After announcing on Thursday that Lotus would not perform at Resonate Suwannee Festival following the tragic disappearance of percussionist Chuck Morris and his son Charley, the festival has shared plans to dedicate the event to their memory and honor them in several ways throughout the weekend.
“The producers of Resonate Suwannee are deeply saddened by the disappearance of Chuck and Charley Morris after kayaking on a family vacation in Arkansas last weekend. Each of us have worked with Lotus numerous times over many years and consider Chuck a friend and certainly a member of our extended musical family,” festival organizers wrote in a statement posted to social media. “While Lotus has made the understandable decision to skip Resonate Suwannee next weekend, we are determined to forge ahead with the festival and to celebrate the lives of Chuck and Charley passionately.”
The announcement went on to detail some of the ways the festival plans to celebrate Chuck and Charlie: “During Lotus’s scheduled set time, The Amphitheater Stage will remain dark in honor of these special humans. Friends of Chuck, drummers Jeffree Lerner (STS9) and Rohan Prakash (HIVE MIND), will lead a drum circle on the dance floor in front of the Amphitheater Stage. We invite all Resonate Suwannee attendees to bring a drum or percussion instrument and join in as we make a loud sound that we know Chuck and Charley will be able to hear from wherever they are.”
The festival also requested that fans submit photos of Chuck to be displayed in a slideshow (send to info@Resonatesuwannee.com) and said there will be a guest book to sign for the Morris family. Resonate Suwannee Visual Artists will be painting a mural in Chuck’s honor near the Amphitheater Stage, and fans are encouraged to “bring flowers, light candles, leave photographs and have an opportunity to reflect about Chuck and Charley at this location.”
“We are thankful that during such a difficult time, we can all be together at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park,” the statement concluded. “Nothing we do will bring Chuck and Charley home, but we know that being together will help everyone ease the pain with consoling hugs and a good cry on the shoulders of special friends that we are lucky to have.”
Resonate Suwannee organizers indicated they will announce different ways they will raise money for Chuck and Charley’s family in the coming days. You can make a donation here to help support the family’s immediate financial needs.