This Guy Absolutely Owned The 1970’s

Ronnie Milsap is coming to the Grand Falls Casino and Resort September 28. You can get details here.

Did you know only two artist's in the history of country music have had more number one hit's than Ronnie Milsap? Conway Twitty scored more than fifty, and King George, Mr. Strait, has had sixty.

But the forty that Ronnie amassed is an incredible feat. And it was the year I started working in radio, 1974, that Ronnie scored his first number one. I was 18 and on my way to a four decade plus career that I've loved. He was on his way to country music super stardom and a well deserved home in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

To say Ronnie owned country music in the 1970's may be a bit of a stretch, but not much. Actually, Ronnie owned the last 6 years of the decade, scoring an amazing dozen chart toppers, beginning with the Eddie Rabbit penned smash 'Pure Love'.

Ronnie followed up 'Pure Love' with two more 1974 chart toppers, 'Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends' (Written by the man I consider the greatest songwriter in history Kris Kristofferson) and '(I'd Be) A Legend In My Time'. Ronnie was here to stay.

More number one's followed, 'Daydreams About Night Things', 'What Goes On When The Sun Goes Down', I'm A Stand By My Woman Man', 'Let My Love Be Your Pillow', the career changing 'It Was Almost Like A Song', 'What A Difference You've Made In My Life', 'Only One Love In My Life', 'Let's Take The Long Way Around The World', and oh by the way...there were several Top Ten hits along the way, too.

Ronnie's last 1970's number one smash was 1979's 'Nobody Likes Sad Songs'.

Ronnie would go on the have dozens more number ones in the 1980's and 1990's. And with all that incredible success, do you know what I remember most about Ronnie Milsap?

In the late 1970's I was living and working in Aberdeen South Dakota and I interviewed Ronnie for a radio special I was doing. And I found out this great artist was also a great man, one of the kindest and most generous gentlemen I've ever visited with. And that is something that a lot of people, including the so-called big stars, could learn from.

Ronnie is still making great music and touring around the world, including his stop at Grand Falls Casino and Resort. That is a gift to us all.