Eddy Arnold
Arnold, Eddy Full name Richard Edward Arnold. Born 1918 near Henderson, Tenn. Who is the best singer in the history of country music? According to stars like Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter and Marty Robbins, the answer is Eddy Arnold. Unquestionably, no other performer has been more responsible for taking country music from its rural roots to widespread acceptance than Eddy Arnold. Richard Edward Arnold was born on May 15, 1918 in Henderson, Tennessee. During his childhood, he suffered through the death of his father and the loss of the family farm. When he turned 18, he left home to try to make his mark in the music world. Eddy Arnold's formative musical years included early struggles to gain recognition until he landed a job as the lead male vocalist for the Pee Wee King band. By 1943 Arnold had become a solo star on the Grand Ole Opry. The dream of a recording contract finally became a reality when Arnold was signed by RCA. In December of 1944, he cut his first record. Although all of his early records sold well, his initial big hit did not come until 1946 with "That's How Much I Love You." Managed by Col. Tom Parker, who later went on to control the career of Elvis, Eddy Arnold began to dominate country music. In 1947-48 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 Eddy Arnold upset many in the country music establishment by going to New York to record with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra. The pop oriented arrangements of "Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (In the World)" helped to expand Eddy Arnold's appeal. With the advent of Rock and Roll, Eddy Arnold's record sales dipped in the late 1950's. He continued to try to court a wider audience by using pop-sounding, string-laced arrangements. Keywords: Arnold, Countrey, Eddy, Music, Western |
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