Latimore (musician)

Benjamin "Benny" Latimore (born 7 September 1939, Charleston, Tennessee), usually known professionally simply as Latimore, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist.

He was born in Charleston, Tennessee, and was influenced by country music, his Baptist church choir, and the blues. He first recorded around 1965 for Henry Stone's Dade record label in Miami, Florida. In the early 1970s he moved to the Glades label, and had his first major hit in 1973 with a jazzy reworking of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday", which reached #27 on the R&B chart.

His biggest success came in 1974, with "Let's Straighten It Out", an R&B chart #1 which also reached #31 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 charts. He followed it up with more hits including "Keep The Home Fire Burnin'" (1975) and "Somethin' 'Bout 'Cha" (1976). However, the hits dried up in the late 1970s.

Latimore moved to Malaco Records in the 1980s, and has continued to work as a session pianist. He appeared most recently on Joss Stone's albums, "The Soul Sessions" (2003) and "Mind, Body & Soul" (2004), along with fellow Miami music veterans Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas and Willie Hale.

Discography

*Sweet Vibrations: The Best of Latimore (April 2004) (Stateside Records) [http://www.statesiderecords.com]