Photos of Latimore paying tribute to Ray Charles at St. Petersburg's Palladium Theater

Tampa Bay musicians — and world famous, Tampa-based soul-singer, Latimore — paid tribute to Ray Charles at the Palladium Theater Saturday night. Some of Charles’ first performances happened at St. Pete’s Manhattan Casino on 22nd. Although he was born in Georgia, Charles spent most of his childhood in Florida and found “the girl of his dreams” in the “The St. Pete Florida Blues,” which is now the official song of St. Pete.  The St. Pete Florida Blues Band — featuring Roy Peter Clark and Paul Wilborn on keys, vocalist Lillian Dunlap, Eric Deggans on drums, and guitarists J.J. Pattishall and Dave Scheiber — opened the show singing “Hit the Road Jack” and “Unchain My Heart” before Latimore got the crowd out of its seats for the duration of the evening.