LOS ANGELES (Concord Records)
WHAT: To commemorate the late Ray Charles' 74th birthday, the Crenshaw High School Choir (in which Charles took a special interest) will perform two of the music legend'sfavorites, "
I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Georgia."
A commemorative plaque will be presented to Ray Charles' longtime manager, Joe Adams, to recognize sales of more than 500,000 CDs worldwide of Charles' final recording, "Genius Loves Company," a landmark CD released by Concord Records in collaboration with Starbucks Hear Music.
WHO:
- Photo Opportunity of commemorative plaque presentation
- Interviews with Ray Charles' longtime manager, Joe Adams; John Burk, producer of "Genius Loves Company"; Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment
- Great visuals of the Crenshaw High School Choir performance
- Video footage from recording sessions of "Genius Loves Company"
WHEN: September 23, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Open to the public)
WHERE: Starbucks Hear Music Coffeehouse
1429 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
OTHER: "Genius Loves Company," the final recording from the great American icon, features special new duet performances with Elton John, Norah Jones, B.B. King, Michael McDonald, and Van Morrison, among others. The CDcurrently holds the No 3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 (debuted at No 2), and has also been No 1 on Billboard's R&Bchart since its release on Aug. 31. "Genius Loves Company" has shipped over one million copies nationwide.
Ray Charles passed away 100 days ago. However, barely a day goes by that you don't hear about him through a new CD, an autobiography, a TV special or a feature film.
There's also the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center, to be built at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Bill Cosby will host a star-studded tribute gala for it on Sept. 29 in Los Angeles.
It's been 40 years since Charles has been in the Top 10, but as his birthday approaches, America has given him the greatest gift a musician can get, a major hit. David Ritz, Charles' biographer, has updated the entertainer's autobiography, "Brother Ray," which is due out later this month.
A feature film, "Ray," starring Jamie Foxx in the lead role, is due Oct. 29, and CBS will film a TV special in early October to celebrate the music icon.
