SQ – Motown 1 Multi-Cache

The SQ in the cache name above signifies Spirit Quest, a project to distinguish those caches that are set in cemeteries or memorial gardens. This is a good distinction to put on this type of cache and would like to see it used here in Michigan. Please be respectful of the area, and observe their rules and posted hours, Only visit cemeteries dawn to dusk through out the state unless other hours are posted, so that we do not end up like other states that do not allow any caches placed in any cemeteries!

Hopefully this cache is the start of caches that take you back to the people that helped make history in Motown, “Motown” being the Motor City of course. Motown history and the people who made that history will be the main focus. Motown history comes in many forms and the people from many back grounds. The idea will be to introduce you to some of the people and the places that made this city great.

This cache is looking back at the Motown sound. Motown sound can be said was started in 1959 when Berry Gordy opened Hitsville U.S.A., the truth is it started long before that. In fact Berry Grody is the one who introduced this music to the rest of the world, with Motown Records. He himself was writing “Motown Sound” for other performer’s years before opening the company that made them all famous. This cache is dedicated to 2 of those performers that have now since passed, Huey Marvin Davis of the Contours and John (Johnny) E. Griffith of the incomparable Funk Brothers.

Huey Davis was born in Columbus Mississippi in 1939. He moved to Detroit in the mid fifties with his father. Huey Davis was the guitar player for the Contours in their early days. First signed with Berry Gordy in 1961 under his record label “Gordy”, a Motown label. Then in 1962 they recorded Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) and the song took off. Within 2 weeks of it’s release the song soared to number 1 on the R&B charts, number 3 on the Pop charts and number 2 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. This record proved to be, and still today, Motown’s number 1 fastest climbing hit in the company’s history. In 1964 the band went through many changes and by 1967 the band dismembered. Huey left the music scene and worked his days out in the construction industry as a security guard. He died February 23, 2002 and was survived by 5 children and several grandchildren along with a brother.

Johnny Griffith was born, raised, lived and died right here in the Detroit area. He was born John Ellis Griffith on July 10, 1936. A keyboardist he joined the Funk Brothers in 1964. The Funk Brothers are a true one of a kind bands from Detroit. Though not highly known until the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown this band is responsible for more number 1 hits than any other band in the world! The Funk Brothers were formed in 1959 and continued through 1972. Johnny was a Funk Brother from 64 to 72. The Funk Brothers were the backbone of all of the Motown hits as they were the musicians that played on all of the music put out of Hitsville U.S.A. They played on all of the great artists records, so many that you can take The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys number 1 records and combine that number and it still would not reach the number 1’s that the Funk Brothers put out. After the Funk Brothers career, Johnny Griffith continued to play music. He mostly stuck to Jazz with his band The Johnny Griffith Trio and some reunion gigs with the Funk Brothers. He died November 10, 2002 and was survived by his wife and 3 children, along with 2 step children and 2 grandchildren.


The cache is a 3 stage cache that will take you to each of these men’s graves and then off to a final which is a bit larger than a sandwich size lock-n-lock.

The first stage will be the grave of Huey Davis, unfortunate for us there is no grave marker what so ever. I talked to the people at the cemetery and they let me know that he is interned in grave number 314 in the Devotion section of the cemetery. Most of the graves have a marker with the number on them, Huey’s has been removed, lucky for us the ones near his are there and we can indeed identify where he is laid to rest. You will find this grave at N42 22.473 W083 17.241, from here look east and find marker number 214 (the next row over), this is where you will find the info needed for the north co-ords of the final cache. Here you will find Bernice L. Bowens using her headstone put together the following.
N42 22.ABC
A. Third digit of her birth year.
B. Second digit of her birth day.
C. Third digit of her death year.

The second stage will take you to the grave of John (Johnny) E. Griffith. You will find his grave at N42 22.424 W083 17.304, from here you will be using the marker directly behind his headstone, the one of Angee Patricia Thomas, using her headstone put together the following.
W083 17.DEF
D. Forth digit of her death year.
E. Add together the last 2 digits of her birth year.
F. First digit of her death year.