NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Eddy Arnold, whose mellow baritone on songs like "Make the World Go Away" 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, said Don Cusic, a professor at Belmont University and author of the biography "Eddy Arnold: I'll Hold You in My Heart."
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 vocals on such songs as the 1965 "Make the World Go Away," a top 10 pop hit as well as a No. 1 country hit, made him one of the most successful country singers in history.
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.
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"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.
Nicknamed "The Tennessee Plowboy," Arnold first gained notice with appearances on the Grand Ole Opry in the early 1940s. He debuted on the charts in 1945 with "Each Minute Seems a Million Years," and began his string of 28 No. 1 country hits with "What Is Life Without Love" in early 1947.
His success helped make Nashville an important recording industry hub, according to Sony BMG Nashville, parent of his longtime label, RCA.
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."
"When I was about 15 years old, all I ever sang was Eddy Arnold's stuff — 'Room Full of Roses,' 'I'm Throwing Rice,' I remember all of his songs," said country legend George Jones. "It would be just about my whole show until I heard Hank Williams."
Most of Arnold's hits were done in association with famed guitarist Chet Atkins.
Among his recent albums were "Looking Back," 2002, and "After All These Years," 2005.
Local angle
In September 1952, Eddy Arnold performed at the Tucson Sports Center. Appearing with him, at that time, was Little Roy Wiggins and his steel guitar. He later performed a couple of shows here in 1973, appearing at the Music Hall in conjunction with the Tucson Symphony Association.
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