During his childhood, Milsap developed a passion for music, particularly the late-night radio broadcasts of country music, gospel music, and rhythm and blues. When he was 7, his instructors noticed his musical talents. Soon afterward he began formal study of classical music at Governor Morehead School and learned several instruments, eventually mastering the piano.
When he was 14, a slap from one of the school's houseparents caused him to lose what very limited vision he had in his left eye.[2][5]
With the national breakthrough of Elvis Presley in 1956, Milsap became interested in rock and roll music and formed a rock band called the Apparitions with fellow high-school students. In concert, Milsap has often paid tribute to the musicians of the 1950s who inspired him including Ray Charles, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Presley.
Milsap was awarded a full college scholarship and briefly attended Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia, with plans to become a lawyer.[2] During this time, Milsap joined a popular local R&B band called the Dimensions that played gigs in the Atlanta area, and became a regular attraction at the rough and rowdy Royal Peacock Club. In the fall of 1964, Milsap declined a scholarship to law school and left college to pursue a full-time career in music. He met Joyce Reeves one night at a dinner party during this period, after which the two were married in 1965.
In 1963, Milsap met Atlanta disc jockey Pat Hughes, who became an early supporter of his music career. Milsap recorded his first single, "Total Disaster/It Went to Your Head",[6] which enjoyed some local success in the Atlanta area. The single sold 15,000 copies with the help of Hughes, who played the record on his radio show. Around this same time, Milsap auditioned for a job as a keyboardist for musician J. J. Cale.[2] In 1965, Milsap signed with New York–based Scepter Records, recording several obscure singles for the label over the next few years,[2] and working briefly with other soul musicians like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.
Also in 1965, Milsap scored his first hit with the Ashford & Simpson–penned single, "Never Had It So Good", which peaked at No. 19 on the R&B chart in November of that year.[7][8] It would be his only successful single during his time with Scepter. Milsap cut another Ashford & Simpson tune, "Let's Go Get Stoned", that was relegated to a B-side.[2]
In the late 1960s, after moving to Memphis, Tennessee, Milsap worked for producer Chips Moman and became a popular weekly attraction at the Memphis nightclub T.J.'s. During this time, Moman helped Milsap land work as a session musician on numerous projects including several recordings with Elvis Presley such as "Don't Cry Daddy" in 1969 and "Kentucky Rain" in 1970.[2] That same year, Milsap made the lower reaches of 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.[2]
Breakthrough success (1973–1975)
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 on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles.[9] 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.[2] He released his first single for RCA that year, "I Hate You", which became his first country music success, peaking at No. 10 on the country chart. In 1974, Milsap toured with Pride as an opening act and had two No. 1 singles: "Pure Love" (written by Eddie Rabbitt) 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" and scored another No. 1 hit with "Daydreams About Night Things".
"It Was Almost Like a Song" (1976–1978)
From 1976 to 1978, Milsap became one of country music's biggest stars. He scored seven No. 1 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 piano-based ballad, which became his most successful single of the 1970s. In addition to topping the BillboardHot 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 No. 95; "It Was Almost Like a Song," reached No. 16. It was also his first song to make the Adult Contemporary Chart, stopping at No. 7. While the song was Milsap's only crossover success of the 1970s, he continued to achieve hits on the country music charts for the remainder of the decade.
Crossover success (1979–1992)
Milsap's sound shifted toward string-laden pop ballads during the late 1970s which resulted in crossover success on the pop charts beginning in the early 1980s. From 1980 until 1983, he scored a series of eleven No. 1 singles. Milsap's Greatest Hits album, released in 1980, included a new single, "Smoky Mountain Rain", which became a No. 1 smash on the country charts. The single peaked in the Top 20 on the pop music chart and also became the first of two Milsap songs to score No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Although the series of No. 1 hits ended in 1983, the last song of the series, "Stranger in My House", was still successful on all three charts, peaking at No. 5 on the country music chart, No. 23 on the pop music chart, and No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Just a few months later, "Don't You Know How Much I Love You" was released, becoming Milsap's last significant entry on the pop music chart, stopping at No. 58. However it, along with others, still became major successes on the Adult Contemporary chart. These successful singles include "Show Her", "Still Losing You", and finally, the Grammy-winning song "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" (his last pop crossover success) in 1985.
In 1989, Milsap had his last No. 1 song with "A Woman in Love", although he still remained successful on the charts. Other Top 10 singles between 1989 and 1991 include "Houston Solution", "Stranger Things Have Happened", "Turn That Radio On", a remake of the 1950s hit "Since I Don't Have You" (his last adult contemporary hit) and "Are You Loving Me Like I'm loving You". With the help of writer Tom Carter, Milsap wrote and released his autobiography, titled Almost like a Song, in 1990.
