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The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History
Entertainment Industry Politicians in Michigan

  Bob Allman — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Singer; actor; screenwriter; film producer and director; record label owner; candidate in primary for mayor of Detroit, Mich., 2009. African ancestry. Still living as of 2009.
  See also OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Sonny Bono (1935-1998) — also known as Salvatore Philip Bono; Sonny Christie; Ronny Sommers; Prince Carter — of Palm Springs, Riverside County, Calif. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., February 16, 1935. Republican. Songwriter, actor, member of the Sonny & Cher singing and comedy duo;; restaurant owner; mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., 1988-92; candidate for U.S. Senator from California, 1992; U.S. Representative from California 44th District, 1995-98; died in office 1998. Catholic or Scientologist. Italian ancestry. Killed in a skiing accident, South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Calif., January 5, 1998 (age 62 years, 323 days). Interment at Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, Calif.
  Relatives: Son of Santo Bono and Zena 'Jean' (DiMercurio) Bono; married 1954 to Donna Rankin; married, October 27, 1964, to Cherilyn Sarkasian 'Cher' LaPiere; married 1981 to Susie Coelho; married 1986 to Mary Whitaker (who later married Connie Mack IV).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
  Books by Sonny Bono: And the Beat Goes On
  Joseph Wayne De Bolt (b. 1939) — also known as Joe De Bolt — of Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County, Mich. Born in Sebring, Mahoning County, Ohio, December 23, 1939. Democrat. Played saxophone in rock'n'roll band, The Twisting Countdowns, 1960-62; manager for performers and night club acts; sociologist; university professor; candidate for Michigan state house of representatives 100th District, 1970. Eastern Orthodox. Still living as of 2007.
  Relatives: Step-son of Melvin Blake; son of Joseph Whitlach and Dolores De Bolt; married, March 20, 1962, to Beverly Denise Gallagher.
  Thomas Hayden (b. 1939) — also known as Tom Hayden — of Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, Calif.; Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., December 11, 1939. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988 (member, Platform Committee), 1996, 2000. Irish ancestry. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Married 1973 to Jane Fonda; married 1993 to Barbara Williams.
  See also NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
  Gilbert R. Hill (b. 1931) — also known as Gil Hill — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Ala., 1931. Police officer; candidate for mayor of Detroit, Mich., 2001. African ancestry. Portrayed Inspector Douglas Todd in the "Beverly Hills Cop" movies. Still living as of 2001.
  See also Wikipedia article — Internet Movie Database profile
  Joseph Warren Holt (born c.1968) — also known as Joseph W. Holt — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born about 1968. Filmmaker; athletic coach; candidate in primary for mayor of Detroit, Mich., 2009. Still living as of 2009.
  Casey Kasem (b. 1932) — also known as Kemal Amin Kazem — of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., April 27, 1932. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict; radio disc jockey; actor; delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988. Druze. Lebanese and Palestinian ancestry. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Married 1972 to Linda Myers; married, December 21, 1980, to Jean Thompson.
  Personal motto: "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
  Michael Moore (b. 1954) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., April 23, 1954. Elected to Davison school board at age 18; founder and publisher of the Flint Voice alternative newspaper, which later became the Michigan Voice; candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan; editor, Mother Jones magazine; directed and appeared in Roger and Me and other movie documentaries; host of the 1994-95 television series "TV Nation". Irish ancestry. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Married to Kathleen Glynn.
  See also NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
  Books by Michael Moore: Will They Ever Trust Us Again? (2004) — The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader (2004) — Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American (1997) — Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation (2002) — Dude, Where's My Country? (2003) — Adventures in a TV Nation, with Kathleen Glynn (1998)
  Books about Michael Moore: Ken Lawrence, The World According to Michael Moore : A Portrait in His Own Words — Joseph Vogel, Free Speech 101: The Utah Valley Uproar over Michael Moore
  Critical books about Michael Moore: David T. Hardy & Jason Clarke, Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man — Bernard Goldberg, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37)
  Bill Prady (b. 1960) — of Encino, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., June 7, 1960. Democrat. Writer and producer for television sitcoms, including Dharma & Gregg and Good Morning Miami; 1990 Emmy Award nominee; candidate for Governor of California, 2003. Still living as of 2003.
