Post by Emerald City on Apr 3, 2005 15:53:55 GMT -5
He may be gone, but he certainly won't be forgotten.
The life and music of Ray Charles are being immortalized for all time as detailed plans for the Ray Charles Museum were officially unveiled on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Organizers intend to transform the three-story, 18,000 square foot building along Washington Boulevard near downtown that housed the late soul legend's original recording studios into a permanent collection that will not only feature rotating exhibits paying tribute to Charles' long and storied career, but also serve as an educational center and working studio-offices for Ray Charles Enterprises.
Additionally the project, which is being supervised by the Ray Charles Museum Foundation, will present an ongoing series of concerts for the community.
"For Ray, music was his life," said the singer's longtime manager, Joe Adams. "He often said music was like blood in his veins and this museum and center will be a permanent and highly accessible tribute to the man, his beloved neighborhood and to the world."
In 1964, Adams and Charles designed and built the structure that became known as the RPM building, which the crooner used for many years to record some of his greatest work, including his final album, last year's posthumous Genius Loves Company, a disc of duets which won five Grammy Awards and subsequently topped the Billboard charts.
The famed studios were declared a historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles shortly before Charles passed away in June, 2004 at the age of 73. Scenes from the biopic, Ray, were also filmed there. The film, of course, starred Jamie Foxx, who nabbed a Best Actor Academy Award for playing the music icon.
The museum, which will also contain a caf, a retail shop and a rooftop garden, as well as a tour bus Charles and his entourage used for many years on the road, is expected to open its doors to visitors in late 2007.
The life and music of Ray Charles are being immortalized for all time as detailed plans for the Ray Charles Museum were officially unveiled on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Organizers intend to transform the three-story, 18,000 square foot building along Washington Boulevard near downtown that housed the late soul legend's original recording studios into a permanent collection that will not only feature rotating exhibits paying tribute to Charles' long and storied career, but also serve as an educational center and working studio-offices for Ray Charles Enterprises.
Additionally the project, which is being supervised by the Ray Charles Museum Foundation, will present an ongoing series of concerts for the community.
"For Ray, music was his life," said the singer's longtime manager, Joe Adams. "He often said music was like blood in his veins and this museum and center will be a permanent and highly accessible tribute to the man, his beloved neighborhood and to the world."
In 1964, Adams and Charles designed and built the structure that became known as the RPM building, which the crooner used for many years to record some of his greatest work, including his final album, last year's posthumous Genius Loves Company, a disc of duets which won five Grammy Awards and subsequently topped the Billboard charts.
The famed studios were declared a historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles shortly before Charles passed away in June, 2004 at the age of 73. Scenes from the biopic, Ray, were also filmed there. The film, of course, starred Jamie Foxx, who nabbed a Best Actor Academy Award for playing the music icon.
The museum, which will also contain a caf, a retail shop and a rooftop garden, as well as a tour bus Charles and his entourage used for many years on the road, is expected to open its doors to visitors in late 2007.
