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Country legend Eddy Arnold dies in Nashville One Week Before 90th Birthday
May 8, 6:01 AM (ET)
He was the affable "Tennessee Plowboy" who brought elegance, sophistication
and millions of fans to country music. Eddy Arnold, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died around 4:40
a.m. today at NHC Place in Cool Springs at the age of 89.
Arnold's contributions to the history of American popular music are manifold, and integral. He sold more than 85
million records, with 37 singles charting on the pop charts and many more impacting the country charts. He ranks
as Billboard magazine's single most popular country artist of all time. He was a star of stage and screen, and
he was also a public face of Nashville music for decades. All of his Number 1 Billboard Country Music singles are
listed here.
Hits such as "Make The World Go Away," "I Want To Go With You," "Turn The World Around,"
"I Really Don't Want To Know" and "You Don't Know Me" charmed a nation and moved country toward
the popular mainstream.
"Eddy Arnold has become virtually an institution in American life, with an identity that is only peripherally
related to country music," wrote Bill Malone in his definitive history, Country Music, USA. Malone went on
to describe the "almost unparalleled impact that the Tennessee Plowboy has had on the country field."
Though his music was seldom embraced by traditionalists, Arnold was one of the titans of Nashville music. His voice
was an unpressured, engaging croon that sometimes recalled a clarinet played in the lower register, and though
he favored strings and uptown instrumentation, he delivered his songs with few affectations.
Arnold utilized genre-blurring arrangements, but he was at base a storyteller of the highest order.
"In many ways the stories of Eddy Arnold and country music run parallel, both starting out poor and a bit
backward but, in the end, reaching from Tennessee to the ends of the earth," wrote Don Cusic, in Eddy Arnold:
I'll Hold You In My Heart, one of two biographies written about the legend.
Arnold was a multi-millionaire who cherished eating with pals at a simple meat-and-three along 8th Avenue South.
He was a real estate magnate who loved green spaces and fresh air. He was a proud country boy who struggled to
extend southern music's reach and scope into America's urban centers. He was a star, and a force, and a charmer.
"Eddy Arnold gave dignity and respect to country music at a time when it was referred to as 'hillbilly music,'"
said Cusic, a friend of Arnold's, this week. "The story of country music is, in many ways, the story of a
fight for respect. Eddy Arnold gave it respect; he made you proud to be a country fan."
A start in hard times
Richard Edward Arnold was born May 15, 1918, on a farm in Chester County, Tennessee, about 20 miles south of Jackson.
His father died when the boy was 11, and within a year, the family fell into poverty. Arnold's teen years were
spent in hard times. With the Great Depression raging, he saw few opportunities for financial growth, save for
singing. It may have been desperation in part that pushed him into professional music. Certainly, those hardscrabble
days stayed with him in terms of his philosophies about money and business. Even after Arnold became a wealthy
man, he was legendarily frugal.
Arnold began singing over the Jackson airwaves when he was still in his teens, billed as "Smiling Eddy Arnold."
He left the farm and took a job driving a hearse; he slept at the funeral home. In January of 1938, Arnold and
fellow performer Speedy McNatt moved to St. Louis and began performing on the radio and in clubs.
An avid radio listener, Arnold tuned into WSM one morning and noticed that Jack Skaggs, who was normally featured
as a singer on Grand Ole Opry star Pee Wee King's morning show, wasn't on the air with King. Arnold requested,
and received an audition, and in January of 1940 he became a member of King's Golden West Cowboys. That job allowed
him to tour extensively, impressing audiences with his smooth, sincere voice. The work with King also helped him
to gain notoriety around the Grand Ole Opry, and when he decided in late 1942 to pursue a solo career, Arnold was
immediately accepted into the Opry's family of performers.
And so in 1943, Arnold was living in Nashville with his wife ? he'd married the former Sally Gayhart on Nov. 28,
1941 ? and fronting his own band on the biggest country music show in the world. He formed a band, The Tennessee
Plowboys, and he secured a manager in the wily Colonel Tom Parker (who later managed Elvis Presley's career).
In 1944, Arnold signed a contract with RCA Victor Records, but a musicians' strike meant that he had to delay his
recording career. But in December of 1944, Arnold entered WSM's Studio B and recorded a four-song session that
included "Cattle Call," a number that would become one of Arnold's signatures. Though Arnold may not
have realized it then, that was the first major label recording session in Nashville.
Arnold's first charting country single came in 1945, with "Each Minute Seems A Million Years," and his
star rose quickly. He gained national appeal with the jaunty "That's How Much I Love You," and his voice
and cultured cowboy image helped him to gain a prime, 8 ? 8:15 p.m. slot on the Opry. In 1947, Arnold had his first
No. 1 Billboard Country single with "What Is Life Without Love," and he followed that with another No.
1, "It's A Sin."
The watershed moment came with the release of "I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms."
