Robbinsville – Graham County's most famous son will soon add another historic piece of recognition to his long-standing legacy.
Commissioner Connie Orr presented a proclamation at Dec. 16's board meeting to declare Jan. 16 as "Ronnie Milsap Day." Born in the Meadow Branch community of Graham County, Milsap will turn 82 on Jan. 16.
A special presentation will be held, with logistics to still be sorted out. Representatives from the board of commissioners; Graham County Historical Association; and Graham County Travel & Tourism will provide Milsap with a commemorative plaque that will be printed in both text and braille. Milsap was born with a congenital defect that left him almost completely blind and raised by his grandparents, before uncovering his musical talents while attending the North Carolina School for the Blind and Deaf in Raleigh.
Working alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton in the early stages of his career, Milsap would become a mainstay on music charts in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, winning his first of six Grammy awards (Best Country Vocal Performance) for the 1974 smash hit, "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends."
He was named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 1977 and also won the association’s Album of the Year on four separate occasions. Additionally, Milsap holds the distinction of being the first country music artist to have a video played on MTV, for his song “She Loves My Car.”
He recorded arguably his most-distinctive hit in 1980, as “Smoky Mountain Rain” reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
The N.C. Department of Transportation designated a six-mile stretch of U.S. 129 as "Ronnie Milsap Highway" on Dec. 9, 2020. The designation spans the Yellow Creek and Tapoco communities of Graham County. A mural of Milsap painted by artist Scott Nurkin debuted in downtown Robbinsville in 2023, as part of the N.C. Musician Murals Trail.
Other news & notes
* Commissioner chair Meggan Smith and vice chairman Lynn Cody were both re-appointed to their respective positions on the board by unanimous vote, in compliance with N.C. General Statute 153A-39, "Selection of chairman and vice-chairman; powers and duties." A county's board of commissioners is required to appoint its chair and vice chair during the first regular meeting in December of an odd-numbered year, or the first Monday of December in an even-numbered year.
* A $398,029 grant for the planned Graham County Agricultural Center was received, but acceptance was tabled due to questions surrounding the county's expectation to match. Language linked to the grant stated that the county was to match the grant in the amount of $119,408.20, in cash "and in kind" – with the latter stipulation causing red flag to be thrown by county manager Brady Cody.
* Interior restoration of the Graham County Detention Center is set to begin next week, following the remediation of hazardous asbestos and lead-based paint inside the facility.
* The board approved a sales-tax reimbursement request for $5,980.76 from Graham County Schools, which would go toward repairs at Modeal Walsh Memorial (Big Oaks) Stadium. The request also noted that the district received a $25,000 donation from the Carolina Panthers to help with the stadium's renovation.