From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Wed May 15, 2002  1:31 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Eddy Arnold
 
EDDY ARNOLD (By Shaun Mather)

Born Richard Edward Arnold, 15 May 1918, near Madisonville, Tennessee

The in-thing to do today is moan endlessly about how today's country sounds
too poppy, not like it was in the 40s and 50s. Strange then that the
smooth, easy listening music of crooner Eddy Arnold made him the most
successful country singer of the "good old days" selling in excess of 85
million records. He charted with more singles (145) than anyone in country
history and spent more time at number one than anyone else, thanks to 28
different chart toppers, all with a sound that made itself as acceptable to
Mr Businessman of Chicago as it did to Hank Farmer of Ruralville, Tennessee.
After leaving the family farm "The Tennessee Plowboy" tried his luck in St
Louis then Memphis, before becoming a part of the Camel Caravan during WWII
(incl. Pee Wee King, Minnie Pearl) which toured the States entertaining the
troups. He joined RCA in the mid-40s and under the guidance of Steve
Sholes began an incredible run of chart successes, many of which were to be
covered by the rock 'n' roll fraternity a decade later. Elvis covered It's A
Sin,
How's The World Treating You, I Really Don't Want To Know, Make The World
Go Away (his biggest pop hit, # 6 in 1965) and Just Call Me Lonesome while
Jerry Lee did a great take on I'm Throwing Rice. Other hits for Arnold included
The Cattle Call, I'll Hold You In My Heart and Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.
Over the years his achievements have been acknowledged with various awards
including Country Music Hall of Fame (66), the first CMA Entertainer of The
Year (67), and ACM Pioneer Award (84).

Recommended listening:
The Essential Eddy Arnold - RCA
Cattle Call/Thereby Hangs a Tale - Bear Family
Website: http://www.eddyarnold.com
Books: Michael Streissguth, Eddy Arnold : pioneer of the Nashville sound.
New York : Schirmer, 1997 (paperback 2000).
Don Cusic, Eddy Arnold : I'll hold you in my heart. Nashville : Rutledge
Hill Press, 1997.
Michael D. Freda, Eddy Arnold discography, 1944-1996. Westport, CT :
Greenwood Press, 1997.