On Tuesday Night, February 14, 2006, CRS officially kicked off with the Country Music DJ & Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Banquet. They inducted two new members into the Country Music Radio Hall of fame and three new members into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. The final award of the evening was the presentation of the Career Achievement Award. The Career Achievement Award is presented to an individual artist or act that, through their creativity, vision, performance or leadership has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of country music and country radio. This year, the recipient of the award was Ronnie Milsap.
Ronnie is a true living legend, and has made a huge impact in country music in his three plus decades in the business. Ask any current country artist to name the people who inspired them, and almost all of their lists will include the name Ronnie Milsap. Ronnie's music is incredibly versatile, and each time people thought they had his sound pegged, he'd put out an album with a totally different sound from the one before it. He racked up 40 #1 Hits over the years, becoming the first solo country artist to achieve that feat. In 2004, the seven time Grammy winner was nominated again for his album 'Just For A Thrill,' which is an album of great American Standards. It was yet another testament to the versatility of the great Ronnie Milsap. And through it all, Ronnie has maintained a strong fan base with old and new fans. It is not unusual to go to a Ronnie Milsap concert and see an audience ranging in age from small children to senior citizens. There is something about the man, and his music, that draws people in and then keeps them for life.
Recording artists Joe Nichols and Phil Vassar performed some of Ronnie's songs in tribute before Ronnie took the podium to accept his award. Joe Nichols was visibly moved while performing with Ronnie in the audience. He said it was probably the most intimidating moment in his life, and that it was a huge honor to perform in tribute to someone that had such a huge impact in his career. He sang three songs, including "There Ain't No Getting Over Me," which he said was his favorite Ronnie Milsap song. Phil Vassar also performed three songs, including "Almost Like A Song," in which he made reference to the last note and joked that he hurt himself with it. Ronnie is well known for his ability to hold a note forever and the control he has over his voice is phenomenal.
In his acceptance speech, Ronnie paid homage to the radio industry and the impact it had on his life growing up. Radio allowed him to experience many different types of music. He took the opportunity to reminisce about several of the radio stations that he remembered listening to growing up. He even broke into an impromptu verse of "Fever" while talking about the different genre's of music he was exposed to through the radio. Ronnie received a long standing ovation at the end of his speech.
