Robbinsville, North Carolina: Ronnie Milsap, an American country music singer and pianist, has faced challenges with his vision since childhood due to congenital glaucoma, which left him blind.
Over the years, he postponed several concerts due to health issues, and his team requested that the tickets be honored for the rescheduled date.
Highlights
- As of 2025, Ronnie Milsap is 82, and no widely reported illnesses have affected his health.
- He was born with a congenital disorder that made him almost completely blind from birth.
- His wife, Joyce Reeves, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014 and passed away on September 6, 2021.
Ronnie Lee Milsap was among the most popular and influential performers in the 1970s and 1980s. His songs, combined with Pop, R&B, and Rock & Roll, appealed to country and pop music.
While growing up, he developed a passion for gospel music and rhythm and blues, and his instructors noticed his musical talents at age 7.
He studied classical music at Governor Morehead School and learned several instruments, eventually mastering the piano.
Atlanta disc jockey Pat Hughes, an early supporter of his music career, helped him to sell 15,000 copies of his first single, “Total Disaster/It Went to Your Head.“
Afterward, he became a crossover sensation and achieved No. 1 hits in country music during the 1970s and 1980s.
Ronnie Milsap Was Born With A Congenital Disorder
Born on January 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, North Carolina, Ronnie Milsap was almost completely blind from birth due to a congenital disorder.
His mother abandoned him as an infant, and his grandparents raised him in poverty in the Smoky Mountains. Later, he went to the North Carolina State School for the Blind and Deaf in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 5.
Considering his difficulties early in life, Ronnie’s journey to stardom is inspiring. It is not just a story of musical talent but also one of resilience in the face of adversity.
He lost what little eyesight he had left in his left eye when he was 14 years old due to a slap from one of the houseparents at the school.
Despite the challenges posed by his blindness, he never let his condition hinder his ambitions.
He wished to become a lawyer, but his passion for music soon led him to a different path to take him to the heart of country music.
His ability to infuse emotion into his music and his virtuosic piano playing set him apart from his peers.
Ronnie Milsap has canceled performances due to “Doctors Orders.” This is his second cancelation of this event. I can very this personally because these are my tickets. I wish him well, he is one of my favorites.
Burton S. Staggs
Even though Ronnie’s blindness has defined him throughout his life, he has never let it stop him from reaching his full potential.
Instead, he has used his platform to inspire others, proving that physical limitations do not have to prevent one from achieving greatness. His story is one of resilience, determination, and an unwavering passion for music.
Nonetheless, Ronnie is 82-year-old as of 2025, and no widely reported illnesses have affected his health. His enduring career reminds us of the power of perseverance and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams, no matter the obstacles.
Ronnie Milsap’s Wife, Joyce, Battled Leukemia
Every great musician has a rock of support and strength behind them, and for country music icon Ronnie Milsap, that rock was his cherished wife, Joyce Reeves.
She supported him during his challenging time and fought leukemia herself, showing the same bravery that defined her husband’s life.
In the fall of 1964, Ronnie declined a scholarship to law school to pursue a full-time music career. During this time, he met Joyce Reeves at a dinner party, and they married in 1965.
Their bond remained unshakable through the decades, and her unwavering support allowed him to focus on his music. She was a constant source of strength for him.
When people tell me they love my music, I always smile, because that music is pure Joyce.
Ronnie Milsap
Sadly, Joyce was diagnosed with leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, in 2014. She couldn’t attend the ceremony where Ronnie was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Milsap family was devastated by the diagnosis, but she handled her condition with the same elegance and tenacity that had defined her life.
She underwent treatment, including chemotherapy, and fought bravely against the disease. However, she passed away at 81 on September 6, 2021.
The married couple raised a son, Ronald “Todd” Milsap. On February 23, 2019, Todd was found dead at 49 on his houseboat from an apparent medical condition. His son, who had not heard from his father for the previous two days, found the body.
She was the music and the feeling inside all of those songs, so if you loved my music, you understand some of how much I loved my my beautiful, beautiful wife. It’s all in the songs, but she was even more. She was the love of my life, the mother of my son, the world’s happiest grandmother.
Ronnie Milsap
Additional Information
- Ronnie Milsap received a full scholarship and attended Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia, intending to become a lawyer.
- He is an Advanced-class amateur radio operator whose call sign is WB4KCG.
- As of 2025, his networth is estimated at $14 million.
