When it comes to musical innovation, Ronnie Milsap has been one of the leaders on the contemporary music scene for nearly the past three decades.
His illustrious career began at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, NC, where he first discovered his love and talent for music. He first achieved success in the 1960's with a top 5 R&B record entitled, "Never Had It So Good", worked with the likes of Dionne Warwick and Petula Clark and played keyboards of several of Elvis Presley's hits, including "Kentucky Rain." It was in the 1970's however when Ronnie began to experience success in the Country Music genre.
From the mid 70's to the late 80's, Ronnie made an incredible impact within the Country community. He has been awarded 8 CMA awards (including a "hat trick" in 1977 where he walked away with Entertainer, Male Vocalist, and Album of the Year), 4 ACM awards, and 6 Grammy awards. His talent was not limited to the Country music charts however. He has over 40 #1 hits not only on the Country charts, but on the Pop charts as well, paving the way for future Country acts to achieve the same cross-over success. This chart success has translated into numerous gold and platinum albums.
Ronnie's talents are not limited to the keyboard and microphone however. He is a master at producing as well. He now produces most of his work on his state-of-the-art 64 track home studio that he is constantly modifying an updating.
Currently, Ronnie is working on a new album that will be released on Warner Bros. Records at the end of the year (1998). And while he is not in the studio, he is still bringing his magic to fans around the country. Often cited as on e of Country Music's most entertaining live shows, Ronnie's live performance is not one to be missed. A true performer, the music is still coming and getting better than ever.
(Previous Bio Information Follows) Too restless and innovative to rest on his laurels as one of the great country music entertainers of all time, Ronnie Milsap is preparing a new Warner Bros. album that will showcase his musical and personal evolution in the 1990's. This musical process has been a journey of selfdiscovery for Milsap, combining his 30 years of experience with what excites him today.
One of the most versatile and talented performers in country music, Milsap's trademark countrysoul voice has earned him 40 #1 hits, six Grammy Awards, and the industry's highest recognition, the coveted CMA Entertainer of the Year. A classically trained pianist who has mastered such instruments as guitar, violin, clarinet, and cello, Milsap has been one of the few country performers to venture beyond the parameters of country music and find mass success in the pop arena.
His smooth voice has been a mainstay on both pop and country radio for three decades with such hits as "Day Dreams About Night Things," (There's) No Gettin'Over Me," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World," "Smoky Mountain Rain," and "Any Day Now." His live shows, known for their spontaneity and diversity, are among the most.popular in country today.
"I'm looking for the music that would say what I'm trying to do right now," says Milsap. "I've got to be honest, I'm not exactly sure what that is."
"I hope basically to rediscover my own identity," he says. "There's a blessing and a curse of being able to do everything. I grew up in the Smoky Mountains and have a background in country, bluegrass, and gospel, and then I went to school and studied classical music for 10 years. I played jazz and R&B gigs and was an R&B singer early on. All of that makes it hard to figure out and redefine what your identity is."
Milsap quickly discovered the downside of success is that it left little time for creative exploration. For 20 years, Milsap found himself on the demanding treadmill of recording and touring, with little time off the road for reflection or recharging. "It seemed like there was never a break from that," he says. "it went on endlessly. I kept wondering how this thing was eventually going to stop. You need to figure out why you wanted to do this to begin with. Most of us that do this love music so much."
Not content to merely release album after album to meet contractual obligations, Milsap took a break from recording, even turning down offers from labels wanting to add the legend's name to their rosters. Milsap is passionately committed to create music that's both relevant and vibrant and meets the musical standards that he has set for himself.
"There's a big fuss about seasoned artists not being played on radio," he says. "I don't really believe that. What I believe is that you've got to make the record that demands to be fit into today's format. You can't rely on the name of anybody, whether it's Johnny Cash or Charley Pride. It's not the name; it's the record."
Born with congenital cataracts that left him blind, Milsap was raised by his paternal grandparents in Robbinsville, NC. His first musical exposure was to the gospel music played at revival tent meetings and the bluegrass sounds coming from local musicians. Beginning at age five, he attended North Carolina's State School for the Blind, where he first learned how to play the violin, piano, and guitar. But privately he listened to a myriad of genres, from R&B and country to rock and Southern soul. In fact, he was once kicked out of class when he was caught listening to Jerry Lee Lewis instead of practicing Bach.
Milsap was a promising prelaw student, but he turned down a scholarship to Emory University Law School to focus on his music full time. He began his professional career in 1965 with Scepter Records, an R&B label, and hit the Top 5 with "Never Had It So Good." He then moved to Memphis and played in numerous sessions and concerts, backing such acts as J.J. Cale, Petula Clark, and Dionne Warwick. A highlight of this era was Milsap's unforgettable keyboard work on Elvis Presley's "Kentucky Rain."
He moved to Nashville in 1972 and his career skyrocketed 6 months later when he signed with RCA Records. He celebrated his first No. 1, "Pure Love" one year later. That was followed by 39 other charttoppers celebrated from the seventies until the nineties, including "Daydreams About Night Things", the millionselling "It Was Almost Like A Song", and "What A Difference You've Made In My Life". Milsap is a threetime CMA male vocalist of the year winner, and a fourtime CMA Album of the Year recipient. The Academy of Country Music named him Best Male Vocalist in 1983 and he won Song of the Year in 1986 for uLost In The Fifties Tonight". He is the recipient of the only gold Braille album ever awarded.
RONNIE MILSAP DISCOGRAPHY Year Title 1973 WHERE MY HEART IS RCA 1974 PURE LOVE RCA 1973 LEGEND IN MY TIME RCA 1975 NIGHT THINGS RCA 1976 20/20 VISION RCA 1976 RONNIE MILSAP LIVE RCA 1977 IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG RCA 1978 ONLY ONE LOVE IN MY LIFE RCA 1979 IMAGES RCA 1980 MILSAP MAGIC RCA 1980 GREATEST HITS, VOL ONE RCA 1981 OUT WHERE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE GLOWING RCA 1981 THERE'S NO GETTIN'OVER ME RCA 1982 INSIDE RCA 1983 KEYED UP RCA 1984 ONE MORE TRY FOR LOVE RCA 1985 GREATEST HITS VOL. TWO RCA 1986 RONNIE MILSAPCOLLECTOR'S'SERIES RCA 1986 LOST IN THE FIFTIES TONIGHT ** RCA 1986 CHRISTMAS WITH RONNIE MILSAP RCA 1987 HEART AND SOUL RCA 1989 STRANGER THIGS HAVE HAPPENED RCA 1991 BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE RCA 1992 GREATEST HFIFS, VOL THREE RCA 1993 TRUE BELIEVER LIBERTY
SINGLES:
1973 1 Hate You/ (All Together Now), Let's Fall Apart 1973 That Girl Who Waits On Tables/ You're Driving Me Out Of Your Mind 1974 Pure Love/ Love The Second Time Around 1974 Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends/ Streets Of Gold 1974 I'd Be A Legend In My Time/ The Biggest Lie 1975 Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry/ Country Cookin' 1975 just In Case/ Daydreams About Night Things 1976 I'm A Stand By My Woman Man/ Lovers, Friends, And Strangers 1976 What Goes On When The Sun Goes Down/ Love Takes A Long Time To Die 1976 Let My Love Be Your Pillow/Busy Makin' Plans 1977 It Was Almost Like A Song/ It Don't Hurt To Dream 1977 What A Difference You've Made In My Life/ Selfish 1978 Only One Love In My Life/ Back On My Mind Again 1978 Let's Take The Long Way Around The World/ I'm Not Trying To Forget 1978 Back On My Mind Again/Santa Barbara 1979 Nobody Likes Sad Songs/ just Because It Feels Good 1979 In No Time At All/ Get It Up 1980 Why Don't You Spend The Night/Heads I Go, Hearts I Stay 1980 My Heart/ Silent Nigth (After The Fight) 1980 Misery Loves Company/ Cowboys And Clowns 1980 Smokey Mountain Rain/Crystal Fallin' Rain 1981 Am I Losing You/ He'll Have To Go 1981 There's No Gettin' Over Me/ I Live My Whole Life At Night 1981 1 Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World/ It Happens Every Time 1982 Any Day Now/ It's just A Room 1982 He Got You/ I Love New Orleans Music 1982 Inside/Carolina Dreams 1983 Stranger In My HOuse/ Is It Over 1983 Don't You Know How Much I Love You/ Feeling Change 1983 Show Her/ Watch Out For The Other Guy 1983 It's Christmas/ We're Here To Love 1984 Still Losing You/I'll Take Care Of You 1984 She Loves My Car/ Prisoner Of The Highway 1985 She Keeps The Home Fires Burning/ Is It Over 1985 Lost In The Fifties Tonight 1986 Happy, Happy Birthday Baby/ I'll Take Care Of You 1986 In Love/ Old Fashioned Girl Like you 1986 How Do I Turn You On? / Don't Take It Tonight 1986 Only One Night Of The Year/ It's just Not Christmas 1987 Snap Your Fingers/ This Time Last Year 1987 Make No Mistake, She's Mine (Duet w/ Kenny Rogers) 1987 I'll Be