Ella Langley is showing her respect to one of the country music greats. On Tuesday, Langley was one of several performers to grace the stage at the Grand Ole Opry in honor of Ronnie Milsap’s 50th anniversary as a member of the institution.
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Langley was the third person to take the stage, and wowed the crowd with performances of Milsap’s “It Was Almost Like a Song” and “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World.” The former song came out in 1977, while the latter debuted in 1981.
In between her two songs, Langley joked that she “pretty much invited” herself to the event.
“When they posted that they were doing this, I immediately sent it to my management and was like, ‘I have to play this. Please, please, please! Can I just go and watch?’” she recalled. “They were kind enough to let me play.”
Langley continued by revealing that she “fell in love with Ronnie Milsap in the back of my daddy’s truck.”
“There are just some artists for me that every single song, yes. I would not be the artist I am today if it wasn’t for Ronnie Milsap,” she said. “The way he sings his songs, the melody he uses, the lyrics in his songs. You can tell he means every single word, and that’s what you shoot for as an artist and songwriter.”
What Went Down at Ronnie Milsap’s 50th Opry Anniversary
Langley was the third artist to take the stage at Milsap’s event. First up was Mark Wills, who performed Milsap’s “Daydreams About Night Things” and “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me.”
Trace Adkins was up next. After noting that his love for Milsap goes deep—so much so that he asked the singer to be the one to make him a member of the Opry—Adkins performed “Stranger in My House.”
Langley was next up, and was followed by Keith Urban. The singer performed several of his own tracks, and also covered Milsap’s song, “(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time.”
Vince Gill was the next artist to take the stage, performing Milsap’s 1989 track, “Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me).”
Blake Shelton was the last performer before Milsap himself took the stage. The former Voice coach wowed the crowd with a cover of “Any Day Now.”
With that, Milsap finally came to the stage. Before his performance, he told the crowd, “What an honor it is to be here tonight, to be part of the Grand Ole Opry. I love the Grand Ole Opry.”
“I grew with my grandparents in western North Carolina listening to the Grand Ole Opry on a battery Philco radio. It was loud and clear,” he said. “So many artists have been here singing songs that are dear to me, and I thank them all. All of them sang so well.”
With that, Milsap performed “Smoky Mountain Rain.”
Before the night ended, Milsap was joined onstage by performers from Tennessee School for the Blind’s jazz band. The kids performed “Snap Your Fingers,” with Milsap accompanying them on piano.
The night ended with Adkins, Gill, Shelton, and others coming back on stage to perform “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life” alongside both Milsap and the young students.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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