The masterful musician Ronnie Milsap, who was born blind, took the stage at the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Friday. 

The concert marked the famous pianist’s first performance in Shippensburg. The audience was full of classic country fans talking about the performance. Some were friends, others were family and even a few couples sat in the rows of the theater. 

From the oldest to the youngest concertgoers, all reminisced about how the music had impacted them as the most popular melodies radiated from the colorful stage.

To call Ronnie Milsap a model musician is an understatement. 

Milsap learned piano when he was 8 and showed great musical talent at a young age. He attended the North Carolina State School for the Blind in order to assist him with his disability. 

As he took part in the school’s musical offerings, this great artist began to grow and prosper in his field.

In fact, he went to a concert where Ray Charles performed. The established musician asked young Milsap to play and gave him the chance to become a professional. 

From there, Milsap went on to earn six Grammy Awards, as well as the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year. In addition, he has performed with stars such as Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley. 

Beyond the plethora of accolades, Milsap’s ability is clear in concert. Between some of the sets, he would begin to talk to his friend and fellow musician Jamie Brown. This included playful banter about driving, how he came to fame and even the origin of a his number one song “Back on my Mind.” 

Laughter rippled through the audience at these quick conversations and the pleasure this gave Milsap shone through his smile.

As the dialogue played out, a small melody emanated from the pianist’s instrument. Milsap would create soft music to his own stories to add to the ambiance of casual conversation. 

Milsap’s vocals were even more impressive. Throughout the night, Milsap would sing a song with a lower range but at the end of quite a few songs his voice would go up in a glorious crescendo for a much higher note. 

Despite the strain this would put on any singer’s vocals, he continued to sing with a deep, smooth country sound through the entirety of the performance.

As talented as Ronnie Milsap is, it would be a shame to leave out the other musicians and the technical aspects of the show that allowed the concert to run so smoothly. 

Within the band, one amazing singer remained at the front of the stage, cheering on the audience to interact with the band. This performer, Rhonda Hampton, also sang the song “Walkin’ After Midnight” by Patsy Cline and amazed the audience with her gentle yet powerful voice. 

Another musician brought out smooth jazz blues in the song “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” with a melodic saxophone solo. To go with these beautiful musical elements, the vivid lights painted the theme of each song, adding depth to the visuals. Most notably, the design for the song “What Goes on When the Sun Goes Down” incorporated golden beams of lights falling in symbolism of the song’s title. 

At the end of the concert the band gave a special note of praise to all those in the army who keep the country safe and the police who work for justice.

In a grand finale, Ronnie Milsap played the classic song “America the Beautiful” while covered in the strong colors of the American flag. A resounding cheer blasted through the standing audience as the curtains fell. The last sight was that of Ronnie Milsap grinning and waving to the audience as Rhonda Hampton stood by his side. Overall, the concert was well-executed and a pleasure for any classic country fan to enjoy.

Despite the strain this would put on any singer’s vocals, he continued to sing with a deep, smooth country sound through the entirety of the performance.

As talented as Ronnie Milsap is, it would be a shame to leave out the other musicians and the technical aspects of the show that allowed the concert to run so smoothly. 

Within the band, one amazing singer remained at the front of the stage, cheering on the audience to interact with the band. The performer, Rhonda Hampton, also sang the song “Walkin’ After Midnight” by Patsy Cline and amazed the audience with her gentle, yet powerful voice. 

Another musician brought out smooth jazz blues in the song “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” with a melodic saxophone solo. To go with these beautiful musical elements, the vivid lights painted the theme of each song, adding depth to the visuals. Most notably, the design for the song “What Goes on When the Sun Goes Down” incorporated golden beams of light falling in symbolism of the song’s title. 

At the end of the concert the band gave a special note of praise to all those in the army who keep the country safe and the police who work for justice.

In a grand finale, Ronnie Milsap played the classic song “America the Beautiful” while covered in the strong colors of the American flag. A resounding cheer blasted through the standing audience as the curtains fell. The last sight was that of Ronnie Milsap grinning and waving to the audience as Rhonda Hampton stood by his side. Overall, the concert was well-executed and a pleasure for any classic country fan to enjoy.

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