Marv Johnson’s Grave

Every empire has a first release, and Motown’s was his. Marv Johnson’s “Come to Me” rolled out in 1959 as Tamla 101 — the record that helped get Berry Gordy’s fledgling label off the ground — and Johnson followed it with crossover hits like “You Got What It Takes.” He never became a household name on the level of the label’s later stars, but he was there at the creation, and stayed loyal to Motown for decades in its sales and promotion ranks.

He rests at Woodlawn among the Motown family whose story he helped begin. On our list.