Ronnie Lee Milsap (born January 16, 1943) is an American country music sing… Read Full Bio ↴Ronnie Lee Milsap (born January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. He became country music's first well-known blind singer, and one of the most successful and versatile country "crossover" singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop music music markets with successful songs that incorporated pop, R&B, and rock and roll elements.

Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely blind. He was abandoned by his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Milsap showed musical aptitude at an early age. The school stressed classical music training but he preferred country, gospel and rhythm-and-blues. He released his first single, Total Disaster, in 1963 at the age of twenty. This was followed by several Ashford And Simpson, compositions, including the memorable "Let's Go Get Stoned", which, unfortunately for Milsap, was relegated to a b-side. A few months later it would become a million-selling single for the more popular blind pianist, Ray Charles. 1972 found him working regularly at Roger Miller's King of the Road Club in Nashville, Tennessee and he signed with RCA Records in 1973. He was at his peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs that made his name familiar to pop as well as country audiences, such as "It Was Almost Like A Song," "{There's) No Gettin' Over Me," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World," and a remake of Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now" (which was named Billboard magazine's Number One Adult Contemporary hit of 1982). Milsap recorded for RCA until 1992. During that time he created five gold albums, one platinum album and one double platinum album. He also won six Grammy Awards and eight Country Music Association awards including the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award. In 2005 Milsap resigned with RCA Records and released a new country single, "Local Girls."

Milsap has recorded music with Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow.

Ronnie and his wife Joyce currently make their home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Milsap enjoys his hobby of amateur (Ham) radio. More info on him can be found at: http://www.qrz.com/wb4kcg

In The Garden
Ronnie Milsap Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I'd stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling
And He bids me go through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Overall Meaning

Ronnie Milsap's "In The Garden" is a touching and emotional song that communicates a sense of spiritual connection and closeness with God. The singer begins by setting the scene of a quiet, peaceful garden. The dew is still on the roses, and in this serene environment, the voice of God is heard. The singer describes the intimacy of his relationship with God, how God walks and talks with him, and how He affirms that the singer is His own. The joy and contentment they share are unmatched and can't be found anywhere else.

The second verse continues the theme of the singer's closeness with God. The sound of God's voice is so sweet that even the birds hush their singing. The melody that God gives to the singer is so beautiful that it rings in his heart. The bond the two share is profound; again, they walk and talk together. The final verse reveals the singer's desire to stay in the garden with God, even as darkness approaches. God's voice, despite maybe being the voice of woe, is calling to the singer. The joy they share in this special place is worth any hardship or trial that may come.

The song amplifies the desire and the feeling of the singer to be with God, and it's evident that this garden is where he feels closest to Him. It gives an excellent example of what it means to have a deep and intimate relationship with God that brings peace and contentment, even in the presence of chaos around.

Line by Line Meaning

Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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