(MOBILE, Ala.) Family and friends are gathering to remember a Ray Boykin, who was killed trying to break up a bar fight last month.
They're holding a benefit concert Friday night to help his wife and kids gets through this financially.
Ray was a young musician who loved his family more than anything.
Friday night at the Soul Kitchen in downtown Mobile, his life will be celebrated.
"He was incredibly dedicated to music and what he did. The guy inspired me on so many levels," said Jared Wright, friend and Ray Boykin's former band member.
"He was just a good guy. He stepped in to try and help somebody and it just went wrong," said Mike Boykin, Ray's father.
Mike Boykin says memories of the night his son died nearly one month ago haunt him in his sleep.
Police say Ray was at Club Casino breaking up a fight between two women, when they say Jeremy McDaniels punched him in the head. The 29-year-old musician died.
McDaniels is charged with manslaughter.
"I just hope and pray our justice system does something," said Mike Boykin.
Ray left behind his wife Rachel.
"They'd been together 12 years, since high school," he said.
Also left to mourn are his young two children, Elizabeth, 2, and Caleb, 9.
"When she grows up she's not going to remember how much he loved her. And the other day I said do you miss your daddy and he said yea paw paw I miss my daddy. So it's hard you know," said Boykin.
Now, Ray's friends are throwing a benefit concert.
"We're not coming here to mourn his death we're having a celebration of Ray's life. Because this is how he would have wanted it. He loved music and he loved the local music scene," said Ray's friend and event organizer, Billy Culbertson.
The money raised with the help of five local bands, a silent auction and raffle will help Ray's family move forward.
"She's a school teacher so they don't make a lot of money. His income helped pay the bills and just the funeral expenses were unreal. We're just trying to put something together for the grandkids so they can have a good Christmas," said Boykin.
In that silent auction there will be guitars and drum heads signed by nationally known music acts. If you can't come or if you want to donate more than the cover at the door, there's an account set up for Ray Boykin's family at Century Bank.
Doors open at 6 pm.. Music starts around 7 pm.
It's $6 to get in.
