Esther Gordy Edwards, who helped lead Motown Records to international success and later nurtured the label's hometown legacy, died overnight at home in Detroit. She was 91.
Edwards was a key adviser and executive to her younger brother Berry Gordy Jr. as the label made its name in the 1960s. Two decades later, she secured historical status for the company's former West Grand Boulevard headquarters and founded the Motown Historical Museum on the site.
"She was the most educated in our family and was the go-to person for wisdom in business," Gordy said in a statement this morning.
"Whatever she did, it was with the highest standards, professionalism and an attention to detail that was legendary. She always came out a hero. Esther wasn’t concerned with being popular. She was dedicated to making us all better—the Gordy family and the Motown family."
