Ronnie Milsap joined by Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, more for 'Final Nashville Show'
If Donny and Marie Osmond were "a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll," then it was made clear at Bridgestone Arena for Tuesday evening's "A Tribute To Ronnie Milsap: The Final Nashville Show," that the star being honored was a lot of both.
Twenty-nine artists performed 30 songs celebrating 50 years of the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee's work in Nashville, which, according to event hosts The Big 615's Storme Warren and WSM 650's Bill Cody, ended onstage at Bridgestone Arena. Yes, Milsap will continue to record songs and occasionally play gigs, but none, they said, will ever occur again in Music City.
Videos from Clint Black, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton celebrating Milsap's heroic, humble legacy as a performer were highlighted. Nashville mayor Freddie O'Connell -- himself the son of the writer of Johnny Cash's "A Singer of Songs," Thomas O'Connell -- declared Oct. 3, 2023 as "Ronnie Milsap Day." Tennessee governor Bill Lee added an official proclamation honoring the artist's "Final Nashville Show."
The slate of performances, Milsap's show-closing quintet included, celebrated the vibrant legacy of Milsap's influences upon the 1950s and early 1960s rock on country's adult contemporary crossover era between 1973 and 1983.
Rare is the show where a catalog of work is at such an pinnacle of that it reveals where other artists' vocal craft exists on the spectrum.
This was the show where BRELAND sang Milsap's 1982 hit "Any Day Now" and his vocal lineage to 1950s teen hitmaker Frankie Lymon (of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" performers Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers fame) became apparent. Moreover, acts like Trace Adkins, Randy Houser and Scotty McCreery (who performed "She Keeps The Home Fires Burning," "Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)," and "Pure Love") showed that a barrel-chested and full-throated delivery worked best as a fail-safe when attempting to deliver Milsap's impeccable finesse.
Plus, the presence of stars like Keith Urban, central Texas-born, "Texican rock" performers Los Lonely Boys and contemporary Christian icon Steven Curtis Chapman (who offered a stirring rendition of "What a Difference You've Made in My Life") as well as Band of Heathens' offering of the Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet-penned "Houston Solution" highlighted the genre-agnostic and global appeal of his work.
Notably, five other moments stood out at Bridgestone Arena.
Kelly Clarkson performs 'It Was Almost Like A Song'
Conversations that do not place Kelly Clarkson in the top tier of vocalists with Nashville stardom are suspect, at best. Milsap himself said he felt Clarkson was the best overall performer on the lineup who was vocally equipped to handle his material.
Milsap was correct.
Clarkson opened the event with a rendition of the Country Music Hall of Famer's 1977 classic.
Iconic songwriter Hal David co-wrote the song. Delivered by Milsap, it's a soul ballad delivered with finesse that allows the song's countrypolitan composition to share the weight of lifting its lyrical power. However, the American Idol winner power-lifted the song's craft to impressive heights with seemingly effortless ease. The final 45 seconds of her work saw a stunning upper register reached that, had it been the show's opening and close, could've likely satisfied many in attendance.
Sixwire's backing band work
Few bands are as adept at celebrating the alchemy that makes countrypolitan-style music feel soulful and rocking in equal measure than Nashville-based session players Sixwire. Couple them with Country Music Hall of Famer and "Nashville A-Team" member Charlie McCoy and Milsap's longtime saxophonist and steel guitarist John Heinrich, and the band left little to be desired.
As a stand-alone act before Milsap took the stage, they also artfully offered a warmly received rendition of Milsap's chart-topping hit "Only One Love In My Life." As the evening's sonic glue, Sixwire more than held together the proceedings.
Gordon Mote performs 'Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)'
Ronnie Milsap's 1986-released "Lost In The Fifties Tonight" was so well-regarded that its release included a Nov. 1986 concert at Nashville's National Guard Armory.
Blind gospel vocalist Gordon Mote's 21st-century career has included nine albums and two wins for Pianist/Keyboardist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Thus, he's more than adequately gifted to offer a take on Milsap's classic.
It's often noted that the loss of one sense heightens others. Perhaps that's the secret of Milsap's five decades of excellence at toeing the line between country, pop, rock and soul. Similarly, Mote received a standing ovation (one of a dozen in the evening) for his take. Like the icon being feted, he delivered art that proudly defied singular genre classification.
Female vocalists reign supreme
Ronnie Milsap's greatest gift is his ability to finesse gravitas from grit and power from seduction. Err his classics too far in any direction and the songs lose the organic uniqueness the performer provides them.
Intriguingly, the female vocalists chosen -- including, of note, Sara Evans ("Let's Take The Long Way Around The World"), The McCrary Sisters ("Stand By Me," backing on Kelly Clarkson's "It Was Almost Like A Song"), Lorrie Morgan ("(I'd Be) A Legend In My Time"), Terri Clark ("My Love") and Elizabeth Cook ("Nobody Likes Sad Songs") -- all delivered Milsap's songs with a husk and strength of tenor that uniquely offered the blend of sensibilities that makes Milsap's discography so noteworthy.
A group of songs with such tremendous flexibility deserved such significant highlighting.
Milsap headlines his final show
After two hours of hearing his hits redefined, the star of the hour took to the stage.
He's 80 years old and though still recording and releasing music, the wear and tear of almost seven decades of playing music have caught up with him. However, his undeterred performance at Bridgestone Arena was an extraordinary moment frozen in time.
"Smoky Mountain Rain" is one of Tennessee's state songs and was delivered before a Ray Charles-recalling version of "America The Beautiful," plus a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" that felt akin to his 1976 live album version. Along with renditions of "Stranger In My House" and "There's No Getting Over Me," the set was an ideal showcase of all facets of Milsap's memorable Nashville legacy.
'A Tribute To Ronnie Milsap: The Final Nashville Show' Set List, 10/3/2023
Kelly Clarkson -- It Was Almost Like a Song
Hunter Hayes -- He's Got You
Ricky Skaggs -- Let My Love Be Your Pillow
Sara Evans -- Let's Take The Long Way Around The World
The Gatlins -- Back On My Mind Again
Mark Wills -- Don't You Know How Much I Love You
Tracy Lawrence -- Daydreams About Night Things
Ray Stevens -- (I'm) A Stand By My Woman Man
Keith Urban -- Out Where The Bright Lights Are Glowing
McCrary Sisters -- Stand By Me
BRELAND -- Any Day Now
Lorrie Morgan -- (I'd Be) A Legend In My Time
Band of Heathens -- Houston Solution
Scotty McCreery -- Pure Love
Gordon Mote -- Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)
Justin Moore -- What Goes On When The Sun Goes Down
Steven Curtis Chapman -- What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life
Phil Vassar (w/Dean Sams) -- Happy Happy Birthday Baby
Elizabeth Cook -- Nobody Likes Sad Songs
Randy Houser -- Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)
Los Lonely Boys -- All Is Fair in Love and War
Los Lonely Boys -- Prisoner of the Highway
Terri Clark -- My Love
Trace Adkins -- She Keeps the Home Fires Burning
Sixwire -- Only One Love in My Life
Ronnie Milsap -- Stranger In My House/We're An American Band
Ronnie Milsap -- (There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me
Ronnie Milsap -- Smoky Mountain Rain
Ronnie Milsap -- America The Beautiful
Ronnie Milsap -- Honky Tonk Women
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ronnie Milsap joined by Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, more for 'Final Nashville Show'
