Eddy Arnold: Pioneer of the Nashville Sound (American Made Music Series)

"Fans of Arnold's mellow music will appreciate the intensely detailed record of his private life and public career. Others may find the vivid picture of country music's early decades (the many small-town radio stations and deejays that supported the music, the backroads tours, the struggling record labels) quite intriguing." — Kirkus Reviews Illustrated with fifty-four photographs and featuring a comprehensive discography and sessionography, this book traces Eddy Arnold's origins from a cotton farm in western Tennessee to his legendary status in the world of country music. Michael Streissguth covers Arnold's success as a top-selling artist in the 1940s and 1950s and his temporary wane as listeners gravitated toward the rock & roll sound, embodied by newcomer Elvis Presley. Arnold (1918-2008) kept recording, however, and working on his craft. By the mid-60s, he reemerged as a pop crooner with his hit song "Make the World Go Away." His blend of country sentiments and pop stylings created the template for Nashville's modern country music sound. Throughout his career he was a major concert attraction and a radio and television star. Few other figures can claim to have had as great an influence on contemporary country and popular arranging. Eddy Arnold was just a sweet-voiced, third-generation cotton farmer from Western Tennessee with a dream: to lift himself out of rural poverty and make a name for himself as a country performer. This book traces the history of the Arnold family to a Confederate soldier named Robert M. Arnold, who began farming cotton in the Henderson region after the war. His son, Will, wed twice; his second wife, Georgia, gave birth to Richard Edward Arnold in 1918. After the stock market crash, Will Arnold lost ownership of his farm, and young Ed was less than happy working as a tenant farmer for absentee owners. An avid amateur guitarist, he soon had paying jobs at dances and gatherings around the area; inspired to go further afield, he traveled up the road to Jackson, Tennessee, where he garnered his first radio job. Meanwhile, he worked daytimes for an undertaker to help make ends meet. Forming a duo with fiddler Howard "Speedy" McNatt, they moved from station to station, in search of the elusive perfect homebase. They got as far as St. Louis, where their local popularity blossomed. A chance audition with radio cowboy star Pee Wee King led the duo to join King's successful band, and even greater fame for the smooth-voiced Tennessee songster. With King's band, Eddy honed his professional chops, was introduced to a wide audience via Nashville's "Grand Ole Opry" radio program, and met the legendary and flamboyant manager Colonel Tom Parker, who would greatly influence his career. Breaking away as a solo act, Eddy signed with Victor Records toward the end of World War II, and formed his first, highly influential band, featuring fiddler McNatt, "Little" Roy Wiggins on steel guitar, and bassist Gabe Tucker. His first hits were sentimental ballads, and by the late '40s he was one of Victor's top-selling artists and a consistent concert draw. His popularity was so great that he became a welcome figure on national radio and television in the mid-'50s. Then, a new sound shook the airwaves: Rock and roll. The market for Eddy's smooth country style diminished, and Eddy faced some lean times. Determined to crossover into the mainstream pop market, he experimented with a variety of styles until, in the early '60s, he hit on a perfect blend of country sentiments with uptown accompaniments. The result was a string of mid-'60s hits, highlighted by the classic "Make the World Go Away." Eddy Arnold was a star all over again - and this time on the mainstream stage. "Illustrated with fifty-four photographs and featuring a comprehensive discography and sessionography, this book traces Eddy Arnold's origins from a cotton farm in western Tennessee to his legendary status in the world of country music. Michael Strelssguth covers Arnold's success as a top-selling artist in the 1940s and 1950s and his temporary wane as listeners gravitated toward the rock & roll sound, embodied by newcomer Elvis Presley. Arnold (1918-2008) kept recording, however, and working on his craft. In the mid-1960s, he reemerged as a pop crooner with "Make the World Go Away." His blend of country sentiments and pop stylings created the template for Nashville's modern country music sound. Throughout his career he was a major concert attraction and a radio and television star. Few other figures can claim to have had as great an influence on contemporary country and popular arranging."--BOOK JACKET Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Prologue......Page 12 Eddy Arnold: Pioneer of the Nashville Sound......Page 18 Sessionography......Page 262 Bibliography......Page 326 B......Page 336 C......Page 337 G......Page 338 K......Page 339 M......Page 340 R......Page 341 T......Page 342 Y......Page 343 Z......Page 344 Traces the career of the country and pop singer from his days on the "Grand Ole Opry" through his continued presence in the country music scene Covers The Full Story Of Arnoldâs Success As A Country Star In The 40s And 50s, His Decline, And Eventual Re-emergence As A Pop Crooner.