The tune marked his first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, as well as his first to make the Adult Contemporary pop chart, where it reached the No. “It Was Almost Like a Song” holds a special place in Milsap’s memory, for several reasons. “IĬalled Tom and told him to come over and listen to it, and he loved “I reworked it on the piano,” Milsap says. Heard the song while on the road, listening to some tapes from a then-unknown It is as soon as they hear those first few notes.” He recalls that he first Intro,” Milsap raves, referencing the opening piano sequence. Fans got theirįirst taste with the heartbreaking, piano-driven ballad, “It Was Almost Like a The more pop-laden style that Milsap adopted in the late 1970s. But he said that if we all liked it that much, then we could go ahead with it.” A wise move by all parties – “Smoky Mountain Rain” topped both the country charts and the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1980 and remains one of Milsap’s most requested numbers. “He thought it was too much of a regional song,” Milsap explains. Jerry Bradley, the head of RCA Records, wasn’t as keen on “Smoky Mountain Rain” as Milsap. There was a potential stumbling block, however. Played piano on that song when I was working as a studio musician in Memphis.” It kind of reminded me of ‘Kentucky Rain’ by Elvis Presley. “The writers came up with ‘Smoky Mountain Rain,’Īnd Tom called me and said that I’ve got to hear this,” Milsap says. North Carolina, told his producer Tom Collins that he wanted to find a tuneĪbout the Smoky Mountains area.
“Smoky Mountain Rain” was crafted after Milsap, who was born in The songwriting tandem of Kye Fleming and Dennis MorganĬontributed two of Milsap’s most popular tunes, “Smoky Mountain Rain” and, withĬharles Quillen, “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World,” both included on 8 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Released in 1985, “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” was a smooth medley combining the original written by Reid and Troy Seals with a cover of The Five Satins classic, “In the Still of the Nite.” A pure showcase of Milsap’s deep R&B roots. “On ‘Lost in the Fifties Tonight,’ we had several tracks of background vocals,” Milsap remembers. “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night),” appear on The Hits together.” Two of Reid’s songs, “Stranger in My House” and the nostalgia-tinged “There were so many great writers,” he says.
He was fortunate, he notes, to get the prime cuts by theĪce songwriters on Music Row. Milsap shared his memories of some of those hits with Sounds For this album, 12 of Milsap’s most successful crossover singles were remastered, with new liner notes included. The Craft Recordings company acquired many of Milsap’s original RCA selections in an effort to curate his most important and vital works. The album’s focus is primarily on Milsap’s crossover hits, starting from the late 1970s. Those and other crossover gems are featured on a new compilation album The Best of Ronnie Milsap, out now through retail and online outlets. His remake of Chuck Jackson’s R&B hit “Any Day Now” peaked at No. 1 country smashes, including “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me,” and “It Was Almost Like a Song” made significant dents on the pop charts. He incorporated their sounds into a soulful, country/pop style that made him one of the most versatile crossover artists of his time. Born in 1943 with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely sightless, young Milsap learned to play piano at a school for the blind and began listening to artists rooted in rock and R&B – Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. Ronnie Milsap was raised on rock and R&B, but there was plenty of country in his soul.
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