Stars to come out in force for Ray Charles memorial
Remembrance plans for soul great Ray Charles --who died last week at his Beverly Hills, CA, home--include a public memorial as well as an invitation-only funeral, according to a press release his camp issued on Tuesday (6/15).
The public memorial and viewing is scheduled to take place in the Los Angeles Convention Center's South Hall from noon to 7 p.m. PT on Thursday (6/17). There, the public will be invited to sign a book of condolences.
On Friday (6/18), the invitation-only funeral is scheduled to take place at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Clint Eastwood, Stevie Wonder, Glen Campbell, Cicely Tyson, Billy Preston and Rev. Jesse Jackson are among Charles' friends and associates who will honor him during the two-hour ceremony. The Crenshaw High School Elite Choir will be among the program's other participants.
After the Friday service, Charles' funeral procession will pass by his studios at 2107 Washington Blvd., a site that was declared a Los Angeles historical landmark earlier this year.
Charles died last Thursday morning (6/10) of complications from acute liver disease. He was 73.
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