*The annual celebration of Chuck Brown’s legacy will move forward this weekend, but without the backing of the Go-Go pioneer’s family, FOX 5 reports.
The 12th annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, at Fort Dupont Park in Southeast D.C. The festival’s organizers will keep the Chuck Brown Day name despite the family’s decision to distance itself from the event.
D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Director Thennie Freeman said the District intends to continue honoring Brown and his contributions to Go-Go.
“Chuck Brown Day is Chuck Brown Day,” Freeman said. “All of the Go-Go bands talk about how Chuck poured into them, and so our goal is not to be disrespectful at all, but just to pay homage to the music and culture that is Go-Go.”
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The disagreement with the Brown family, however, goes beyond the festival’s name. Chuck Brown’s son, Nekos Brown, said the family has spent years dealing with problems involving the event and ultimately decided it could no longer lend its support.
“When it comes to protecting Chuck Brown brand in general, it’s a very big task that we have on a daily basis to do what we gotta do to protect my father’s legacy,” Brown said.
The family has specifically pointed to concerns involving communication, professionalism and obligations that it says were not fulfilled. Brown said the relationship became particularly strained after the festival moved away from Chuck Brown Memorial Park.
“A lot of things changed when the event was moved from Chuck Brown Memorial Park to where it is now, and that was a big part of it. I can’t get into details, but that’s where it started,” he explained.
DPR maintains the relocation was necessary because attendance had grown dramatically, from about 1,000 people during the festival’s first year to more than 10,000 last year.
The family has not ruled out returning to the event. Brown said new leadership and a different direction would be necessary before they would consider supporting Chuck Brown Day again.
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