The family of Chuck Brown pulled its support from the annual Chuck Brown Day celebration on Friday, Aug. 21, one day before the 12th annual event was set to draw crowds to Fort Dupont Park in Southeast D.C.

The move marks the first time in the event's history that the family of the man known as the "Godfather of Go-Go" has publicly broken with the city-run tribute, which this year is billed as a celebration of "50 Years of Go-Go."

In a statement reported by the Washington Post, the family accused D.C.'s Department of Parks and Recreation of sidelining them in planning for the past three years. They said they first raised concerns with DPR on Feb. 3.

The family said it would not support the event continuing unless new leadership is installed, calling for organizers who will "ensure that our duty to protect the integrity of Chuck Brown's legacy is respected, and that his family's wishes are taken seriously at all times," according to TheGrio.

The statement also cited what the family described as a pattern of poor communication and broken contractual agreements, saying they could no longer allow those failures "to be interpreted as the family's approval of the event and its management."

DPR director Thennie Freeman, in comments to WUSA9, did not directly address the family's grievances. Freeman called Chuck Brown Day a "special moment for our city" and said organizers planned to deliver "an even more dynamic event for families, music lovers, and fans of Go-Go from across the nation."

The event moved from Chuck Brown Memorial Park in Northeast D.C. to Fort Dupont Park three years ago. DPR said the original park could not accommodate the growing crowds at what it called the biggest celebration of go-go in the country.

Chuck Brown died May 16, 2012, at age 75. Go-go, the funk-rooted genre he created, characterized by continuous percussion and call-and-response crowd interaction, was designated the official music of the District of Columbia by D.C. law.

Whether DPR will respond formally to the family's demand for new event leadership remains unclear.