My good friend Donnie Fritz wrote this song. MILSAP: (Singing) I thought I was strong and I could make it on my own. (Soundbite of song, "Jesus Was All I Had") And I want to listen to one of the new ones, "Jesus Was All I Had." GREENE: You have, on this new collection, about half the songs are vintage, but the other half are pretty new. I don't hold any ill feelings, any negative feelings at all about her. And as I say, as far as, you know, forgiveness or whatever, that's happened a long time ago, David. She can see.Īnd that was - that's about the last time I ever talked to her. She did not shame me the way that you did. And she said, Ron, I want you to feel her eyes. And her name is Brenda Gail, and brought her by to my grandparents' house. GREENE: Did you ever talk to your mother? Do you think she - did she know that you became successful? You know, people would jump up and shout at church or they would roll in the aisles.īut in some way that was my first introduction to real theater. But even the church services growing up, David, at the Meadow Branch Primitive Baptist Church, which that goes back a long way, they didn't handle snakes or anything like that, but they had foot washings. You know, that's hard for me to understand, a religion that would believe that. I've read your biography that she wondered whether you were a punishment from God. GREENE: Ronnie, I want to ask you about your mother, if I can. You know, I came to their house when I was a year and a day old. They were my grandparents and they raised me. And she just did not want a blind child she didn't know what to do with it.Īnd actually my grandmother and her husband, which was actually my step-grandfather - Homer Frisby and Phinea(ph) Frisby. But a long time ago, you know, with religious beliefs and churches, you know, sometimes young women could not deal with having a blind child. My mother, you know, and I don't know the circumstances, you know, at those times. MILSAP: I was fortunate to be raised by loving grandparents. You were born blind in dire poverty in North Carolina.
Your biography reads something like a parable. GREENE: That is an important lyric for you - was blind and now I see.
I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see. MILSAP: (Singing) Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. GREENE: Let's listen to some of your voice on that song. You get enough love around you to where you're not afraid to find yourself, to find my own voice from my heart, you know, on these songs. MILSAP: The main thing for me, David, was to have enough love around you so the musicians that were picked for the sessions had been playing with me in Nashville for 30 years - same producer. People have heard it in church on Sunday mornings people have heard it in a lot of other places. Well, you have a song like "Amazing Grace," that has been played in so many churches. And I didn't have to Braille the lyrics out to very many except the new ones that we had to do. And most of us, that's the first place we ever sang before an audience, was in church.Īnd I just - those songs were indelible in my memory. I found out, you know, it goes back to when you're a child and singing in church. But most of these songs, David, it's incredible. But as long as I was chasing the mainstream part of what I was doing, most record companies did not want to change that. MILSAP: I think this idea has been brewing for probably 30 years. GREENE: Well, you've had quite a successful career in this country music category. And Ronnie Milsap joins me in our New York studios. GREENE: "Then Sings My Soul: 24 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Songs" features two CDs worth of traditional tunes, like "Swing Down Chariot" - right there - also "I'll Fly Away" and "What a Friend We Have In Jesus," as well as some contemporary gospel songs. Rock me, Lord, rock me, Lord, calm and easy. RONNIE MILSAP (Singer): (Singing) Why don't you swing down, sweet chariot, stop and let me ride swing down chariot and stop and let me ride. (Soundbite of song, "Swing Down Chariot") But on this latest CD, he turns his attention to gospel tunes. Multiple Grammy award-winning singer Ronnie Milsap has had more than 40 number one hit singles over his long country music career.
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