Home For Christmas 1988 Old Folks (Duet w/ Mike Reid) 1988 Button Off My Shirt 1989 Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurtin' Me) 1989 Houston Solution 1989 Woman In Love 1990 Stranger Things Have Happened 1991 Are You Lovin' Me Like I'm Lovin' You 1991 Since I Don't Have You 1991 Turn That Radio On 1992 All Is Fair In Love And War 1992 L.A. To The Moon 1993 True Believer 1993 I'm Playing For You AWARDS 1974 GRAMMY Best Country Male Vocal Performance 1974 BILLBOARD Best New Male Artist 1974 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year 1975 CMA Album of the Year 1976 GRAMMY Best Country Male Vocal Performance 1976 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year 1976 BILLBOARD Male Singles Artist of the year 1976 BILLBOARD Overall Singles Artist of the Year 1976 BILLBOARD Bill Williams Memorial Award Artist of the Year 1977 CMA Entertainer of the Year 1977 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year 1977 CMA Album of the Year 1978 CMA Album of the Year 1979 CASHBOX Singles Artist of the Year 1979 CASHBOX Most Artistic Achievment Award 1980 BILLBOARD Male Singles Artist of the Year 1980 CASHBOX Male Singles Artist of the Year 1981 BILLBOARD "Breakthrough" Award Outstanding Achievment 1981 CASHBOX Male Vocalist Award/ Singles 1982 GRAMMY Best Country Male Vocal Performance 1983 ACM Best Male Vocalist 1984 GRAMMY Country Song of the Year 1986 GRAMMY Best Country Male Vocal Performance 1986 CMA Album of the Year 1986 ACM Best Song of the Year 1986 ACM Best Album of the Year 1987 GRAMMY Best Country Male Vocal Performance 1988 GRAMMY Best Country Duet Performance (w/ Kenny Rogers) 1988 ACM Instrumentalist of the Year
Previous Bio Information Follows In 1974, Record World tapped Ronnie Milsap as it’s "Most Promising Male Artist and Music City News called him "Most Promising Artist of the Year." Consider the promise kept. Forty #1 hits, six Grammy awards and a slew of other awards and honors are evidence of Milsap’s popularity and artistry. This North Carolina native has made an incredible impact on country music, and the ten newly-recorded songs on Ronnie Sings His Best Hits For Capitol Records shows why.
Blind since birth, due to congenital cataracts, Milsap discovered a connection to music while attending the North Carolina State School for the Blind. The bluegrass music of Flatt and Scruggs, the plaintive wails of Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell and the cadence of classical masters Bach and Mozart all spoke to him. He learned to play piano, guitar, clarinet, violin and cello, and developed his innate talents as a vocalist.
Milsap began performing professionally in the 1960’s, and scored a top-five rhythm and blues hit, "Never Had It So Good" on New York’s legendary Scepter label. In 1968, his talents caught the ear of Elvis Presley, who brought the young musician in on keyboards for a number of recordings, including the hit, "Kentucky Rain." Milsap became musically rooted to Memphis and Nashville, and by 1970 was already building a sturdy country music career.
"It Was Almost Like A Song," became a million-selling single in 1976, spearheading the Country/Pop crossover movement of the late 70s and early 80s. "I’m a Stand By My Woman Man" won a Grammy that same year, and "Stranger In My House" won one in 1983. Milsap has won virtually every award a performer could hope for: the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award and Male Vocalist of the Year (‘74,’76, ’77); CMA’s Album of the Year (‘76, ‘77, ‘78, and ‘86); the Academy of Country Music voted Milsap Best Male Vocalist in 1983 and he won Song of the Year in 1986 for "Lost In The Fifties Tonight." He’s also the recipient of the only gold Braille album ever awarded.
Ronnie Sings His Best Hits For Capitol Records includes those songs, plus "Daydreams About Night Things," "Pure Love," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "There’s No Gettin’ Over Me" and more.
Today, Milsap can be seen regularly at The Ronnie Milsap Theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, delighting fans as always with his hit songs and entertaining stage show.
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