Children of Ray Charles Oppose Legal Action Against Georgia School
Children of Ray Charles Oppose Legal Action Against Georgia School
The children of legendary entertainer Ray Charles have questioned the legal standing of two men who handled their father's estate and who are now threatening to rescind a donation Charles made through the Ray Charles Robinson Foundation, the Associated Press reports.
Earlier this month, attorney Ivan Hoffman and Charles's former manager, Joe Adams, announced they were considering legal action against Albany State University because a proposed performing arts center that was to bear the musician's name had not been built six years after he made donations to the Georgia institution. On behalf of eight of Charles's children, attorney Mary Anne den Bok then issued a letter challenging the legal standing of Hoffman to represent Charles's estate, which was closed in 2006. "Ray Charles would be outraged by your threats to rescind the gifts he made, through his foundation, to Albany State University," the letter reads in part.
According to the school, which was under the impression that Hoffman represented the foundation, the gifts totaling $3 million were unrestricted. To date, $2 million has been awarded to 125 students selected as Ray Charles Presidential Scholars. Although architectural renderings of the Ray Charles Fine Arts Building have been drawn and a site has been selected on campus, construction has not started. The center is expected to cost at least $23 million, and no additional funds have been raised for the project.
"The Ray Charles Fine Arts Building has always been and remains a priority for Albany State University," said university president Everette J. Freeman in a written statement. "However, as much as we want to make this a reality, we cannot move forward without the approval of the (Board of Regents), state funding, and community support."
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