Eddy Arnold

Eddy Arnold
Birth name	Richard Edward Arnold
Also known as	Tennessee Plowboy
Born	May 15 1918(1918-05-15)
Origin	Henderson, Tennessee, USA
Died	May 8 2008
Genre(s)	Country Music Pop Music
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1946 – Present
Label(s)	RCA Records MGM Records
Website	www.eddyarnold.com

Eddy Arnold (May 15, 1918 - May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who is the all-time leader in the overall ranking for hits and their time on the charts. From 1945 through 1983, Arnold had 145 songs on the charts, including 28 number-one country hits. With such classics as "Make The World Go Away" and "What's He Doing In My World," Arnold was known for his smooth, easy-going style.

After an initial period of struggling, Arnold got his first break in 1940 as a singer with the Golden West Cowboys, resulting in regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. In 1943, he got his own program on WSM radio, followed by a recording contract and a coveted role as a regular host on the Grand Ole Opry. "Cattle Call" became his signature theme song followed by a long line of hits, including one period (November 1947 through January 1949) where he had six songs at number one on the country charts along with six songs in the Top 10 at the same time.

In the mid-1960s, Arnold turned to lush, heavily orchestrated recordings that revitalized his career, winning an expanded audience for his style of country music. He continued to record and look after his numerous business interests. Arnold died on May 8, 2008, in Franklin, Tennessee, just one week short of his ninetieth birthday.

Early years

Born Richard Edward Arnold in Henderson, Tennessee, Arnold made his first radio appearance in 1936. During his childhood, he lost both his father and the family farm. When he turned 18 he left home to try to make his mark in the music world. Besides singing anywhere he could, the young Arnold worked and slept in a funeral parlor. Such early struggles during his formative musical years eventually gained him enough recognition that he landed a job as the lead male vocalist for the Pee Wee King band.

By 1943, Arnold had become a solo artist on the Grand Ole Opry. He was then signed by RCA Victor. In December of 1944, he cut his first record. Although all of his early records sold well, his first big hit did not come until 1946 with "That's How Much I Love You." In common with many other country and western singers of the time, he had a folksy nickname: "The Tennessee Plowboy."

Managed by Col. Tom Parker, who later went on to guide the career of Elvis Presley, Arnold began to dominate the country music business in terms of commercial success. In 1947-1948 he had 13 of the top 20 songs. He successfully made the transition from radio to television, appearing frequently in the new medium. In 1955, he upset many in the country music establishment by going to New York to record with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra. His pop-oriented renditions of "Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man In the World," however, helped to expand his appeal beyond its country base.

With the advent of rock and roll, Arnold's record sales dipped in the late 1950s. Along with label-mate Jim Reeves, he continued to try to court a wider audience by using pop-sounding, string-laced arrangements, a style that would come to be known as the Nashville sound.

Second career

After Jerry Purcell became his manager in 1964, Arnold embarked on a "second career" that surpassed even the success of his first one. In the process, he achieved in his ambition of carrying his music to a much more diverse audience. Already recorded by several other artists, "Make The World Go Away" was just another song until recorded by Arnold. Under the direction of producer Chet Atkins, and backed by the talents of the Anita Kerr Singers and pianist Floyd Cramer, Arnold's rendition of became an international hit.

Arranger Bill Russell provided intricate settings for 16 straight Arnold hits through the late 1960s. Arnold started performing with symphony orchestras in virtually every major American city. New Yorkers jammed prestigious Carnegie Hall for two concerts. Arnold also ppeared before the Hollywood crowd at the Coconut Grove and had long, sold-out engagements in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.

After having recorded for RCA Victor since the 1940s, Arnold left the label to record four albums for MGM Records in the 1970s, posting one hit ("If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'"). He then returned to RCA Victor with both the album Eddy, and the hit single "Cowboy," which evoked stylistic memories of his classic "Cattle Call." After a few more RCA releases, he retired from active singing; however, he did release a new RCA album, After All These Years in 2005 at the age of 87.

A style for success

From the beginning, Eddy Arnold stood out from his contemporaries in the world of country singers. He never wore gaudy, glittering outfits, and sang from his diaphragm, not through his nose. He avoided the standard honky-tonk themes, preferring instead to sing songs that explored the intricacies of love.

Arnold also benefited from his association with excellent musicians. The distinctive steel guitar of the late Roy Wiggins highlighted early recordings. Charles Grean, once employed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, played bass and wrote early arrangements, adding violins for the first time in 1956. Guitarist Chet Atkins played on many of Arnold's records, even after he started serving as producer. Bassist Bob Moore, called the most recorded musician in history, first performed on the road with Eddie Arnold on the 1954 RCA Caravan and later performed on 75 percent of Arnold's hit recordings. Arnold also benefited from the management of "Colonel" Tom Parker, who guided his first career, and Jerry Purcell, who masterminded the second.

Probably the most important factor for his success, however, was his voice. Steve Sholes, who produced his early hits, called Arnold a natural singer, comparing him to the likes of Bing Crosby and Enrico Caruso. Arnold worked hard perfecting his natural ability. A review of his musical career shows his progression from fledgling singer to polished performer.

Arnold's longevity was exceptional. For more than 50 years, he transcended changing musical tastes. His later concerts attracted three generations of fans. To some, he also served as a role model; in a field often awash with alcohol and drugs, he remained temperate. He and wife Sally Gayhart Arnold were married from 1941 until her death on March 11, 2008.

Private life and death

Eddy Arnold married the former Sally Gayhart in November 1942. She preceded him in death in March 2008 following hip-replacement surgery. Arnold died on May 8, 2008, in Franklin, Tennessee, just one week short of his ninetieth birthday.

Both Eddy and Sally Arnold were survived by their children, "Dickie" and Jo Ann, as well as two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Legacy

While Arnold's later style of country music was sometimes criticized by the more traditional performers, there is no arguing with the fact Arnold helped introduce Nashville and country music to the world. Over his career, Arnold sold over 85 million records and had 147 songs on the charts, including 28 Number-one hits on Billboard's "Country Singles" chart. Among his recordings are songs for mothers and children, hymns, show tunes, and novelty numbers. Probably, however, Arnold is best known for his way with a love song.

• Eddy Arnold was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
• He was named the Country Music Association's (CMT's) Entertainer of the Year in 1967.
• In 2003, Arnold ranked number 22 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.
• In the same year, he donated hundreds of his career-related items to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum which placed them on a special exhibit.

Selected Albums

Album	Year "One More Time" 1962
Cattle Call	1963
My World	1965
I Want to Go With You	1966
Lonely Again	1967
The Everlovin' World of Eddy Arnold	1968
Songs of the Young World	1969
Love and Guitars	1970
Portrait of My Woman	1971
Lonely People	1972
Eddy	1976
A Legend and His Lady	1980

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Arnold, Eddy. It's A Long Way From Chester County. Old Tappan, N.J. Hewitt House. OCLC 13352
• Cusic, Don. Eddy Arnold: I'll Hold You in My Heart. Nashville, Tenn.: Rutledge Hall Press, 1997. ISBN 978-1558534926
• Freda, Michael D. Eddy Arnold Discography, 1944-1996. Greenwood Press, 1997. ISBN 9780313303883
• Rumble, John. "Eddy Arnold." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0195116717
• Streissquth, Michael. Eddy Arnold: Pioneer of the Nashville Sound. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997. ISBN 978-0028647197

External links

• Official Website. www.eddyarnold.com. Retrieved May 14, 2008.

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