Favorite Detroit Eccentrics

**G-DDT** · January-12-15, 05:24 PM

What are some of your most memorable eccentric characters from Detroit [[forum posters respectfully excluded as topic material)? They can be locals, street people, T.V. personalities, musicians, artists, chefs, bartenders, politicians, socialites, or parade filler. Were they at bars, waiting at line at the banks, a regular fixture at the 4th St. Fair or Dally in the Alley?
One off the top of my head would be Bob the Singing Bass Player. I'd see him come into the Gold Dollar with his beat-up puffy hat [[swore I thought I saw a hint of tin foil sticking out from under it). Ever environmentally vigilant, he'd sing songs like "Additives Schmadditives!" I still have a copy of "Waiting for Goddard".
I also remember Terry "The Electric Lung", who would walk around Wayne State or in front of the State Theater [[oh, uh, Fillmore) with his beat up 4-string guitar with all the stickers on it. He'd take requests and launch right into a Zappa, Funkadelic, Motown, or Sabbath song, reciting the lyrics precisely at double time. Real class and soul there. No lie.

**EastsideAl** · January-13-15, 11:56 AM

A lot of them in the old days hanging around downtown and local events. Like Greektown Stella, Dancing Gus, Polar Bear Gus, Stinky Dinky, and The Brow, of course. And some people who would only be remembered by those involved in certain activities, like the "Fort and WHAT?" guy who used to ride the buses late at night, or the "look at my eyes" guy who used to show up at west side rock shows with eyes painted on his hands. One of my favorites was the very quiet guy who would stand by Kennedy Square passing out home-printed obscene religious tracts.

**Jimaz** · January-13-15, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Like Greektown Stella....

DetroitYES Home » Discuss Detroit » Stella of Greektown found! RIP, Stella.

Ollie Fretter was my first thought until I thought of the big one, Henry Ford!

**G-DDT** · January-13-15, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

DetroitYES Home » Discuss Detroit » Stella of Greektown found! RIP, Stella.

Ollie Fretter was my first thought until I thought of the big one, Henry Ford!

Popped my skull when I saw an old weathered Fretter sign in a strip mall in east Somerville, MA [["home of the American Flag"-so they say); there was one that had just opened there right before his chain went under, the locals told me. Some of them even remembered his on-air coffee promise.
Supposedly Ford used to always have an axe handy in his house-absolutely afraid of being locked in, I guess.

**Zacha341** · January-15-15, 08:10 PM

Who was 'The Brow'? Does any one remember the guy that used to go around WSU and Cass Corridor on crutches perpetually with the one leg hitched up, knee bent down?? Glad I did not run up on Stinky Dinky!!

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

A lot of them in the old days hanging around downtown and local events. Like Greektown Stella, Dancing Gus, Polar Bear Gus, Stinky Dinky, and The Brow, of course. And some people who would only be remembered by those involved in certain activities, like the "Fort and WHAT?" guy who used to ride the buses late at night, or the "look at my eyes" guy who used to show up at west side rock shows with eyes painted on his hands. One of my favorites was the very quiet guy who would stand by Kennedy Square passing out home-printed obscene religious tracts.

**EastsideAl** · January-17-15, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Who was 'The Brow'? Does any one remember the guy that used to go around WSU and Cass Corridor on crutches perpetually with the one leg hitched up, knee bent down?? Glad I did not run up on Stinky Dinky!!

The Brow was a retired Detroit school teacher who showed up at pretty much all local sporting events in the '80s and '90s dressed in white shirt and tie, carrying a bunch of hand-lettered signs containing the worst puns imaginable. He would wander the stands throughout the games holding his signs over his head. When not displaying the signs, or trying to get cheers started [[almost always unsuccessfully), he would just yell a stream of really bad insults at the opposing team. I believe he died in the late '90s.

He was such a super fan that he would always show up at the airport with his signs to "welcome" the teams back from road trips. In fact, he would often drive to Cleveland or Chicago to greet the teams as they got off their planes there, only to turn around and drive right back to Detroit without attending the game. Sometimes going directly back to Metro Airport in order to greet the teams at the other end of their return trip. I believe it was Isiah Thomas who gave him his nickname, because, well, just look at the pictures...

Stinky Dinky [[aka Dirty Dinky) was another oddball regular in the Tiger Stadium bleachers in the 1970s, who would also show up for a lot of events downtown and often rode the Woodward bus. He was a short little old man who wore big jackets covered with his homemade buttons. On the front was usually a huge button that said "I'm The Famous Stinky Dinky", and the rest were either sports related or just outright filthy dirty. He usually wore a pair of those cheap novelty oversize sunglasses, and an ancient Tigers cap that was also covered in buttons or written slogans.

He would encourage people to take pictures with him, and ask them to kick in a little cash for the privilege. He especially liked to take pictures with girls, who he would say nasty obscene things to while trying to feel them up. Indeed, he was always repeating the same scatological and obscene sayings, while also trying to cage cash, cigarettes, or beer off people. Add to that the fact that his name was also notably appropriate, and once the novelty wore off almost everyone who came in contact with him quickly learned to avoid him.

