James Jamerson’s Grave

Here lies the most important musician most people have never heard of. James Jamerson was the bassist in the Funk Brothers, Motown’s uncredited house band, and his fluid, melodic lines are the low end under a stunning share of the label’s greatest hits — “I Was Made to Love Her,” “Bernadette,” “What’s Going On,” and hundreds more. For most of his career his name appeared on none of them.

The legend that says everything: when Marvin Gaye needed him for “What’s Going On,” he found Jamerson at a bar, too far gone to sit upright — so Jamerson played that immortal line lying flat on his back on the studio floor. He rests at Woodlawn now, finally getting the recognition the credits denied him. For anyone who loves the Motown sound, this is holy ground. On our list.