hip-Hop Awards! Big Sean signed with Kanye West’s GOOD Music label in 2007, and then in 2008, signed with Def Jam Recordings. Since then, he's gone on to clean up at award shows! He has won awards for Rookie of the Year, Track of the Year, Best Club Banger, and Best Hip-Hop Video twice in back-to-back years! In 2013, Big Sean won for BET’s Best Mixtape award for his mixtape titled "Detroit."
Aretha Franklin: 20
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has TWENTY number one R&B singles under her belt! These twenty singles makes Aretha the most charted female in history. Franklin has won 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling female artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. In addition to her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1987, Rolling Stone named her the Greatest Singer of All Time, ranking number 1 out of 100 artists.
Smokey Robinson: 19
Smokey Robinson has NINETEEN albums that were released on Motown Records. Smokey Robinson started as a member of The Miracles. Robinson led the group from its 1955 origins as The Five Chimes until 1972, when he announced a retirement from the stage to focus on his role as Motown's vice president. However, Robinson returned as a solo artist the following year, later scoring Top 10 solo hits. Smokey became another Detroit musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Bob Seger: 24
Legendary rocker Bob Seger has been a pillar of Detroit Rock City and has released TWENTY FOUR albums over the last 50 years! The native Detroiter has sold more than 51 million albums and after an 8 year hiatus, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band will release a 25th LP titled Ride Out on October 14th! The album's first single, a cover of John Hiatt's "Detroit Made," was recently released to radio. Fans can expect Seger to successfully blend rock, country, and blues into his new album as he has for decades!
Diana Ross: 70
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Diana Ross has earned SEVENTY hit singles in the U.S. & the U.K., and totals the most hits of any female in history. Born and raised in Detroit, Diana rose to fame as the founder of The Supremes. In 1988, she was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Supremes.
Mayer Hawthorne: 104,173
Hailing from Ann Arbor, Mayer Hawthorne got a chance to perform for 104,173 NHL fans in his hometown at the 2014 Winter Classic. Mayer lists singer, writer, producer, rapper, and DJ, and multi-instrumentalist as some of his occupations - this guy can do it all! Hawthorne joined 14KT to form the synth-pop group Jaded Incorporated, and they released their debut album "The Big Knock" on June 17th...check it out!
Madonna: 64.5 Million
Madonna has sold almost SIXTY FIVE MILLION albums in the United States! Without including her worldwide sales, she still ranks atop the greatest selling artists of all time! She ranks 15th on the U.S. album sales charts. At 64.5 million certified sales, Madonna trails a company of fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers like The Beatles, Elvis, Led Zeppelin, and The Eagles, just to name a few. Madonna is known for reinventing both her music and image, and for over thirty years, has been a fixture in popular culture. Her total number of album sales will continue to climb because Madonna has confirmed she is currently working on a new album!
