Palace 100: The Genius of Ray Charles

Palace 100: The Genius of Ray Charles comes to the Palace Theatre on Saturday, November 14, at 7:30 PM. It's a tribute to Ray Charles, put on as part of the Palace's 100th birthday celebration. The connection isn't just for the occasion: Charles played the theatre multiple times throughout his career, most recently in 1992.

Paul Shaffer hosts the evening, and Grammy-winning drummer and producer Gregg Field brings the artists together. Both men performed alongside Ray Charles, so they're coming at this from a personal connection to his legacy rather than just a songbook. The lineup is a wide one: Patti Austin, Aloe Blacc, Blessing Offor, Lisa Fischer, Billy Valentine, country artist Jackson Dean, and jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles. With voices and instruments spanning soul, country, and jazz, it covers the different directions Charles pulled from.

For Billy Valentine, it's a homecoming. He's a Columbus native, and this puts him back on the stage of one of the city's most treasured landmarks. Over the last century, the Palace has hosted a long list of acts, from Vaudeville stars to some of music's most celebrated performers, and this fits right into that tradition.

The concert is on Saturday, November 14, at 7:30 PM at the Palace Theatre in Columbus, OH 43215.