Elvis News » Eddy Arnold has died aged 89

Eddy Arnold has died aged 89

09/05/2008

Eddie Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy turned Country legend has died in Nashville aged 89.

Born in 1918, Eddie Arnold begand recording country music in the 1940s, and his early career was managed by Colonel Tom Parker, who became famous  - or infamous, even - for managing Elvis Presley.

Eddie Arnold always described the Colonel as a shrewd businessman who always got him a great deal, but the singer also always quoted that he managed to do one thing in his career that Elvis Presley never achieved, which was to sack Colonel Parker!

Over his career Eddie Arnold became a pioneer of country music, and one which recognised the value in steeping away from the hillbilly image and crossing over into maintream, or pop music.  He notched up 28 country hit singles including Each Minute Seems a Million Years, What Is Life Without Love, Cattle Call, The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me, Room Full of Roses and Make the World Go Away, which was also recorded by Elvis.

Just days away from his 90th birthday on May 15th, friends and family state that Eddy Arnold died of a broken heart, following the very recent death of his wife of 66 years Sally Gayhart Arnold, who died in March this year.


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