Ray Charles Tribute Planned

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ Friends of the late Ray Charles will sing his praises during a tribute concert planned for the fall. <br/><br/>Bill Cosby will host and Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Gerald

Friday, August 6th 2004, 10:53 am

By: News On 6

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ Friends of the late Ray Charles will sing his praises during a tribute concert planned for the fall.

Bill Cosby will host and Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Gerald Levert and Angie Stone are slated to perform at the Sept. 29 concert at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, publicist Jerry Digney said Wednesday.

Charles, famous for hit songs such as ``What'd I Say,'' ``Georgia on My Mind'' and ``Hit the Road, Jack,'' died June 10 of acute liver disease. He was 73.

The event will raise money for the $15 million Morehouse College Center for the Arts in Atlanta.

Charles gave the black liberal arts college $2 million to help fund the complex, which will contain a performance space in his name.

``This college is near and dear to his heart,'' Digney said. ``He performed there, it's in his native Georgia, and it was where he received his honorary degree.''