Ronnie Milsap, the blind country singer/songwriter/pianist was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 26. The ceremony was held in Nashville–where else? The 71-year-old Milsap was honored with tribute performances by country stars Vince Gill, Martina McBride and Hunter Hayes.
Milsap is known as country music’s first successful “crossover” artist. His music appealed to both country and pop music fans with hit songs like It Was Almost Like a Song, Smoky Mountain Rain, and Any Day Now. He’s written forty No. 1 country hits and is credited with six Grammy Awards. Milsap is still making music. In January 2014, he released a new album called Summer #17. It features a bit of everything — classic pop, R&B and country songs. Although Milsap has had success with his pop songs, his loyalty lies in Nashville. “One night I was at the Opry and he [Milsap] was performing there,” wrote country music critic Gary Hayes. “He came out and walked over to that circle of wood and bent down and kissed the circle. Then he looked up at the audience and said “No matter how hard the suits try they will never break this bond right here.”