Ray Charles died today (June 10) at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home from complications relating to liver disease. He was 73. The R&B legend was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death, according to a spokesperson for the artist.
Charles, who made his last public appearance April 30, when his recording studio was designated a historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles, had been sidelined from performing by a hip ailment since August 2003.
At the time, Charles canceled all of his scheduled 2003 tour dates to undergo aggressive treatment for acute hip discomfort. It marked the first tour cancellation in the artist’s 53 years of live performance. “It breaks my heart to withdraw from these shows,” Charles said at the time. “All my life, I’ve been touring and performing. It’s what I do.”
Twice it was thought he was on the mend and would return to the road. When shows scheduled in March were canceled in late February, Charles’ representative at the William Morris Agency told Billboard.com he was expected to kick off a big band tour this month.
Source Billboard.com.
