Ohio Players perform for free in Tampa

 The Ohio Players will headline will perform at the 14th Annual Black Heritage Throwback Saturday Music Fest in Tampa on Jan. 18. 

The Ohio Players

   The two-day music festival is set for Jan. 18-19 at Curtis Hixon Park at 600 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. It runs 10 a.m.-7 p.m. each day. The Ohio Players are headlining the Saturday lineup, so you can expect them to take the stage between 4:40 and 5 p.m.
   The Ohio Players were one of the biggest funk bands of the 1970s, creating such hits as "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster." They're still a popular concert draw -- they played in St. Petersburg this past June with Kool and the Gang -- and they take pride in performing without computer enhancement or sampling. In August they were inducted into the first class of the R&B Music Hall of Fame.
   For the full festival lineup and other information, go to www.TampaBlackHeritage.org.