Ronnie Milsap plans return to Tifton

TIFTON — It was a beautiful summer night in Tifton. Skies were clear, the temperature tolerable and the humidity low. Fans poured in the doors of the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center with one thought on their minds: Country music icon Ronnie Milsap would soon take the stage.

Fans expected to know most, if not all the songs, and a great number of them planned to sing along.

The opening act was not one known to most in the audience, but the Danny Dawson Band soon won the crowd over with country music classics. Band members hailed from such familiar towns as Willacoochee, Adel, Blackshear and Nashville (as in Berrien County) and started the show with Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues” and “Mama Tried.”

The audience grew very enthusiastic when the band broke into ‘”He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones. Following that came some Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, David Allan Coe, as well as a few original songs. The band ended its set with another George Jones favorite, “Whose Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” While certainly not an issue, it was obvious that the opening act lasted longer than usual.

It was intermission time, the curtain was pulled and the crowd stirred, making trips to the bar and/or the restroom as well as to the merchandise tables for the Danny Dawson Band and Ronnie Milsap. After a break of about 15 minutes, it was announced that there was some difficulty. Fans were asked to just sit tight.

Milsap should be on in another 15 minutes.

At 9:50 p.m. the curtain opened to an excited crowd. On stage were Adam Potts and Austin and Kirsten McAlpin, from Six String Southern Productions and McAlpin Entertainment, respectively. Ronnie Milsap was en route to Tift Regional Medical Center by way of ambulance, they told the crowd.

A hushed crowd listened to what information was available at that time about the singer’s condition and plans to reschedule the show. Folks had already started moving up the aisles when a request came from the stage that those in attendance offer up a prayer for the musician. It was a goose bump moment when everyone froze. There was not a sound in the house except for the words of prayer. It was a rather subdued crowd that left the venue, but not one person was heard to complain.

Milsap was released from the hospital late Saturday morning and performed in Alabama that evening. Ticket-holders to the Tifton show are fortunate enough to get another chance to see Milsap Friday night, same place and same time.

The Danny Dawson Band has agreed to return and open the show for Milsap.

For anyone who missed the chance to see him the first time, there are tickets still available. Go online to www.ticketalternative.com or call (877) 725-8849.