In 1992, he had a major success with "All Is Fair in Love and War". The song featured rock guitarist Mark Knopfler on lead guitar and peaked at No. 11; his last top-40 country hit, "True Believer," peaked in 1993 at No. 30. By that time, however, Milsap's chart success began to decline.
Milsap has remained one of country music's best-loved and most successful artists despite the lack of radio airplay since the mid-1990s. In 1993, he left RCA for Liberty and released the album True Believer which failed to achieve significant radio airplay, although the title song scored No. 30 on the country chart. In 2000, Milsap resurfaced with a two-CD set, 40 No. 1 Hits, featuring a new single entitled "Time, Love, and Money". The new collection earned a gold record although the single failed to score on the charts.
In 2000, Milsap's biography was featured by A&E Networks's Biography television series. 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.
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 single was "Local Girls" which reached 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 No. 1 hit on the southern gospel charts. On May 12, 2010, he was part of a Gaither Video Taping.
Milsap's studio album Country Again was released in July 2011. The album was a return to a more traditional country sound.
On May 2, 2013, Milsap performed at the memorial service of country legend George Jones, singing the Jones classic "When the Grass Grows Over Me". The service was broadcast live on CMT, GAC, RFD-TV, The Nashville Network, and Family Net as well as Nashville stations. SiriusXM and WSM 650AM, home of the Grand Ole Opry, broadcast the event live on radio.
On December 27, 2013, it was announced Milsap would release a new album. Summer #17 was released in March 2014. The album features new recordings of classic pop and R&B songs from the 1950s and 60's.[10]
In October 2018, Billboard announced Milsap would release a duets album, titled Ronnie Milsap: The Duets in January 2019.[13] The album was released on January 18, 2019.[14] The Duets album has many artists including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Little Big Town and many other of Country Music's finest. It also has the last recordings of the late Leon Russell and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry. The Duets album charted on three different charts. Listed in the order from highest. Independent Album chart #15 - Top Current Album Sales chart #47 - Top Album Sales chart #57. The Duets album is Ronnie's latest album charting to date! The only song from The Duets album to chart was "Smokey Mountain Rain" with Dolly Parton. Charting #27 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Spending 5 weeks on the chart - Debuted 07.27.19 - peaked 08.10.19.
Mid 2020 Ronnie added an audio clip on his website stating he has a new home studio and he has been recording a new album! Then later on Oct 15th Milsap's team announced the release of his recording of the Christmas version of "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" - "Merry, Merry Christmas Baby". The song was then released October 16, 2020. This is Ronnie's first Christmas material since his first and only Christmas album in 1986. Milsap released the album A Better Word for Love in 2021, recorded at Ronnie's Place and released by Black River Entertainment.[15] In addition to releases in 2021 Ronnie reissued his long out of print Christmas (only on CD) album "Christmas With Ronnie Milsap". It was announced on Sept 22, 2021, then released November 12, 2021.
In March 2022 Michael Feinstein released his tribute to the Gershwin brothers "Gershwin Country" which Included none other than Ronnie on the recording of "Oh, Lady Be Good". Their duet was released on March 11, 2022, On April 13, 2022, Ronnie's team announced the production of a new podcast "Music and Milsap" produced by Marty Mackeever (Mr. Producer as Ronnie calls him). The first episode was released April 22, 2022. Available on Spotify, Ronniemilsap.com, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.[16] On May 1, 2022, Ronnie Inducted his longtime friend Ray Charles into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Sometime over the summer of 2022 Ronnie was reported to have been in the studio recording with his longtime friend & album producer Rob Galbraith. The next album is said to be an American song book album. Then on September 15 Ronnie was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall Of Fame alongside Mavis Staples, Priscilla Presley, Jim Gaines and many others.
Turning 80 on January 16, 2023, Ronnie later celebrated his 80th birthday on March 25 on the Grand Ole Opry. He was joined by Trace Adkins, Little Big Town, Jeannie Seely, and a few others.
Ronnie has been featured on the tribute album for The Gaithers entitled "Gaither Tribute: Award Winning Artists Honor The Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither". He'll be singing their song "I Just Feel Like Something Good Is About To Happen". The album will also feature Alabama, Reba McEntire, Ronnie Dunn, Lee Ann Womack & many others. Being released August 25, 2023.[17] On October 3, 2023, Ronnie Milsap was joined by many of his musical friends to do his final show at the Bridgestone Arena.[18] Although Ronnie will be retiring from the road he isn't fully retiring from music. He will continue with his podcast "Music and Milsap" and he'll continue to record.
On June 30, Ronnie released his latest duet "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" with Deborah Silver.[19]
In 1965, Milsap married Joyce Reeves.[21] They had one son, Ronald "Todd" Milsap, who was found dead on his houseboat at the age of 49 on February 23, 2019, from an apparent medical condition.[22] Ronald's son, who had not heard from his father for the previous two days, found the body. Joyce, who had been battling leukemia since 2014, died on September 6, 2021, at the age of 81.[21][23]
