Ray Charles Faq: Death Details, Survived Children, Net Worth, and Legendary Career
By James H. Sterling
Charles' funeral service took place on June 18, 2004, at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. The memorial drew thousands of mourners alongside legendary peers. B.B. King played guitar, Stevie Wonder sang a tearful tribute, and Wynton Marsalis performed a solemn trumpet dirge. Dignitaries and fans filled the pews to bid farewell to an artist who integrated country music, invented soul, and broke segregation barriers on the concert circuit.
Following the public service, Charles was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County. His crypt rests inside the cemetery's Grand Marquis Mausoleum. It remains a regular point of pilgrimage for visiting musicians, sound historians, and admirers seeking to pay respect to the man who permanently altered the course of rhythm and blues.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
