Legend Ronnie Milsap on KWKH This Morning [Videos & Audio]

The legendary Ronnie Milsap, who is still going strong after decades of music that spawned 40 number one hits,  was on the KWKH Morning show with me this morning. Ronnie talked about his career,  how he got started,  and who wrote some of his best tunes.

Milsap was one of the first crossover artists, who was able to get air play on pop and country radio stations at the same time.  He mixed rock, pop, and rhythm and blues with country.  His biggest such hits were  "It Was Almost Like a Song," "Smokey 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."

Ronnie scored six Grammy Awards for his incredible songs and musical style.

Not only is he a gifted singer, but a fabulous pianist as well.  He said he took piano lessons in Braille when he was a boy, but that he could also play by ear.

Milsap is ranked third only to George Strait and Conway Twitty for the number of chart toppers and Grammys.

He grew up in North Carolina and his blindness was attributed to a congenital disorder.  He went to the Governor School for the Blind in Raleigh, N.C.

He says he was inspired by Ray Charles, Little Richard, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.

In fact, he told me his chart topper, "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning," was actually a make up song for country radio, because he had "gotten a little too rocky."  He had a song of which the video became the first country artist's video on MTV.  It was a rock tune, "She Loves My Car."

At age 68, Milsap released his new studio album Country Again in July 2011. The new CD is a return to a more traditional country sound. The first single, "If you don't want me to,"  is a previous Milsap recording from 1980.

Here's the YouTube video of his first release from the new album, Country Again, entitled, "If You Want Me To (The Freeze)," and the dance the song spawned.

In case you missed it, here's my interview with Ronnie Milsap on the KWKH Morning show today.