Times Square Gossip

**** GEORGIA ON MY MIND **** Clint Holmes The Venetian Las Vegas and GOMM Productions, LLC have partnered to bring a special engagement – GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles– to The Venetian Theatre this fall. This groundbreaking new show will feature a host of esteemed stars including Emmy award-winner Clint Holmes, 10-time Grammy award-winning vocal groupTAKE 6, six-time Grammy nominee and DownBeat Vocalist of the Year Nnenna Freelon, and Stella Gospel Award and Grammy award-winning saxophone star Kirk Whalum. The show also introduces the Las Vegas Mass Choir, under the direction of James R. Smith and Edie Aikels, and features the Las Vegas All-Star Big Band, under the direction of pianist and conductor, David Loeb. This dynamic ensemble of all-star performers will celebrate the genius of American music, Mr. Ray Charles, through GEORGIA ON MY MIND, in the Venetian Theatre September 18 through October 29, 2014.

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 ha...

Grammy winner Ray Charles has been commemorated with a bronze statue in his hometown of Albany, Georgia.The legend’s likeness was unveiled on Friday in a ceremony attended by the Charles’ family and hundreds of his fans. Speaking at the crowded event, the star’s daughter, Sheila Raye Charles, told the crowd, "I can’t tell you how overwhelming it is for me to experience the love that you have for my father." Charles, who died in 2004, aged 73, was the city’s most famous native and his version of Georgia On My Mind was adopted as the official state song in 1979, 19 years after the hit track was first recorded.