Sally Arnold, the wife of Country Music Hall of Famer Eddy Arnold, died Tuesday in a Middle Tennessee hospital. The couple had been married for 66 years, a particularly remarkable accomplishment in the music industry, where the frequent absences required by concert tours put a strain on many relationships.

"She was willing to share him with the whole world because she knew how much he loved her," Grand Ole Opry member Jim Ed Brown told The Tennessean. "I know that she just loved him and wanted him to have everything. He is a hard worker. He is a great gentleman, and she was a loving, caring wife."

Eddy married the former Sally Gayhart on Nov. 28, 1941, in Nashville. The couple had two children: Jo Ann, born in 1945; and Dickey, born in 1949. Sally ran the household during Eddy's tours and also handled the bookkeeping for his career, marked by such classic love songs as "Make The World Go Away," "You Don't Know Me," "I Really Don't Want To Know" and "Turn The World Around."

Their final days were marked by a tragic separation. Eddy was unable to be at Sally's side as she died; he was recovering in a separate hospital from hip-replacement surgery, required after he slipped on the driveway at their suburban Nashville home.