Ray Charles' children are accusing his long-term manager, Joe Adams, of mismanaging the late R&B icon's estate, and of tarnishing his legacy by releasing two posthumous CDs which they say the singer would never have approved had he been alive.
According to the LA Times, several of Charles' twelve children have complained that Adams has too much power over Ray Charles Enterprises and the Ray Charles Foundation, and that he is unfairly excluding them from business dealings, and they are seeking a formal investigation and audit of their father's estate, trusts and foundation.
Unless there is any actual evidence of fraudulent activity on Adams' part, this dispute will seemingly centre in the main over who has the rights to manage Charles' name and image. The family say that while the will did not give those rights to them, they didn't give it to Adams either, and prior to his death the singer implied his legacy would be left to his family.
Confirming their grievances with Adams, one of Charles' sons, Robert Robinson, told reporters last week: "The biggest issue with me is disrespect for the family and kids. If you respect a man and his work, then respect his kids. His blood is flowing through our veins".