That song ascended to No. 1 in November 1947, stayed there for 21 weeks, crossed over into the pop charts, became
the No. 1 country single of the 1940s and began Arnold's most astounding chart run: For 53 consecutive weeks, he
held the No. 1 country singles spot. In 1948, there were only two weeks in which an Eddy Arnold song wasn't No.
1.
"Eddy Arnold put a tuxedo on country music," Cusic said. "Eddy Arnold was the biggest star in country
music in the late 1950s and early 1950s. He sold more records than Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell or any other country
artist. He also transcended Nashville and country music and had an impact on the American pop audience through
his TV shows and appearances."
A reach beyond country
In the late 1940s, Arnold dominated country charts. In the 1950s, he began to reach beyond country.
He appeared on television shows including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and The Perry Como Show, and found that
thousands of people who didn't otherwise care for "western music" would sit and smile at his performances.
He wound up splitting with Col. Parker over personality conflicts (Parker was like a brash carnival barker, while
Arnold radiated gentility).
In 1951, Arnold scored 13 No. 1 country hits. And in 1953, Arnold's recording of "I Really Don't Want To Know"
pointed the way to future successes. For that song, Arnold stripped away traditional country instrumentation (no
steel guitar or fiddle, for instance) in favor of softer, crossover-ready sounds.
"He brought country uptown," said music historian and WSM-AM air personality Eddie Stubbs.
The ascension of Presley in the mid-1950s was damaging to most Nashville-based stars, and it pointed to the end
of Arnold's first big chart run. Between 1956 and 1964, Arnold scored no top hits. But while other country artists
? including Webb Pierce and Jimmy Dickens ? tried to move towards a rock 'n' roll sound, Arnold moved the other
way, into polished, string-laden, adult music. In 1965, the lush "What's He Doing In My World" was a
smash hit, and he followed that with the classic "Make The World Go Away."
"I wanted to broaden my appeal," he told a UPI reporter. "I never wanted to desert the country field,
and I will not. I wanted my style and my image to be enjoyed and accepted by a broader segment of the people."
Therein lay the key to his 1960s' successes, which continued unabated until decade's end: Arnold kept much of his
country-loving fan base while drawing in the button-down crowd in urban locales. In 1966, he played Carnegie Hall
and was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The following year, he was named the CMA's Entertainer of
the Year. He was touring with orchestral accompaniment, and he was a regular on national programs such as The Tonight
Show.
Arnold was an ambassador for Nashville music, even as some charged that his sound was too pop to be considered
country. His ambassador status continued through the rest of the century, though Arnold's singles would never again
rise to the top (in 1980, he did reach No. 6 with "Let's Get It While The Gettin's Good."
In the 1980s and '90s, Arnold remained a popular concert draw and a regular guest on television shows. He continued
to record as well. His 100th album, After All This Time, was released in 2005 on RCA.
Arnold was preceded in death by his wife Sally Gayhart Arnold, who died March 11, 2008. He is survived by their
children, Richard Edward Jr., of Nashville, and Jo Ann Pollard, of Brentwood, Tenn. He is also survived by two
grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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Eddy Arnold moved hillbilly music to the city, creating a sleek sound that relied on his
smooth voice and occasionally lush orchestrations. In the process, he became the most popular country performer
of the 20th century, spending more weeks at the top of the charts than any other artist. Arnold not only had 28
number one singles, he had more charting singles than any other artist. More than any other country performer of
the postwar era, he was responsible for bringing the music to the masses, to people who wouldn't normally listen
to country music. Arnold was initially influenced by cowboy singers like Gene Autry, but as his career progressed,
he shaped his phrasing in the style of Pete Cassell. Nevertheless, he was more of a crooner than a hillbilly singer,
which is a large reason why he was embraced by the entertainment industry at large, and frequently crossed over
to the pop charts. Arnold's career ran strong into the '90s. Although his records didn't dominate the charts like
they did during the '40s and '50s, he continued to fill concert halls and reissues of his older recordings sold
well.
Raised on a farm in Tennessee, Arnold was given a guitar at the age of ten by his mother. His father, who had played
fiddle and bass, died the following year. Arnold left school so he could help out on the farm. However, he began
playing dances whenever he had a chance. Several years later, he made his first radio appearance on a station in
Jackson. Arnold then moved to St. Louis, where he played in nightclubs with fiddler Speedy McNatt. In St. Louis,
Arnold landed a regular spot on WMPS Memphis, spending six years at the radio station. Through the show, the singer
earned a dedicated following of fans.
During World War II, Eddy Arnold became part of R.J. Reynolds' Camel Caravan, which featured Redd Stewart, Pee
Wee King's Golden West Cowboys, Minnie Pearl, and San Antonio Rose. The troupe performed for U.S. troops throughout
America, as well some selected dates in Panama. After the Camel Caravan, Arnold became the featured singer in the
Golden West Cowboys while they performed on the Grand Ole Opry. At first, he appeared under the name the Tennessee
Plowboy, a nickname that followed him throughout his career.
