Ronnie Milsap

He was born on January 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, North Carolina, US. He was almost blind at the time of his birth, because of a congenital disorder. His mother abandoned him as an infant, and his grandparents looked after him in the Smoky Mountains till age five. Thereafter, he was enrolled at a blind school known as the ‘Governor Morehead School’ in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As a child, he was passionate about music. Soon, he started his formal training in classical music in school, after his instructors observed his remarkable musical talent. He learned the piano, the violin, and the guitar and soon became an excellent pianist.

He lost the limited vision he had in his left eye after being slapped by a house parent of the school at the age of 14.

Milsap developed an interest in rock and roll music. He, with his high-school classmates, formed the rock band ‘The Apparitions.’

After receiving a full college scholarship, Milsap, who had planned to become a lawyer, began studying at the ‘Young Harris College’ in Young Harris, GA. While in college, he joined ‘Dimensions,’ a popular local R&B band and performed at the ‘Royal Peacock Club.’ He later resolved to make a career in music and left college after rejecting a law school scholarship in the fall of 1964.

His first single ‘Total Disaster’ released in 1963.

He signed with the American record company ‘Scepter Records’ in 1965 and recorded many singles with them. Of these, the only single that could be marked as a hit was ‘Never Had It So Good,’ which climbed up to No. 19 on the R&B chart in November that year.

He worked with American record producer Chips Moman after relocating to Memphis, Tennessee. Moman helped him work as a session musician on various songs of Elvis Presley, such as ‘Don't Cry Daddy’ (1969) and ‘Kentucky Rain’ (1970).

His first studio album, ‘Ronnie Milsap,’ released in August 1971 through ‘Warner Bros. Records.’ A CD version of the album was later released in 2006.

He moved to Nashville in December 1972, after a chance meeting with famous American country singer Charley Pride. It was Pride who motivated him to turn his attention to country music.