Country Legend Eddy Arnold Dies

One of country music’s most popular entertainers, died early Thursday morning, May 8, near Nashville at the age of 89.

Eddy was often credited with bridging the gap between country and pop music with his elegant crooning style and songs that favored string sections instead of traditional country instruments. His hits like “Make the World Go Away,” “Turn the World Around” and “What’s He Doing in My World” were embraced by country and pop fans alike. “He brought country uptown,” notes music historian and Nashville radio personality Eddie Stubbs. Eddy sold more than 85 million records and had 28 No. 1 country singles and 92 Top 10 hits. He also enjoyed a career longevity that was unmatched, making his chart debut in 1945 with “Each Minute Seems a Million Years” and scoring his last chart hit in 1999, a remake of his previous hit “Cattle Call” with LeAnn Rimes. Eddy was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966 and the following year, he received the first-ever CMA award for Entertainer of the Year. In 1941, Eddy married the former Sally Gayhart and the two remained one of country music’s most enduring couples. Sally died earlier this year on March 11, while Eddy was recovering from hip replacement surgery. Eddy is survived by his two children, Richard Edward Jr., of Nashville and Jo Ann Pollard, of Brentwood, Tenn., along with two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A public viewing at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum rotunda in Nashville is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Wednesday, May 14, from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. The funeral service, also open to the public, will be held Wednesday, May 14, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville at 2 p.m.

• May 8, 2008
• photo by VIRDEN/SHOOTING STAR

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