Barry White Celebrated In Candlelight Vigil

07/09/2003 7:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
LAUNCH Radio Networks

(7/9/03, 7 a.m. ET) -- The life and legacy of Barry White were celebrated with a candlelight vigil on Monday evening (July 7) in the Los Angeles district of Leimert Park. One hundred or so fans and friends gathered to remember the late, 58-year-old soul singer--who died July 4th of kidney failure--and also played his music, including the 1973 Number One smash "Love's Theme" by his own Love Unlimited Orchestra and his Top 10 solo hit "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up." White's family held a private service on Tuesday (July 8).

Reuters news service reports that the memorial began with a prayer from White's friend Mohammed Mubarak, who read from the first verse of the Koran in both Arabic and English. He said of his friend--who was not a religious man--"He truly was the maestro of love. We ask that you will open up the doors of heaven, and allow him to rest in peace in heaven forever, and forgive him of all of his sins and have mercy on him on his day of judgment."

White never forgot the south-central L.A. community of South Park where he grew up. Even after his rise to stardom, he took part in community events, including the sponsorship of children's baseball teams.

White's family has announced that a public memorial is planned for early August when the South Park Recreation Center will be renamed after the R&B legend.

A statement issued on Monday by White's family said: "We wish to extend our thanks to everyone who has offered expressions of sympathy and love for our father, husband, and brother. Your kind words of support and encouragement mean more than we can say and have helped to sustain the family during this difficult time."

Meanwhile, in the U.K., White's album sales have soared since his death. The BBC reports that the Barry White Collection was at Number 69 on the charts and was expected to rise further with additional sales through the week.

In related news, White’s family is already questioning the alleged paternity of his youngest child, four-week-old Barriana, according to New York's Daily News.

White's daughter, Shaheara, from his second wife, Glodean James, told the London Mail, "My father has eight children, not nine. He was in the hospital when it was claimed she was pregnant with his baby. We have no way of knowing if it is my father's baby yet."

White had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke in September. His girlfriend and assistant Catherine Denton gave birth to Barriana just four weeks before the singer's death.

White's heirs are calling for a paternity test to confirm whether or not White is Barriana's father.

The 58-year-old singer died on July 4 in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from kidney failure as a result of hypertension.

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