Ronnie Milsap facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Milsap
|
|
|---|---|
Milsap in 2019
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ronald Lee Millsaps |
| Born | January 16, 1943 Robbinsville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, blue-eyed soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1963–2023 |
| Labels |
|
Ronnie Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps on January 16, 1943) is a famous American country music singer and piano player. He was one of the most popular and important country music stars in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ronnie was almost completely blind from birth. He became very successful by mixing country music with pop, R&B, and rock and roll sounds. This made his songs popular with both country and pop fans. Some of his biggest hits include "It Was Almost Like a Song" and "Smoky Mountain Rain". He has won six Grammy Awards and had 35 songs reach number one on the country music charts. In 2014, he was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Contents
Ronnie's Musical Journey
Early Life and Music (1943–1971)
Ronnie Milsap was born on January 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, North Carolina. He was born with a condition that made him almost completely blind. When he was a baby, his mother left him, and his grandparents raised him in the Great Smoky Mountains. At age five, he went to the North Carolina State School for the Blind and Deaf.
While at school, Ronnie fell in love with music. He especially liked listening to country, gospel, and rhythm and blues songs on the radio late at night. When he was seven, his teachers noticed how talented he was. He then started learning classical music and many instruments, becoming very good at the piano.
When he was 14, an accident at school caused him to lose the very little vision he had left in one eye.
In 1956, Elvis Presley became very famous, and Ronnie became interested in rock and roll music. He started a rock band called the Apparitions with his friends from high school. Ronnie often honors musicians like Ray Charles, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley in his concerts.
Ronnie received a scholarship to Young Harris College and thought about becoming a lawyer. But he also joined a popular R&B band called the Dimensions. They played at a club in Atlanta. In 1964, Ronnie decided to leave college and focus on music full-time. He met Joyce Reeves and they got married in 1965.
In 1963, Ronnie met a radio DJ named Pat Hughes, who helped him start his music career. Ronnie recorded his first song, "Total Disaster/It Went to Your Head," which became popular in Atlanta. He also worked as a keyboard player for musician J. J. Cale. In 1965, Ronnie signed with Scepter Records. He recorded several songs and worked with other soul musicians like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.
In 1965, Ronnie had his first hit song, "Never Had It So Good." It reached number 19 on the R&B music chart. Later, in the late 1960s, Ronnie moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He worked with producer Chips Moman and became a popular performer at a Memphis nightclub. During this time, Ronnie also played music for Elvis Presley on songs like "Don't Cry Daddy" and "Kentucky Rain". In 1971, he released his first album, Ronnie Milsap.
Becoming a Star (1973–1978)
In 1972, Ronnie moved to Nashville. This happened after he met country music star Charley Pride at a show in Los Angeles. Charley Pride was very impressed with Ronnie's singing. He told Ronnie to try country music. Ronnie started working with Charley's manager and signed with RCA Records in 1973.
His first song for RCA, "I Hate You," became a country hit, reaching number 10. In 1974, Ronnie toured with Charley Pride. He also had two number one songs: "Pure Love" and "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends". The second song won Ronnie his first Grammy Award. In 1975, he had more number one hits with "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time" and "Daydreams About Night Things".
From 1976 to 1978, Ronnie became one of country music's biggest stars. He had seven number one songs in a row. These included the Grammy-winning "(I'm a) Stand by My Woman Man" and "What a Difference You've Made in My Life". The most important song from this time was "It Was Almost Like a Song" in 1977. This piano song became his biggest hit of the 1970s. It was number one on the country charts and also reached number 16 on the pop music chart.
Crossover Success (1979–1992)
In the late 1970s, Ronnie's music started to sound more like pop songs with strings. This helped him become popular on the pop music charts in the early 1980s. From 1980 to 1983, he had eleven number one songs in a row. His Greatest Hits album in 1980 included a new song, "Smoky Mountain Rain". This song was number one on the country charts and also reached the Top 20 on the pop charts. It was also his first song to be number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Other songs that were popular on both country and pop charts included "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World", and "Any Day Now". "Any Day Now" stayed at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart for five weeks. All these songs also reached number one on the country music charts.
