History Music / RonnieMilsap

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His first singles in TheSixties are Blue-Eyed {{Soul}} rather than country, with Milsap singing in a slightly deeper, grittier voice that made him sound more black than white. One song from this period, "Ain't No Soul (Left in These Ole Shoes)", became a favorite on the British Northern Soul scene.

He began his career in the [[TheSixties 1960s]] as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for Music/ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love", written by the equally poppy Eddie Rabbitt. From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited Creator/RCARecords and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His first singles in TheSixties are Blue-Eyed {{Soul}} rather than country, with Milsap singing in a slightly deeper, grittier voice that made him sound more black than white. One song from this period, "Ain't No Soul Left in These Old Shoes of Mine", became a favorite on the British Northern Soul scene.

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: He shifted from his signature pop-country sound to a twangier traditional country style toward the end of TheEighties, with songs like "A Woman in Love" and "All Is Fair in Love and War". One hit from that period, "Houston Solution", could easily pass for a Music/GeorgeStrait song.

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: "A Woman in Love" and "All Is Fair in Love and War" are twangier and more traditional than his usual pop fare.

He began his career in the [[TheSixties 1960s]] as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for Music/ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love", written by the equally poppy EddieRabbitt. From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited Creator/RCARecords and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hqdefault_753.jpg]]

!Tropes present in Ronnie's work:

* ShoutOut: The chorus of "Pure Love" mentions [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap%27n_Crunch Cap'n Crunch]] and references an old Ivory Soap slogan ("99 and 44/100 percent pure love").

* Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks: In-universe example with his 1979 No. 1 hit "Nobody Likes Sad Songs." The song is about a one-time superstar who begins singing almost exclusively heartbreak ballads instead of the "happy" songs that built his career, and it results in him losing his entire fan base. (Not uncoincidentally, his stylistic change comes at the same time as he was enduring a bitter breakup with his significant other.) An attempt to salvage his downspiraling career by reintroducing his uptempo songs into his act fails miserably, and he is eventually fired from his tour.

* TheyChagnedItNowItSucks: In-universe example with his 1979 No. 1 hit "Nobody Likes Sad Songs." The song is about a one-time superstar who begins singing almost exclusively heartbreak ballads instead of the "happy" songs that built his career, and it results in him losing his entire fan base. (Not uncoincidentally, his stylistic change comes at the same time as he was enduring a bitter breakup with his significant other.) An attempt to salvage his downspiraling career by reintroducing his uptempo songs into his act fails miserably, and he is eventually fired from his tour.

* RearrangeTheSong: ''Ronnie Milsap Sings His Best for Capitol Records'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Averted with ''40 #1 Hits'' which contains the original RCA recordings despite being released by Virgin Records.

* AdvertisedExtra: Inverted on "Old Folks", which features guest vocals from co-writer Mike Reid. Reid sings most of the song himself, with Milsap singing only one verse and some harmony.

* BreakupSong: "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World".

* NotChristianRock: "What a Difference You've Made in My Life" is often seen as having a Christian message despite not being explicitly so. This interpretation was probably fueled by the fact that Music/AmyGrant also recorded it.

* ShoutOut: "Pure Love" contains the lyric "99 and 44/100 percent pure love", a reference to an old Ivory Soap slogan.

* SelfDeprecatingHumor: Became a frequent presenter on country award shows, and would usually lift up his shades and pretend to read the winner's card.

North Carolinian Ronnie Milsap (1943-) was born blind, but that didn't stop him from being a juggernaut of the CountryMusic scene in the [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and [[TheEighties 1980s]]. In just under 25 years, he scored 35 number-one hits on the country music charts, including several major crossovers: "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" and "Stranger in My House" all made top 40 on the pop and AC formats.

He began his career in the [[TheSixties 1960s]] as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love", written by the equally poppy EddieRabbitt. From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited Creator/RCARecords and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

* RearrangeTheSong: ''Ronnie Milsap Sings His Best for Capitol Records'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Oddly averted with ''40 #1 Hits'' which contains the original RCA recordings despite being released by Virgin Records.

* NotChristianRock: "What a Difference You've Made in My Life" is often seen as having a Christian message despite not being explicitly so. This interpretation was probably fueled by the fact that AmyGrant also recorded it.

He began his career in the [[TheSixties 1960s]] as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love", written by the equally poppy EddieRabbitt. From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited RCA and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

Although his slick, keyboard-driven sound was more influenced by pop and R&B than mainstream country, he is still one of the genre's most influential and prolific artists. His accolades include six Grammy Awards, five of which were for Best Country Vocal Performance — Male. "Lost in the Fifties Tonight" won this honor ''twice''.

* NotChristianRock: "What a Difference You've Made in My Life" is often seen as having a Christian message despite not being explicitly so.

He began his career in the [[TheSixties 1960s]] as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love". From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited RCA and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

He began his career in the 1960s as a session musician, including some keyboard and backing vocal work for ElvisPresley. After a couple minor hits, he broke through in 1974 with the number one hit "Pure Love". From then until 1992, every single he released peaked no lower than #6 on the country charts, and almost every release between 1980 and 1984 got pop airplay as well. 1992's "All Is Fair in Love and War" broke the streak, and after that, he exited RCA and never had a hit again. Nonetheless, he continues to perform and record to this day. Many of his songs were co-written by former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Mike Reid, who also sang a duet vocal on the 1988 hit "Old Folks".

North Carolinian Ronnie Milsap (1943-) was born blind, but that didn't stop him from being a juggernaut of the CountryMusic scene in the 1970s and 1980s. In just under 25 years, he scored 35 number-one hits on the country music charts, including several major crossovers: "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" and "Stranger in My House" all made top 40 on the pop and AC formats.

North Carolinian Ronnie Milsap was born blind, but that didn't stop him from being a juggernaut of the CountryMusic scene in the 1970s and 1980s. In just under 25 years, he scored 35 number-one hits on the country music charts, including several major crossovers: "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" and "Stranger in My House" all made top 40 on the pop and AC formats.