Ronnie Milsap Recalls Recording with Elvis Presley, Breaking into Ray Charles's Dressing Room

Ronnie Milsap is a country pioneer who captivated audiences in the 1970s and '80s with his bluesy brand of Southern charm. He notched 40 No.-1 country hits, including "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me," which hit No. 5 on the pop charts in 1981.

Naturally, that kind of success led to some crazy stories, and the 71-year-old Hall of Famer recently discussed the early part of his music career with Rolling Stone.

After being told by a teacher that he should not make music his profession, Milsap ignored the advice.

"I left Raleigh and went to Atlanta to a Ray Charles concert," he said. "His pilot got me into his dressing room. I was sitting in there playing Ray's piano when he comes in. I said, 'Mr. Ray Charles, you are truly the high priest. I've got all your records. I love all your music. I want to become a professional musician.' He said, 'Play me something.' So I did and he said, 'It sounds to me like your heart is really into music, and if that is the case then you ought to become a professional musician.'"

Then, there was the time Milsap hung out with The King.

"I got to play on the session with Elvis on 'Kentucky Rain,'" Milsap said. "'More thunder on the piano, Milsap,' he said. I got to learn what hanging out with Elvis was all about. His big New Year's Eve party, I got to sit and talk with him like I'm talking with you. It was just great. He was the voice of my generation. I had a million questions to ask him, but he wanted to talk about that session of 'Kentucky Rain,' so we talked about that."

Presley then denied Milsap's request to play some music.

"I asked him, 'Would you like to get up and sing tonight at this New Year's Eve party?' Milsap said. "He said, 'No, I want to sit here with my friends and not have to worry about singing.' I said, 'Well, we know all your songs.' He knew we did, but he didn't want to get up and sing and that was fine. It was his party."

Milsap was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame this past October alongside Mac Wiseman and Hank Cochran.

"It's the highest award they can give you," Milsap said. "That is a wonderful thing; I'm glad to be in that select group. I'm very thankful to be in there. What am I going to do now? [Laughs] I think the next thing I'm going to do is try to produce a couple of artists."

Tags

Ronnie Milsap, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles