Now nearing 70 years of age, country crooner Ronnie Milsap is still an active touring and recording artist, releasing his latest album, Country Again, just this past summer. The title track, about a hot-rod driver with a souped-up time machine instead of crumpled sheets and tear-filled eyes, is a gritty departure from his usual lyrical stomping grounds of lovin’ and leavin’. The rest of Country Again is made up of what made Milsap such a fan favorite in his heyday, essential bedroom listening for good ol’ folks. You can’t forget the man’s hits either, like the wistful “Smoky Mountain Rain,” the proto-swag of “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me,” the sweetly naughty “Daydreams About Night Things,” and of course the plaintive “I Hate You” from all the way back in 1973. Now sporting Lady Gaga-style crazy diamond-encrusted shades in his press stills, it looks like Milsap is looking to convert the glitter-country set all over again.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 4, 2012.