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Ronnie Lee Milsap (born January 16, 1943)^[1] is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. He became country music's first well-known blind singer, and one of the most successful and versatile country "crossover" singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop music music markets with successful songs that incorporated pop, R&B, and rock and roll elements. Milsap’s biggest crossover hits include "It Was Almost Like a Song," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World," "Any Day Now," and "Stranger in My House," among others. He is credited with six Grammy Awards and 40 number one country hits, third to George Strait and Conway Twitty.

Career[link]

Early life (1963-1971)[link]

This section requires expansion with: Critical reception, notable nominations and wins, musical styles.

Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely blind. He was abandoned by his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina. During his childhood he lost his remaining vision. Due to a developing blood clot, both his eyes were removed. Throughout his childhood he was interested in music—particularly the late-night broadcasts of country music, gospel music, and rhythm and blues. In concert, Milsap has often paid tribute to the artists who have inspired him the most including Ray Charles, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.

When he was seven years old, his instructors began to notice his musical talents. Soon afterward he began studying classical music formally and learned several instruments, eventually mastering the piano. Within the next few years he also developed a passion for rock and roll music and formed a rock band in high school named The Apparitions. Milsap was awarded a full college scholarship and attended Young Harris College briefly in Young Harris, GA, until leaving to pursue a full time career in music. In the early 1960s he auditioned for and played his first professional gigs as a member of J. J. Cale’s band.

He released his first single, "Total Disaster," in 1963 which enjoyed some local success in the Atlanta area. By 1965, Milsap was an R&B artist for Scepter Records, recording eight obscure singles for the label and working briefly with other soul musicians like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown. Milsap had a top 5 success on the R&B charts with "Never Had It So Good", a song written by Ashford & Simpson. It would be his only successful single during his time with Scepter. Another Ashford & Simpson tune named "Let's Go Get Stoned," was relegated to a B-side. A few months later, however, it became a million-selling single for Ray Charles. About this same time, Milsap met Joyce Reeves, and the two were married in 1965.

A few years later, after moving to Memphis, Tennessee, he frequently worked for producer Chips Moman while performing weekly at the popular Memphis nightclub T.J.'s. During this time, Milsap worked as a session musician on numerous projects including two songs with Elvis Presley: "Don't Cry Daddy" in 1969 and "Kentucky Rain" in 1970. That same year, Milsap had a minor success on the pop charts with the single "Loving You Is a Natural Thing." He recorded and released his debut album, Ronnie Milsap, on Warner Brothers in 1971. Milsap's R&B recordings from this period are so obscure that all but the most diehard Milsap fans remain largely unaware of them.

Breakthrough success (1973-1975)[link]

In December 1972, Milsap relocated to Nashville after a chance meeting with country music star Charley Pride who was in the audience for a Milsap gig at the nightclub Whiskey A-Go-Go. Pride was impressed with Milsap's singing and encouraged him to change course and focus on country music. Milsap began working with Pride's manager, Jack D. Johnson, and was signed to RCA Records in 1973. He released his first single from RCA that year, "I Hate You," which became his first country music success, peaking at #10 on the country charts. The next year, 1974, he toured with Pride as an opening act and had two number one singles: "Pure Love" and the Kris Kristofferson composition "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends" which won Milsap his first grammy. In 1975, he revived the Don Gibson song "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time." That year, he scored another number one hit with "Daydreams About Night Things."

"It Was Almost Like A Song" (1976-1978)[link]

From 1976 to 1978, Milsap became one of country music's biggest stars. He scored seven number one singles in a row, including the grammy-winning "(I'm a) Stand By My Woman Man" and "What a Difference You've Made in My Life." The most significant of this series was "It Was Almost Like a Song" in 1977, a dramatic piano-based song that showcased Milsap's soaring vocal range and became his most successful single of the 1970s. In addition to topping the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the song was his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart since "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends" reached #95; "It Was Almost Like a Song," however, reached #16. It was also his first song to score the Adult Contemporary Charts, stopping at #7. Despite its success, the song was Milsap's only crossover success of the 1970s. Milsap continued to achieve hits on the country music charts for the remainder of the 1970s.

Crossover success (1979-1992)[link]

In 1979, Milsap had a number one single, a top 5 single, and a top 10 single. In 1980, his sound shifted toward pop and rock n' roll. From then and until 1983, he scored a series of eleven number one songs. Milsap's Greatest Hits album, released in 1980, included a new single, "Smoky Mountain Rain," which became a number one smash on the country charts. The single peaked in the Top 40 on the pop music chart and also became the first of two Milsap songs to score #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Other crossover successes included the top 5 pop single "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" and the top 20 songs "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World" and "Any Day Now". He also had some success with "He Got You". All four songs reached number one on the country music charts.

Although the series of number ones ended in 1983, the last song of the series—"Stranger in My House"—was still successful on all three charts; it peaked at #5 on the country music chart, #23 on the pop music chart, and #8 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Just a few months later, "Don't You Know How Much I Love You" was released. It was this song that would be Milsap's last significant entry on the pop music chart, stopping at #58. However, it along with some other songs still became major successes on the Adult Contemporary chart. These successful singles include "Show Her," "Still Losing You," and finally, the grammy-award-winning song "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" (his last crossover success) in 1985.

Like other artists of the same era such as Linda Ronstadt, Glen Campbell, Marty Robbins, Larry Gatlin, and Ray Charles, Milsap's albums during the 1980s often featured songs in a variety of musical styles that showcased his remarkable range and versatility as a singer.

In his 1990 autobiography, Milsap explains: "I'm a singer, not a vocal stylist. My breathing is correct; my enunciation is precise. Because of that, I can sing anybody's music. Yet there are stylists whose technical skills are so underdeveloped they can sing only their own songs their own way. They might be remembered for their hits longer than I am. I'll probably be working longer than they are. I can sing whatever the times and the trends demand."