I was very surprised to find this picture of him by Dave Jordano, even if it is from the back.

**FEO** · January-17-15, 10:25 AM

Tony was big white haired guy that hung around the streets of downtown.
He wore a bright orange raincoat and a safety belt. He would direct traffic on his own.
He would even stop all traffic for the fire engines when they got a run.

A guy from California called Squirt went to all the police and fire stations in Detroit to sell his perfume. He would always squirt their Bell phone with some smelly perfume and when you made a phone call you had to hold it arms length away because it stunk. He didn't drive so he had to hire someone to drive him.

**Honky Tonk** · January-13-15, 01:29 PM

I was thinking Lem Barney and his doiby, Mel Farr and that red cape he always had on. [[and he can not fly either)

**nain rouge** · January-13-15, 01:44 PM

There is a video doing the rounds on Facebook of a guy that walks up and down Grand River and other roads in a Spider Man costume. Tons of people claim to know him or to have seen him.

In my short time living near Third Street, there were some interesting characters. They all loved Tomboy Market. Not sure why, except the owners were foreign and maybe didn't know to get people to cut the crap.

Anyway, there were two dudes that rode some weird bicycle contraption with a boombox on the back. They'd go around Midtown asking for cigarettes. There was another guy that'd go on rants about being a "working woman" and not having time for whatever behavior was bothering him that day,

**canuck** · January-13-15, 02:24 PM

Were there strongmen type of characters in Detroit? I'm thinking of a local Guy here who was thought homeless called "Thé Great Antonio. He used to pull busses on downtown streets, must have weighed 400 lbs and had long hair and beard and was awfully dirty.

**Honky Tonk** · January-13-15, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Were there strongmen type of characters in Detroit? I'm thinking of a local Guy here who was thought homeless called "Thé Great Antonio. He used to pull busses on downtown streets, must have weighed 400 lbs and had long hair and beard and was awfully dirty.

Good call! Have him contact the Detroit Transit Authority, I think we can use him.

**canuck** · January-13-15, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Good call! Have him contact the Detroit Transit Authority, I think we can use him.

He's long gone... I found a bit about him. I didn't know he was known outside Montreal but he was once a wrestler etc....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Antonio

**Honky Tonk** · January-13-15, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

He's long gone... I found a bit about him. I didn't know he was known outside Montreal but he was once a wrestler etc....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Antonio

Good read, he WAS quite the character.

**GPCharles** · January-13-15, 03:49 PM

How about the "Quarter Lady" who worked the downtown area?

"Got a quarter?"

**jiminnm** · January-13-15, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

How about the "Quarter Lady" who worked the downtown area?

"Got a quarter?"

Except I think it was "gotta quatta?" as she sprung from behind a potted plant.

**Chloe** · January-14-15, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

How about the "Quarter Lady" who worked the downtown area?

"Got a quarter?"

When I saw this thread I immediately thought of her! One of my colleagues at NBD informed me that she had an account with the bank, and could be seen making deposits of her daily take at the headquarters branch on the main level.

**Blueidone** · January-14-15, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

How about the "Quarter Lady" who worked the downtown area?

"Got a quarter?"

I worked in the Lafayette Building from 1976 to 1981...always saw the Quarter Lady on Lafayette during the day.

**Honky Tonk** · January-14-15, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

I worked in the Lafayette Building from 1976 to 1981...always saw the Quarter Lady on Lafayette during the day.

I used to walk the gauntlet each morning from my parking garage to work. Used to run into her and other panhandlers on Congress both early in the a.m., on the way in, and later, on the way out. The most annoying panhandler was a guy who would approach you with "Oh Great White Father, Can you spare.....etc." I absolutely hated that phrase. I too heard rumors about her deposits and property she supposedly owned, but never saw anything concrete. I never gave money, after a few years she never asked me for any.

**Dan Wesson** · January-13-15, 05:48 PM

Bill Kennedy.....

**Honky Tonk** · January-13-15, 06:36 PM

Bill Bonds

**Gistok** · January-13-15, 06:49 PM

Tsk Tsk Tsk... how soon we forget.... Sonny Eliot!!

**Islandman** · January-14-15, 09:43 AM

Santa Claus.

**GPCharles** · January-14-15, 11:02 AM

I have a friend that once gave her a dollar, not having any change.

The next time their paths crossed it was "Got a quatt..dollah?"

**G-DDT** · January-14-15, 06:41 PM

Jimmy Doom. Used to work at Maria's Pizzeria, The Shelter, and Gusoline Alley. Posed naked for the last Orbit Magazine, and used to sing for the band Almighty Lumberjacks of Death. He is now an Actor now hitting Hollywood: Imdb Site

**Bobl** · January-14-15, 06:58 PM

Nick Feldman comes to mind. Known as Santa Claus to some, he rode his bicycle often from the Harper Woods area to Belle Isle. A nice, kind man.
This one is a stretch: Do any forum contributors remember "Tabu", who lived on Prentis and was a fixture in the North Cass Corridor area for years, in the late sixties/seventies?