Milsap Accepts Career Achievement Award From CRB

Feb 15, 2006 Milsap Accepts Career Achievement Award From CRB

Ronnie Milsap recalled the influence of radio in his life during his speech accepting the career achievement award from the Country Radio Broadcasters last night (Feb. 14) at the Nashville Convention Center. “All the types of music I’ve absorbed in my life, it’s all from listening to the radio,” he said. Milsap also recalled his childhood where a battery-operated radio was the only entertainment in his house. When the batteries began to run down, he said, the family learned that if they went outside and poured water on the radio’s ground wire they could get another hour out of it. Phil Vassar and Joe Nichols paid tribute to Milsap by performing some of his best-known songs. Vassar sang and played piano on “It Was Almost Like A Song,” Stranger In My House” and “Smoky Mountain Rain.” Nichols performed “(I’m A) Stand By My Woman Man,” “Pure Love” and “(There’s) No Getting Over Me.” Milsap was honored during CRB’s Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Also at the ceremony, ABC KSCS Dallas morning man and market veteran Terry Dorsey, Westwood One’s “Country Countdown USA” host and Radio & Records Nashville bureau chief Lon Helton and Houston radio icon Arch Yancey were inducted into Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. Veteran programmers Jonathan Fricke and Ed Salamon were installed into the Country Music Radio Hall of Fame. Salamon currently serves as CRB's executive director. Salamon was one of the pioneers of using call-out research on country radio when he was PD at WEEP Pittsburgh early in his career. In his acceptance speech, he drew laughs from the audience by recalling an early Country Radio Seminar where he was invited to be a panelist. After talking about call-out at that CRS, he was chastised by another participant who told him, “Son, if you can’t figure out what records to play from listening to them, you don’t belong in country radio.” Also at last night’s event, CRB president and KZLA Los Angeles OM R.J. Curtis presented the CRB’s President’s Award to longtime CBS and Sony promotion man Jack Lameier, who retired from that company after 40 years of service but still remains active through his consultancy and affiliation with Curb/Asylum Records. The award was given for his service to CRB board. - Additional reporting by Ken Tucker