Ronnie Milsap
Polished country-pop with a soul singer's heart. Lush piano arrangements and smooth vocals that bridge the gap between Nashville and the Billboard Hot 100.
Polished country-pop with a soul singer's heart. Lush piano arrangements and smooth vocals that bridge the gap between Nashville and the Billboard Hot 100.
Ronnie Milsap sounds like the intersection of a smoky piano bar and a wide-open Tennessee highway. His music is defined by a rich, soulful baritone that feels equally at home singing a heartbroken country ballad as it does a high-gloss pop anthem. There is an undeniable warmth to the production, often featuring elegant piano work and lush string arrangements that give his sound a sophisticated, 'countrypolitan' sheen.
What truly sets Milsap apart is his versatility. Having been trained in classical music but raised on R&B and gospel, he brought a level of technical piano virtuosity and rhythmic soul to country music that was unprecedented. You can hear the influence of Ray Charles in his phrasing and the precision of a session pro in his arrangements, making his music feel more expansive than traditional honky-tonk.
Start with 'Greatest Hits' or 'It Was Almost Like a Song' to hear the definitive crossover era. These tracks capture the perfect balance of 1970s analog warmth and the emerging pop sensibilities of the 1980s, showcasing why he became one of the most decorated artists in the history of the genre.
Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, he became one of the most successful and versatile country "crossover" singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop music markets with hit songs that incorporated pop, R&B, and rock and roll elements. His 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", "Is It Over" and "Stranger in My House". He is credited with six Grammy Awards and 35 number-one country hits, fourth to George Strait, Conway Twitty, and Merle Haggard. He was selected for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
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