The city of Albany, Georgia has given a nod to its best-known native son with the opening of a park in his honor. Ray Charles Plaza includes a fountain featuring a life-sized revolving, lighted bronze sculpture of the famed musician seated at a grand piano.

The sculpture, commissioned by acclaimed artist Andy Davis, is the centerpiece of a five-acre park featuring piano-key studded sidewalks and loudspeakers playing the master’s music.

The sound system, designed by Atlanta-based Lee Sound Design, features a series of Community WET loudspeakers, including eleven WET-218T two-way systems and four WET-112 subwoofers. The system is powered by Crown CTS-Series amplifiers, with Biamp Nexia DSP.

“This monument was designed to be a tribute to Ray that would last a lifetime, and the Community WET Series loudspeakers were the logical choice,” said Lee Sound Principal Consultant D. Wayne Lee. “The WET Series delivers great sound, and are built to withstand exposure to the elements. There’s no better choice, especially for a monument that’s surrounded by a flowing fountain.”

Charles’ youngest son, Corey Charles, was on hand to unveil the statue and dedicate it to the city. Corey says he and his eleven brothers and sisters are thrilled by the memorial to their father.

“When I was young I never understood the whole thing of being famous,” said Charles. “To me he was just Dad. So a tribute like this, in his own hometown, for us it’s just amazing.”

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