The Success Story of Ronnie Milsap
Who is Ronnie Milsap?
Ronnie Milsap is an American country singer and songwriter who has had a successful career spanning over four decades. He was one of the first country artists to blend country music with pop music, leading to crossover success in both genres throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He has released more than 40 albums throughout his career, won six Grammy Awards, and has had more than 35 singles in the top 10 of the Billboard Country charts. Early Life and Career
Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina, in 1943. He was blind from birth due to congenital glaucoma, but despite this he learned to play piano by ear at a young age, and began performing on local radio shows when he was 14. In 1964, he moved to Nashville to pursue his music career. His early recordings were not particularly successful, but he finally achieved success in 1974 with his single “Pure Love”. This song reached number one on the Billboard Country chart and crossed over to the pop chart as well, reaching number eight. Success
Milsap’s success continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s with a string of hit singles, including “It Was Almost Like a Song”, “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me”, “Smoky Mountain Rain”, and “Stranger in My House”. He also collaborated with numerous other artists such as Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Dolly Parton. In 1977, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his album It Was Almost Like a Song. Throughout his career he has won five more Grammys and been nominated for numerous other awards. Later Career
Milsap continues to tour and perform today. In 2017, he released an album of duets with contemporary country artists such as Little Big Town and Kacey Musgraves titled The Duets. He recently announced that he will be releasing a new album in 2021 titled The Voice. Despite his age, Milsap still continues to be an influential figure in the country music industry.
