NASHVILLE–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 yesterday 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 songs like the 1965 "Make the World Go Away," one of his many No. 1 country hits and a top 10 hit on the pop charts, 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.
"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.
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. It lists his first No. 1 hit as "What Is Life Without Love," in 1947, and for the following year ranks his "Bouquet of Roses" as the biggest country hit of the year.
Other hits included "Cattle Call," "The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me," "Anytime," "What's He Doing in My World?" "I Want to Go With You," "Somebody Like Me," "Lonely Again" and "Turn the World Around."
Most of his hits were done in association with famed guitarist Chet Atkins, the producer on most of the recording sessions.
Among his recent albums were Looking Back in 2002 and After All These Years in 2005.
Over the years, he invested wisely, especially in real estate in the Nashville area, and was regarded as one of the wealthiest men in country music.
He leaves a son, Richard Edward Arnold Jr., and daughter, Jo Ann Pollard.
