LAWSUIT'S FLY OVER RAY CHARLES ESTATE

Ray Charles

Singing legend Ray Charles children want to take charge of the singer’s recordings and memorabilia after suing the trustees of his huge estate and claiming mismanagement. In lawsuit targeted mainly at Charles’ former manager, Joe Adams, many of Charles’ 12 children claim their father’s legacy has been mishandled.The children want to take charge of all the recordings, property and artifacts relating to their father, as well as marketing decisions and issues relating to the late singer’s charity foundations. Adams, who signed on as Charles’ manager in 1961, was named head of Ray Charles Enterprises and trustee of the children’s trusts following his death in June, 2004. Mary Anne Den Bok, the mother of Charles’ youngest child, Corey, tells the Los Angeles Times newspaper that Adams’ actions, and those of other executives of the estate, have, "distorted and trivialised" Charles’ legacy.Den Bok, an attorney, has filed the new lawsuit in the name of her son and nine half-brothers and sisters. A spokesman for Adams insists the new allegations against his client are "old" and "baseless".