Arnold recorded his first single, "Mommy Please Stay Home With Me," in 1944 for RCA Victor. At RCA, the
singer received the guidance of the label's A&R head, Steve Sholes, which proved to be invaluable help for
his career.
Eddy Arnold pursued a solo career in 1945, the same year he got married to Sally Gayhart. "Each Minute Seems
a Million Years," released on RCA's Bluebird division that same year, became his first charting record, peaking
in the Top Five. Arnold's career really took off the following year, when "That's How Much I Love You"
peaked in the Top Three, staying there for 16 weeks and selling over 650,000 copies; its flip side, "Chained
to a Memory," also climbed into the Top Three. Arnold followed the single's success with two number one hits
in 1947, "What Is Life Without Love" and "It's a Sin." However, that didn't compare to the
success of his next record, "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)." The single
spent 46 weeks on the charts, with 21 of those weeks spent at the top; it also crossed over to the pop charts,
reaching the Top 30. In the process, it became the number one single of the decade.
"I'll Hold You in My Heart" confirmed that Arnold had become a country superstar, as did the performance
of his 1948 singles. All of his nine singles went into the Top Five, and five of them went to number one, including
"Anytime," "What a Fool I Was," "Texarkana Baby," "Just a Little Lovin' (Will
Go a Long, Long Way)," "My Daddy Is Only a Picture," and "Bouquet of Roses," which stayed
at the top for 19 weeks. In total, Arnold racked up over 40 weeks on top of the charts during 1948, becoming the
number one country star in America. He headlined all the radio shows and concerts he appeared on, and he was in
demand throughout the nation. By the end of the year, Colonel Tom Parker had become his manager; Parker would later
become Elvis Presley's manager. Throughout 1949, he continued to dominate the charts, releasing a succession of
Top Ten singles, including the number one "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle," "One Kiss Too Many,"
"I'm Throwing Rice (At the Girl I Love)," and "Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me."
Eddy Arnold became a familiar face not only to country fans but also to the general public in the early '50s. He
toured all of the U.S., as well as several foreign countries. All of the major television shows of the era, including
The Perry Como Show and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, featured the singer. Indeed, he became so popular that
he was the first country star to have his own television show, Eddy Arnold Time. The show originally aired on NBC,
but it later moved to ABC. Through all of this, his string of Top Ten hits remained unbroken, even though he didn't
have another crossover pop hit until 1954. Nevertheless, the sheer amount of country hits was overwhelming: In
1950 he had seven, and 13 in 1951 (including the number ones "There's Been a Change in Me," "Kentucky
Waltz," "I Wanna Play House With You," "Easy on the Eyes," and "A Full Time Job").
The hits, including "Eddy's Song" (composed of the titles of previous hits), "How's the World Treating
You?," "I Really Don't Want to Know," "My Everything," "The Cattle Call," "That
Do Make It Nice," "Just Call Me Lonesome," and "The Richest Man (In the World)," continued
to come in force until 1956.
Between 1956 and 1964, Arnold continued to chart, but he wasn't reaching the Top Ten at the same frequency of the
previous decade. During this time, his style was beginning to change, as he was shedding his rootsy style for a
slicker, polished sound that was more appropriate for urban settings than rural territories. Arnold became a crooner,
complete with subdued instrumental backings, highlighted by gentle steel guitars and the occasional orchestra.
The change in musical direction was a major commercial success, sparking a new era of chart dominance that began
in 1965 with "What's He Doing in My World." Not only did he return to the top of the country charts,
he once again crossed over to the pop charts. Arnold's second streak of major hits ran until 1969. During this
time, he earned several number one and Top Ten singles, all of which were pop hits as well, including "Make
the World Go Away," "I Want to Go With You," "The Last Word in Lonesome," "Somebody
Like Me," "Lonely Again," "Turn the World Around," "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,"
"They Don't Make Love Like They Used To," and "Please Don't Go."
In the early '70s, Arnold continued to appear on the country charts, although his pop hits dried up. The singer
signed with MGM in 1972, ending 27 straight years at RCA. Arnold spent only four years at MGM, landing only one
major hit, 1974's "I Wish That I Had Loved You Better." Returning to RCA in 1976, he closed out the decade
with two hits -- "Cowboy" (1976) and "If Everyone Had Someone Like You" (1978). Arnold managed
to put two songs into the Top Ten in 1980 ("Let's Get It While the Gettin's Good," "That's What
I Get for Loving You"), making him one of the few artists who charted in five different decades. He continued
to record in the '90s, although without charting a hit single. Nevertheless, his concert and television appearances
remained popular.
Beginning in the '60s, Eddy Arnold was bestowed with a numerous amount of awards. In 1966, he was inducted into
the Country Music Hall of Fame. The following year, he was the first Entertainer of the Year named by the CMA.
The ACM gave him the Pioneer Award in 1984; three years later, the Songwriters Guild gave him its President's Award.
Perhaps the truest gauge of his success is his record sales. Over the course of his career, he has sold over 85
million records, making him one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. His 100th album, After All
These Years, was released in 2005 by RCA Records.
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