Even though his streak of number one hits ended in 1983, his song "Stranger in My House" was still very successful. It reached number 5 on the country chart, number 23 on the pop chart, and number 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. He continued to have major hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, including "Show Her", "Still Losing You", and the Grammy-winning "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" in 1985.
Between 1985 and 1987, Ronnie had many more number one country songs. These included "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning", "In Love", and "Snap Your Fingers". He also had a Grammy-winning duet with Kenny Rogers called "Make No Mistake, She's Mine". In 1987, Ronnie sang the theme song for a TV show called J.J. Starbuck.
In 1989, Ronnie had his last number one song, "A Woman in Love". He continued to have songs in the Top 10 until 1991. These included "Houston Solution" and "Stranger Things Have Happened". With writer Tom Carter, Ronnie wrote his autobiography, Almost like a Song, in 1990.
In 1992, his song "All Is Fair in Love and War" was a big hit. It featured rock guitarist Mark Knopfler. His last song to reach the Top 40 on the country chart was "True Believer" in 1993. After this, his songs were not played on the radio as much.
Life Today (Since 1993)
Ronnie Milsap is still one of country music's most loved performers. In 1993, he released the album True Believer. The main song from this album reached the Top 30 on the country chart. In 2000, he released 40 No. 1 Hits, a collection of his songs that sold very well. That same year, a TV show called Biography featured his life and career.
In 2004, Ronnie recorded Just for a Thrill, an album of pop and jazz songs. This album was different from his usual style and was nominated for a Grammy Award. He returned to RCA Records in 2006 with the country album My Life. His gospel album Then Sings My Soul (2009) was popular on gospel charts. His album Country Again (2011) had a more traditional country sound.
In 2014, Rolling Stone magazine included "Smoky Mountain Rain" in its list of the 100 greatest country songs. That year, Ronnie released Summer #17, an album with old pop and R&B songs.
In 2016, he was one of 30 artists on "Forever Country", a song celebrating the 50th CMA Awards. In 2019, he released Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, which featured songs with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and George Strait. A duet version of "Smoky Mountain Rain" with Dolly Parton reached the Adult Contemporary Top 30.
Ronnie continued to record music in his home studio. His album A Better Word for Love came out in 2021. In 2022, he sang "Oh, Lady Be Good!" for an album honoring George and Ira Gershwin. He also started a podcast called Music and Milsap. That same year, he helped welcome Ray Charles into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Ronnie was later welcomed into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Ronnie Milsap's final concert was on October 3, 2023, in Nashville. Many other country stars joined him on stage. This concert marked the end of his touring career, a few months after his 80th birthday. Even though he no longer tours, he still records music.
Amateur Radio Operator
Ronnie Milsap is also an Advanced-class amateur radio operator. His call sign is WB4KCG. This means he has a special license to talk to other people using radio waves.
Personal Life
Ronnie Milsap married Joyce Reeves in 1965. They had one son, Ronald "Todd" Milsap. Todd passed away at age 49 on February 23, 2019, from a medical condition. Joyce, who had been battling leukemia since 2014, passed away on September 6, 2021, at age 81.
Awards and Honors
Ronnie Milsap has received many awards for his music:
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
- 1980 No. 1 Country Song of the Year – "My Heart"
- 1985 No. 1 Country Song of the Year – "Lost in the Fifties Tonight"
- 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
- Country Music Hall of Fame 2014 Inductee
- 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" (with Kenny Rogers)
Music City News Country
- 1975 Most Promising Male Artist
Other Achievements
- Had 40 number one hits on various music charts.
- Sold over 35 million albums.
- Was welcomed into the Grand Ole Opry in 1976.
- Was welcomed into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
- Received the Career Achievement Award from Country Radio Seminar in 2006.
- Received the 2007 Rocketown Legend Award.
Special Recognition On December 2, 2020, a six-mile section of U.S. 129 in Graham County, North Carolina, was named Ronnie Milsap Highway.
See also
In Spanish: Ronnie Milsap para niños
