Ronnie Milsap performs at the Grand Ole Opry on Feb. 12, 2016, for the 40th anniversary of his membership. Photo: Chris Hollo.
Ronnie Milsap took center stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night (Feb. 12) as he celebrated the 40th anniversary of his induction.
“Before I joined the Opry in 1976, Jeanne Pruett was always getting me to come out here and guest,” Milsap said. “Eventually she said, ‘I think you need to join the Grand Ole Opry.’ And I said, ‘Well, how do you do that?’ All of a sudden, one night I was over here and Mr. Roy Acuff came up to me in the hall and said, ‘Hey, Ronnie, you want to be a member of the Opry?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Okay, then, you’re going to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.’”
Before taking the stage, the country legend celebrated with friends, family members, and fellow artists in the Opry House’s backstage Family Room with a cake marking the occasion. Later introduced on stage by fellow Opry and Country Music Hall of Famer Connie Smith, Milsap reflected on the night he joined the Opry (on Feb. 6, 1976).
“I was so happy that night Roy Acuff inducted me,” Milsap began, shouting Acuff’s moniker “the KING of country music!” After the show, Milsap met fans outside The Opry Shop, celebrating that day’s release of his latest album, Gospel Greats.
“Ronnie Milsap is one-of-a-kind at the Opry and in country music,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “His style transcends musical boundaries and his exuberant spirit makes its mark on the Opry every time he comes home to visit.”
Born blind in North Carolina, Milsap lived with his grandmother until he was 6 years old. He attended Morehead State School for the Blind in Raleigh, where he was given strict classical training. But late at night he listened to his favorite country, gospel, and R&B broadcasts. The music reminded him of home.
Milsap studied pre-law at Young Harris Junior College near Atlanta, Georgia, eventually earning a scholarship to Emory University. Instead of continuing with law, he threw himself into music, forming his own band. During the mid-’60s, he landed a stint with J.J. Cale and session work with producer Chips Moman, notably on Elvis Presley’s “Kentucky Rain” and “Don’t Cry Daddy.”
In 1973, Milsap moved from Memphis to Nashville. He was signed by RCA and released the two-sided hit, “All Together Now (Let’s Fall Apart)” and “I Hate You.” He followed with “That Girl Who Waits on Tables” and “Pure Love.”
A year later, he had three No. 1 songs. The flood of hits wouldn’t let up for 15 years: “Daydreams About Night Things,” “(I’m A) Stand by My Woman Man,” “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night),” “How Do I Turn You On” and “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me” all stormed the charts.
Along with his multiple gold and platinum albums, Milsap has earned six Grammys and numerous CMA and ACM Awards. He’s a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Pictured (L-R): Eddie Stubbs, Connie Smith, and Ronnie Milsap. Photo: Chris Hollo
