Eddy Arnold brought us 'The Nashville Sound' and a score of hits

Updated: May 8, 2008 - 9:33 PM

2002: Eddy Arnold in his memorabilia-filled office in Brentwood, Tenn.

Photo: Mark Humphrey, Associated Press

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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, days short of his 90th birthday.

Arnold died at a care facility near Nashville. His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died in March.

Arnold's vocals on songs like 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.

He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966. The next year, he was the first person to receive the entertainer of the year award from the Country Music Association.

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.

Other hits included "The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me," "Bouquet of Roses," and "Turn the World Around."

Most of Arnold's hits were done in association with famed guitarist Chet Atkins.

ASSOCIATED PRESS