News
Eddy Arnold dies at 89
 |
| Arnold |
From The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Eddy Arnold, whose mellow baritone made him one of the most successful country singers in history, died Thursday morning, days short of his 90th birthday. Arnold died at a care facility near Nashville.
His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died in March, and in the same month, Arnold fell outside his home, injuring his hip.
Arnold’s 1965 “Make the World Go Away,” was one of his many No. 1 country hits and a top 10 hit on the pop charts. Folksy yet sophisticated, he became a pioneer of “The Nashville Sound,” also called “countrypolitan,” a mixture of country and pop styles. His crossover success paved the way for later singers such as Kenny Rogers.
“I sing a little country, I sing a little pop and I sing a little folk, and it all goes together,” he said in 1970.
He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966. The following year he was the first person to receive the entertainer of the year award from the Country Music Association.
The reference book “Top Country Singles 1944-1993,’” by Joel Whitburn, ranked Arnold the No. 1 country singer in terms of overall success on the Billboard country charts. It lists his first No. 1 hit as “What Is Life Without Love,” 1947, and for the following year ranks his “Bouquet of Roses” as the biggest country hit of the entire year.
Other hits included “Cattle Call,” ‘’The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me,” ‘’Anytime,” ‘’Bouquet of Roses,” ‘’What’s He Doing in My World?” ‘’I Want to Go With You,” ‘’Somebody Like Me,” ‘’Lonely Again” and “Turn the World Around.”
Most of his hits were done in association with famed guitarist Chet Atkins, the producer on most of the recording sessions.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Eddy Arnold, whose mellow baritone made him one of the most successful country singers in history, died Thursday morning, days short of his 90th birthday. Arnold died at a care facility near Nashville.
His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died in March, and in the same month, Arnold fell outside his home, injuring his hip.
Arnold’s 1965 “Make the World Go Away,” was one of his many No. 1 country hits and a top 10 hit on the pop charts. Folksy yet sophisticated, he became a pioneer of “The Nashville Sound,” also called “countrypolitan,” a mixture of country and pop styles. His crossover success paved the way for later singers such as Kenny Rogers.
“I sing a little country, I sing a little pop and I sing a little folk, and it all goes together,” he said in 1970.
He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966. The following year he was the first person to receive the entertainer of the year award from the Country Music Association.
The reference book “Top Country Singles 1944-1993,’” by Joel Whitburn, ranked Arnold the No. 1 country singer in terms of overall success on the Billboard country charts. It lists his first No. 1 hit as “What Is Life Without Love,” 1947, and for the following year ranks his “Bouquet of Roses” as the biggest country hit of the entire year.
Other hits included “Cattle Call,” ‘’The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me,” ‘’Anytime,” ‘’Bouquet of Roses,” ‘’What’s He Doing in My World?” ‘’I Want to Go With You,” ‘’Somebody Like Me,” ‘’Lonely Again” and “Turn the World Around.”
Most of his hits were done in association with famed guitarist Chet Atkins, the producer on most of the recording sessions.
Copyright © 2010 - Green Valley News and Sun