Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more than 85 million records. A member of the Grand Ole Opry (beginning 1943) and the Country Music Hall of Fame (beginning 1966), Arnold ranked 22nd on Country Music Television's 2003 list of "The 40 Greatest Men of Country Music."
For other people named Eddy Arnold, see Edward Arnold (disambiguation).
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold
The Tennessee Plowboy
May 15, 1918
Henderson, Tennessee, U.S.
May 8, 2008 (aged 89)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Singer-songwriter, tv host, actor
1934–2005
RCA Victor (1944–1972; 1976–2008)
MGM Records (1973–1976)
Second career: The Nashville sound[edit]
With the rise of rock and roll in the mid 1950s, Arnold's record sales began to decline, though fellow RCA Victor country recording artist Jim Reeves found a greater audience with popular-sounding string-laced arrangements. Arnold annoyed many in the country music establishment by recording with Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra at the RCA Victor Studios in New York. Winterhalter's pop-oriented arrangements of "The Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (in the World)", however, helped to expand Arnold's appeal beyond its country music base.[9] This style, pioneered by Reeves and Arnold, became known as the "Nashville Sound".[9] During 1953, Arnold and Tom Parker had a dispute, and Arnold fired him.[10] From 1954 to 1963, Arnold's performances were managed by Joe Csida; in 1964, Csida was replaced by Jerry Purcell.[11]
Arnold embarked on a second career that brought his music to a more diverse audience. In the summer of 1965, he had his first number-one country song in 10 years, "What's He Doing in My World" and struck gold again six months later with the song that became his most well-known, "Make the World Go Away", accompanied by pianist Floyd Cramer on piano and featuring the Anita Kerr Singers. As a result, Arnold's rendition became an international success. "Make The World Go Away" became his only top ten pop hit.[9]
Bill Walker's orchestra arrangements provided the lush background for 16 continuous successes sung by Arnold in the late 1960s. Arnold performed with symphony orchestras in New York City, Las Vegas, and Hollywood. He performed in Carnegie Hall for two concerts, and in the Coconut Grove in Las Vegas.[9] In 1966, Arnold was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the youngest performer to receive the honor.[12] The following year, Arnold was voted the first-ever awarded Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year.[13] Two years later, he released an autobiography named It's A Long Way From Chester County.[14]
Having been with RCA Victor since 1944, Arnold left the label in 1973 for MGM Records, where he recorded four albums, which included several top-40 successes. He returned to RCA in 1976 and recorded for the company for the remainder of his career.[1]