Esther Gordy Edwards’ Grave

Without her, there might be no Motown Museum at all. Esther Gordy Edwards was Berry’s older sister and one of the label’s most trusted executives — but her lasting gift to Detroit came after the party moved to Los Angeles. She held onto the Hitsville house on West Grand Boulevard, kept its story intact, and in 1985 opened it as the Motown Historical Museum, personally guiding visitors through Studio A for years. Every pilgrim who’s stood in the Snakepit owes her.

She rests with the Gordy family at Woodlawn, among so many of the Motown artists whose legacy she made sure the world could still visit. On our list.