  See also Internet Movie Database profile
  Gerald Lyman Kenneth Smith (1898-1976) — also known as Gerald L. K. Smith — of Shreveport, Caddo Parish, La.; Detroit, Wayne County, Mich.; Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Ark. Born in Pardeeville, Columbia County, Wis., February 27, 1898. Pastor; orator; political administrator and organizer for Huey P. Long, 1934-35; as a white supremacist, he joined and organized for William Dudley Pelley's Silver Shirts of America, an organization modeled directly on Adolf Hitler's Brownshirts; candidate for U.S. Senator from Michigan, 1942 (Republican primary), 1942; founder of the America First party; charged with sedition in 1944, as part of an alleged Nazi conspiracy; tried along with many others, but after seven months, a mistrial was declared; America First candidate for President of the United States, 1944; founder of the Christian Nationalist Crusade; advocated deportation from the U.S. of Jews and African-Americans. Disciples of Christ. Died, of pneumonia, in Glendale, Los Angeles County, Calif., April 15, 1976 (age 78 years, 48 days). Interment at Christ of the Ozarks Cemetery, Eureka Springs, Ark.
  Relatives: Son of Lyman Z. Smith and Sarah Smith; married, June 21, 1922, to Elna (Robe) Sorenson.
  Cross-reference: Charles J. Anderson, Jr. — Lorence E. Asman
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Edward D. Stair (b. 1859) — of Howell, Livingston County, Mich.; Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Morenci, Lenawee County, Mich., March 29, 1859. Republican. Newspaper publisher; theatrical manager; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1908. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar; Shriners. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Jacob Stair and Maryette (Beckwith) Stair; married, July 2, 1888, to Grace Crookson.
  Paul Sutton (1910-1970) — of Michigan. Born in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, N.M., May 4, 1910. Democrat. Radio actor; portrayed "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon"; also actor in many movies of the 1930s and 1940s; candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 18th District, 1954, 1956. Died, of muscular dystrophy, in Ferndale, Oakland County, Mich., January 31, 1970 (age 59 years, 272 days). Burial location unknown.
  See also Internet Movie Database profile
  Marlo Thomas (b. 1937) — also known as Margaret Julia Thomas — of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, Calif.; Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in Deerfield, Lenawee County, Mich., November 21, 1937. Democrat. Actress in television shows and movies; delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972. Female. Catholic. Lebanese and Italian ancestry. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Daughter of Danny Thomas and Rosa Maria (Cassaniti) Mantell Thomas; married, May 21, 1980, to Phil Donahue.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
John D. Voelker John Donaldson Voelker (1903-1991) — also known as John D. Voelker; Robert Traver — of Ishpeming, Marquette County, Mich. Born in Ishpeming, Marquette County, Mich., June 29, 1903. Democrat. Lawyer; Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney, 1934-52; member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1937-39; candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 12th District, 1954; candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan; justice of Michigan state supreme court, 1956-60; appointed 1956; resigned 1960. Author of the best-selling novel Anatomy of a Murder (later a movie starring Jimmy Stewart), and other books. Died of a heart attack, in Marquette, Marquette County, Mich., March 18, 1991 (age 87 years, 262 days). Interment at Ishpeming Cemetery, Ishpeming, Mich.
  See also Internet Movie Database profile
  Books by John Voelker: Trout Magic
  Fiction by John Voelker: Anatomy of a Murder
  Books about John Voelker: Ed Wargin & James McCullough, Voelker's Pond: A Robert Traver Legacy
  Image source: Michigan Manual 1957-58
"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."
Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872
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The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.
 
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