Between 1985 and 1987, Milsap enjoyed a series of uninterrupted country music number one songs, enjoying his greatest success at this time, including "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning," "In Love," "Snap Your Fingers," and "Where Do the Nights Go."

In 1989, Milsap had his last number one song with "A Woman in Love," although he still remained successful on the charts. Other top tens between 1989 and 1990 include "Turn The Radio On" and "Houston Solution." Milsap wrote and released his autobiography titled "Almost like a Song" during 1990 with the help of writer Tom Carter.

In 1992, he had his last major success, "All Is Fair in Love and War." The song peaked at #11, just missing the Top 10. By that time, however, Milsap's chart success began to decline as a new generation of younger performers began to dominate the country charts with a more traditional country sound.

1993-present: Life today[link]

Milsap has remained one of country music's best-loved and most successful artists despite the lack of radio airplay in the last decade. In 1993, he left RCA for Liberty and released the album True Believer which failed to achieve significant radio airplay, although the title track song scored #30 on the country charts. In 2000, Milsap released a two-CD set 40 #1 Hits featuring a new single named "Time, Love, and Money". The new collection scored "gold" although the single failed to score on the charts.

During 2004, Milsap worked with producer Jerry F. Sharell to record his first non-country album since the early 1970s, Just for a Thrill. The project was a collection of American popular/jazz music standards which earned Milsap a Grammy award nomination that year. In 2006, Milsap signed with his former company RCA and returned to a mainstream, contemporary country music style with the album My Life. The first song was "Local Girls" which scored No. 54.

In 2009, Milsap released a two-CD set entitled Then Sings My Soul which featured 24 hymns and gospel songs, including "Up To Zion". "Up To Zion" was co-written by Gregory James Tornquist and Noreen Crayton and became a number one hit on the southern gospel charts. On May 12, 2010, he was part of a Gaither Video Taping.

His biography was featured by A&E Networks's Biography television series in 2000. Milsap has also been featured by CMT's numerous shows, including 40 Greatest Men of Country Music and a 2005 episode of Crossroads with Tex-Mex rock group Los Lonely Boys.

At age 68, Milsap released his new studio album Country Again in July 2011. The new CD is a return to a more traditional country sound. The first single, "If you don't want me to", is a previous Milsap recording from 1980.

Milsap has remained as one of country music's most popular concert performers and continues to tour regularly for his many fans across the country.

Milsap's 1986 RCA album Lost in the 50's Tonight and his 1987 album Heart & Soul is scheduled to be re-released as a double album on May 8th, 2012

Capitol Records Protest[link]

Ronnie Milsap recorded a new song "My First Ride" in 2009 as a fundraiser to benefit fire-fighters and police officers in the US and Canada. The song features Trace Adkins on vocals and 70 percent of all proceeds are donated to the fund. Then, after the song's release, the recording company allegedly reneged on promotion of it without explanation. On September 24, 2009, Milsap and a group of Tennessee fire-fighters and volunteers picketed the office of Capitol Records because the company refused to service the record to radio and iTunes four weeks after its release. Ronnie marched with the group of 50 people to the front steps of the office, then sang the new single from atop of a vintage fire-truck. The demonstration was peaceful and after the performance the group was asked to leave by building security. Ronnie said: "We came here to raise awareness about this worthy cause... What record label wouldn't want to be part of raising money for this much needed fund that helps fire-fighters and police officers who desperately need it?"^{[citation needed]}

Amateur Radio Operator[link]

Ronnie Milsap is an Advanced class Amateur Radio Operator whose callsign is WB4KCG (Ronnie often signs as WB4 "Kind Country Gentleman"). He is often revered as very enjoyable to interact with in many amateur radio groups.

Discography[link]

Industry awards and honors[link]

Academy of Country Music

• 1982 Top Male Vocalist
• 1985 Song of the Year - "Lost in the Fifties Tonight"
• 1988 Instrumentalist of the Year, Keyboards
• 2002 Pioneer Award

Billboard magazine

• 1980 #1 Country Song of the Year - "My Heart"
• 1985 #1 Country Song of the Year - "Lost in the Fifties Tonight"

Country Music Association

• 1974 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1975 Album of the Year - "A Legend in My Time"
• 1976 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1977 Album of the Year - "Ronnie Milsap Live"
• 1977 Entertainer of the Year
• 1977 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1978 Album of the Year - "It Was Almost Like a Song"
• 1986 Album of the Year - "Lost in the Fifties Tonight

Grammy awards

• 1975 Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends"
• 1977 Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "(I'm a) Stand By My Woman Man"
• 1982 Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me"
• 1986 Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Lost in the Fifties Tonight"
• 1987 Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Lost in the Fifties Tonight"
• 1988 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals - "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" (w/ Kenny Rogers)

Music City News Country

• 1975 Most Promising Male Artist

Miscellaneous achievements

• 40 #1 Hits, 35 of which reached the top spot on the Billboard charts; the remaining 5 topped other trade charts, including Cashbox
• Over 35 million albums sold
• Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1976
• Inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2002
• Awarded the Career Achievement Award by Country Radio Seminar in 2006
• Awarded the 2007 Rocketown Legend Award

See also[link]

• List of best selling music artists

Further reading[link]

• "Just The Facts." The Official Ronnie Milsap Website. Retrieved Aug. 18, 2004.
• Goldsmith, Thomas. (1998.) "Ronnie Milsap." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 348–9.
• Milsap, Ronnie (with Tom Carter). (1990) "Almost like a song." New York, NY. : McGraw-Hill.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ronnie Milsap official website