January 20, 1957 – November 18, 1999
Pontiac resident Kraig Marlon Knorr was born in Alpena and attended Hillman Community High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 1979 and later earned his B.A. at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he worked as a tutor in the writing center. In the 1990s, Knorr worked as DJ at the State Bar in Flint and at Popper’s in Pontiac.
Alpena News, November 21, 1999
August 25, 1964 – January 3, 1997
Mount Clemens native Gerald Mark “Gerry” Crane graduated from Mount Clemens High School and attended Grand Rapids Baptist College and Calvin College. He taught high school music in Byron Center and was loved by his students, but officials hounded him from his job in 1996 when parents learned that he and his partner Randy Block held a commitment ceremony. Crane died from a heart attack at age 32.
Between The Lines, February 1997
Michigan Radio segment on Private Love, Public School: Gay Teacher Under Fire
September 2, 1955 – October 22, 2009
Randall Lee Seager, familiar to fans as Bucky, was longtime DJ in the 1980s and early 19980s at the Copa nightclub in Flint. He grew up in Burton Township and Mundy Township and graduated in 1973 from Grand Blanc High School, where he sang in the Mixed Chorus and the Acapella Choir. Later in life Seager worked as a cashier at Kroger.
August 9, 1973 – September 30, 2010
Born in Detroit, Aaron-Carl attended Detroit schools and graduated from Harry S Truman High School in Taylor. An electronic musical artist and DJ known for house, techno, and electro-funk, he received three Performers Awards of Detroit nominations and had a Top 40 hit on Billboard’s dance chart with “My House” in 1998. He died at age 37 from lymphoma and was survived by his partner Mel Winders.
February 23, 1967 – October 27, 2018
Roseville resident LaVell Williams grew up in Detroit, graduated from Cooley High School, and attended the Center for Creative Studies. From 1997 to 2010, he worked at Record Time in Roseville and Ferndale and music was central to his life. Williams was co-founder of the Detroit Sound Conservancy and volunteered with the Michigan Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, AIDS Walk Detroit, and Motor City Pride.
March 2, 1979 – April 11, 2018
Flint native Deuntia “Deon” Jackson earned his mortuary science degree from Gupton Jones College in Atlanta and worked as a mortician in Michigan and several other states. He performed as DJ Envi, helped establish the Safe Space drop-in center for LGBTQ youth at Wellness Services and in 2011 co-founded the Flint Gay Pride celebration. Jackson was survived by his husband Casio Flood.
May 6, 1949 – July 16, 2012
A native of St. Louis, Michael McGuire earned degrees from SUNY-Fredonia and Michigan State University. As professor of music therapy at Eastern Michigan University, McGuire helped push the university to establish a campus LGBT resource center and create the Stonewall Scholarship to provide financial aid to LGBT student leaders.
Between The Lines, July 26, 2012
Michael G. McGuire papers at Eastern Michigan University Archives
January 9, 1949 – February 19, 1996
Known as the Godfather of House, legendary DJ Ken Collier spun music around Detroit for more than 30 years at such gay clubs as Bookie’s Club 870, Heaven, Todd’s, the Chessmate, and L’uomo. His skill with the turntable inspired a new generation of DJs and helped put Detroit’s dance scene on the global musical map.
MetroTimes, May 15-21, 1996
September 2, 1938 – May 18, 2009
A graduate of Harvard, Carrie Robertson was a community producer on the radio program Face the Music and a beloved member of Flint’s LGBT community. Her friends took her to the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival despite its womyn-born-womyn policy.
Lesbian Connection, September/October 2009
May 13, 1955 – October 10, 2004
Known for her love of dance music, Enola Gaye Porter directed the Midwestern Dance Association Record Pool, which provided music for Detroit-area deejays.
Michigan LGBTQ Remember 