Ronnie Milsap
He never really left country music, though his latest album title sounds like a homecoming of sorts.
âCountry Again,â Ronnie Milsapâs most recent release, has all the right ingredients: well-told stories, backwoods charm and just enough roughness around the edges. But it canât hide his trademark versatility, as he has spent the past four decades making hit music from mixing country sounds with elements from blues, soul, rock and pop.
A six-time Grammy winner, Milsap will perform a special 7:30 p.m. Christmas show at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian on Dec. 12. A pre-show reception will take place at 6 p.m.
Essentially blind since his childhood in the Smokey Mountains, Milsap mastered several instruments during his school-age years, surprising his teachers with his virtuosity.
Milsapâs musical range is astounding and clearly evidenced in a list of his albums, starting with the 1971 self-titled release and stretching to the 2011 album, âCountry Again.â Everything in between includes 1950s covers, gospel, pop influences, holiday tunes, blues, and so on. He has been a long-running regular on the country charts, with at least 40 number one singles, but has had his share of crossover hits as well.
Tickets are $45 and $39 at the MSU Riley Center box office, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.msurileycenter.com or by calling the box office at 601-696-2200.