Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ronald Todd Milsap (commonly known as Todd Milsap) |
| Born | October 22, 1969 |
| Died | February 23, 2019 |
| Age at Death | 49 |
| Hometown | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Education | Franklin Road Academy; Hillsboro High School |
| Occupation | Music industry support and production work behind the scenes |
| Parents | Ronnie Milsap (father), Joyce Milsap (mother) |
| Spouse/Partner | Yogi Milsap |
| Children | Kye, Mya, Wyler, Asher |
| Extended Children Listed in Memorial Notices | Susy Jones, Victoria Piller, Zy Gagne (“bonus children”) |
| Place Found | Houseboat at Four Corners Marina, Antioch (Percy Priest Lake), Tennessee |
| Memorial/Services | Celebration of life connected to Woodlawn Funeral Home / Woodlawn Memorial Park (Nashville) |
A life rooted in Nashville
Todd Milsap grew up in Nashville, the city where songs are currency and storytelling is a civic duty. He attended Franklin Road Academy and Hillsboro High School, absorbing the rhythms of a place that hums with tour buses, studio lights, and the quiet diligence that keeps the music world turning. For Todd, Nashville wasn’t just a backdrop—it was a workshop, a kitchen, a community. The city became both compass and canvas, guiding him toward the work that would define him: supporting, producing, and coordinating the machinery behind the songs.
His life unfolded within a family known across the country. As the only son of country legend Ronnie Milsap and his wife Joyce, Todd learned early how the stage dazzles and how much labor it takes to make that dazzle look effortless. He wasn’t the public face of the act; he was the trusted presence behind it—someone who understood tour schedules, studio sessions, and the choreography of a well-run production.
Family and personal relationships
Family was the magnetic north in Todd’s story. His parents, Ronnie and Joyce, shared a long Nashville marriage beginning in 1965, and Todd’s childhood and adult years were tied closely to their lives and work. Todd’s own home life reflected that same devotion. He shared his world with his wife, Yogi Milsap, and their children—Kye, Mya, Wyler, and Asher. Memorial notices also paid tribute to “bonus children,” naming Susy Jones, Victoria Piller, and Zy Gagne, a nod to the broad circle of care and kinship that shaped his daily world.
These relationships, thick with memory and meaning, framed the way people remember him: generous, loyal, practical, and present. If you wanted a problem solved before soundcheck, Todd was the person you sought out. If you needed someone steady, he had the grace of a stagehand who knows the whole script by heart.
Work behind the spotlight
Todd’s professional life was defined by the kind of craft that rarely makes headlines but always makes the show possible. He worked behind the scenes on recordings, tours, and music videos, supporting the artistry with logistics, planning, and hands-on production. Think of the gears inside a vintage jukebox—precise, reliable, invisible to the crowd. That was Todd’s realm.
In a family where the father’s voice filled arenas and earned the highest accolades in country music, Todd anchored the quieter achievements: getting crews in place, coordinating shoots, smoothing the pathways from studio to stage. He was fluent in the day-to-day grammar of music-making—the calls, the calendars, the trucks, the little fixes that become big saves. His contributions stitched together the fabric of a working artist’s life.
Timeline at a glance
| Year/Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 22, 1969 | Born in Nashville, Tennessee |
| 1970s–1980s | Grew up in Nashville; attended Franklin Road Academy and Hillsboro High School |
| Adult years | Worked behind the scenes on recordings, tours, and videos connected to his father’s career |
| Family milestones | Married/partnered with Yogi; welcomed children Kye, Mya, Wyler, and Asher |
| February 23, 2019 | Found deceased at age 49 on his houseboat at Four Corners Marina (Antioch/Percy Priest Lake); death appeared medically related |
| Post-2019 | Celebration of life connected to Woodlawn Funeral Home/Woodlawn Memorial Park; ongoing family remembrances |
The houseboat and the final day
In late February 2019, Todd was discovered on his houseboat at Four Corners Marina, just outside Nashville on Percy Priest Lake. The death was described as medically related, a sudden, quiet ending in a place that mirrors the city’s balance of bustle and calm. For those who knew him, the marina setting felt like a metaphor: a working harbor, practical and peaceful, where life’s essentials—family, craft, routine—come together at the waterline.
Legacy and remembrances
Todd’s legacy is threaded through family and craft. He is remembered as a son, husband, and father whose steady hands kept complicated things simple. He’s also recalled as a Nashville lifer—someone who understood the town’s rituals, its ambitions, and the dignity of work done offstage. In that sense, his life reads like a familiar bridge in a country ballad: essential, connective, and often the part that makes the chorus land.
Friends and family speak of his warmth, his willingness to lend a hand, and his talent for solving practical puzzles. Those who knew him in the music trade remember a collaborator who valued people as much as projects. Nashville runs on that blend of human care and professional savvy, and Todd embodied it.
The wider family context
To understand Todd’s orbit, you look at the constellation around him. His father, Ronnie, stands among the giants of country music, an artist with a string of awards and a voice that helped define the genre for decades. His mother, Joyce, was the constant companion and anchor to that journey. Todd’s place in this world was unique: not a performer seeking spotlight but a craftsman steering the machinery. That role nurtured a particular kind of pride—more quiet than loud, but no less essential.
Within his own household, Todd’s children carried forward the family’s Nashville inheritance—music-infused days, community roots, and the shared responsibility of remembrance. The listing of “bonus children” in memorial notices underscores how Todd’s family circle extended beyond traditional boundaries, embracing additional lives that enriched his own.
Nashville as setting and character
The city itself is a character in Todd’s story. Nashville educates its people in the art of persistence—early calls, late nights, a long arc of effort. Todd’s education and adulthood unfolded in that rhythm. He saw the cycles first-hand: album planning and release weeks, tour logistics, video timelines, holidays punctuated by load-ins and load-outs. It was a working life in a working city, and he fit it well.
FAQ
Who was Todd Milsap?
He was the son of country music artist Ronnie Milsap and Joyce Milsap, known for his behind-the-scenes work in the music industry.
When was Todd Milsap born?
He was born on October 22, 1969.
When did Todd Milsap pass away?
He died on February 23, 2019, at age 49.
Where was he found?
He was found on his houseboat at Four Corners Marina on Percy Priest Lake near Nashville.
How was his death described?
It was described as medically related.
Who were his parents?
His parents were Ronnie Milsap and Joyce Milsap.
Did he have children?
Yes—Kye, Mya, Wyler, and Asher were listed among his children.
Did memorial notices name other children?
Yes, “bonus children” named include Susy Jones, Victoria Piller, and Zy Gagne.
What did he do professionally?
He worked behind the scenes on recordings, tours, and music videos, contributing to production and logistics.
Where were services connected?
His celebration of life was connected to Woodlawn Funeral Home/Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville.