Ronnie Milsap

Ronnie Milsap
Milsap at Harrah's in St. Louis, Missouri on April 3, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Ronnie Lee Milsap
Born	January 16, 1945 (1945-01-16) (age 64)
Origin	Robbinsville, North Carolina, United States
Genres	Country music country pop Countrypolitan soul
Occupations	Singer, Musician
Instruments	vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1963–Present
Labels	RCA Records
Associated acts	Crystal Gayle Eddie Rabbitt Mike Reid Kenny Rogers
Website	Ronnie Milsap Official Site

Ronnie Lee Milsap (born January 16, 1945) is an American country music singer and musician. He was one of country’s most popular and influential artists in the 1970s and 1980s. He became country music’s first blind superstar. He was also one of the most successful country crossover singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop markets. 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 40 number one hits in country music, third to George Strait and Conway Twitty.

Biography

Early life and rise to fame (1963-1971)

Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital defect, leaving him almost completely blind. Soon after his first birthday, he was cast off and given to his grandmother to raise (it is said that his mother considered his blindness a punishment from God due to his wickedness). At age six, he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he received a quality education and skills that would be beneficial to him for the rest of his life. He was offered scholarship for law school, but wanted to pursue music. Throughout his childhood, he lost his remaining vision. His "good eye" (along with the other) were removed due to a developing blood clot. Throughout it all, he took refuge in music—particularly the late-night broadcasts of country music, gospel, and rhythm and blues. He has often said that he was inspired by Ray Charles, Little Richard, and Patsy Cline.

When he was seven, his instructors began to notice his musical talents; shortly afterward, he began studying classical music formally. Within the next few years, he also developed an affection for rock and roll and formed a rock band called The Apparitions. Milsap was awarded a full college scholarship and attended college briefly in Atlanta, Georgia, until he decided to become a full-time musician. In the early 1960s, he got his first professional gig as a member of J. J. Cale’s band.

He released his first single, "Total Disaster," in 1963. This was followed up by several Ashford & Simpson compositions, including "Let’s Go Get Stoned," which unfortunately for Milsap, was relegated to a B-side. A few months later, however, it became a million-selling single for Ray Charles. Milsap had a R&B hit with another Ashford & Simpsion song, "Never Had It So Good." Around this same time, Milsap met and fell in love with Joyce, and the two were married in 1965.

A few years later, after moving to Memphis, Tennessee, he frequently worked for Chips Moman. During this time, he worked on numerous projects including two songs with Elvis Presley: "Don't Cry Daddy" in 1969 and "Kentucky Rain" in 1970. That same year, he enjoyed brief pop success with "Loving You Is a Natural Thing." He released his debut album, Ronnie Milsap, in 1971.

Breakthrough success (1973-1975)

In 1973, Milsap moved to Nashville to pursue his dream of country music stardom. He began working with Charley Pride's producer, Jack D. Johnson, and was signed to RCA Records that year. He released his first single from RCA that year called "I Hate You," which became his first country hit, just breaking the country top 10. The next year, 1974, he had two number one hits: "Pure Love" and "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends." In 1975, he revived the Don Gibson hit "(I'd Be) A Legend In My Time." That year, he scored another number one hit with "Daydreams About Night Things." Milsap soon had a handful of top tens, along with four number one hits, that made him a star.

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

From 1976 to 1978, Milsap scored seven number one songs in a row, including "(I'm a) Stand By My Woman Man" and "What a Difference You've Made in My Life." The most significant in this string was "It Was Almost Like a Song" in 1977, Milsap's first crossover hit. In addition to topping the Billboard country charts, the song was his first entry on the pop charts ever since "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends" peaked at #95; "It Was Almost Like a Song," however, made it to #16. It was also his first song to reach the Adult Contemporary Charts, stopping at #2. Despite its success, the song was Milsap's only crossover hit of the 1970s. However, he returned to the pop charts just four years later with great success. Milsap continued to achieve top hits on the country charts for the remainder of the 1970s.

Crossover success (1979-1992)

In 1979, Milsap had a number one hit, top 5 hit and a top 10 hit. Then in 1980, things would change a lot for him. From this point on and up until 1983, he scored a streak of 11 number one hits in a row. His fourth and final one of that year was "Smoky Mountain Rain," which helped cement his name in country music history as one of its most successful artists. The following year, the single peaked in the Top 40 on the pop chart. It also became the first of two Milsap songs to top the Adult Contemporary chart. Other crossover hits included the top 5 pop hit "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" and the top 20 hits "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World" and "Any Day Now". He also had some success with "He Got You".

Although the string of number ones came to an end in 1983, the song which ended the streak—"Stranger in My House"—was still successful on all three charts; it peaked at #5 on the country chart, #23 on the pop chart, and #8 on the Adult Contemporary. 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 chart, stopping at #58. However, it along with some other songs still became major hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. These hit singles include "Show Her," "Still Losing You," and finally, "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" (his last crossover hit) in 1985.

Between 1985 and 1987, Milsap enjoyed a string of uninterrupted country number one hits, enjoying his biggest success at this time, including "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning," "In Love," "Snap Your Fingers," and "Where Do the Nights Go," as other country pop singers were beginning to fade from the country music charts.

In 1989, Milsap had his last number one hit 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." In 1992, he had his last major hit, "All Is Fair In Love and War." The song peaking at #11. By 1992, Milsap's chart success faded away, but he continued touring the country. He has remained as one of country music's most popular concert attractions.

1993-present: life today

Milsap has remained one of country music's greatest influences. In 1993, he released another single called "True Believer." In 2000, he released another single called "Time, Love, and Money". By this time Milsap's chart success days were over, but in 2006, he released another single called "Local Girls," which reached #54.

His biography has been featured on A&E Networks's Biography television series. He has been featured on CMT's numerous shows, including 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.

In 2009 he 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.

Discography

Industry awards and honors

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

Notes

See also

• List of best selling music artists

References

• "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.

External links

• Ronnie Milsap official website