The late, great Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold died just shy of his 90th birthday and just two months after his wife passed away.
By BILL MACK
Truckers Connection
7/11/2008
With the recent passing of Eddy Arnold, I became even more aware of the fact that our “country” music has faded deeper into the sunset. No, this is not a gross exaggeration.
Most of the disk jockeys in major radio markets had placed Arnold in the “No Importance” bin years ago. Even though he had sold over 80 million albums during a span of 70 years, his was a strange name to some of those hosting country music radio shows because their bosses had not tacked an Eddy Arnold release on the radio station “play-list” for decades. He was no longer considered to be “radio-friendly,” a reference I find degrading and insulting to the artist and the fans
Not aware of his gigantic best-selling recordings, many of our top DJs had to dive into reference books in order to find a listing of his masterpieces, if their facility felt obligated to pay tribute to him after the news of his death hit the news sources on May 8 of this year.
Had Eddy lived another week, he would have reached his 90th birthday. He was born May 15, 1918, in Henderson, Tenn. The son of sharecroppers, Eddy Arnold was known as “The Tennessee Plowboy” during the beginning years of his professional career as a singer. After becoming the biggest name in country music, he preferred the “plowboy” handle be dropped when being introduced. As I was preparing to bring him on-stage at a huge event in Dallas many years ago, I asked, “Is there anything I need to be aware of before introducing you, Eddy?”
He laughed: “Say anything, but don’t refer to me as ‘Th’ Tennessee Plowboy’! I haven’t plowed a row in 50 years!”
I consider myself to be one of the most fortunate people in radio. I was not only a fan of this great man, I knew him. He was not as close as some of those in a more current time-frame of my life, such as Willie Nelson, Faron Young, George Jones, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings and George Strait, but I spent some time with Eddy, mostly as an emcee for gigs where he was in the spotlight as the star performer.
The Eddy Arnold story would make a good screenplay. His life reflected the perfect “rags-to-riches” scenario. His childhood years existed on the poverty line. Because of his plowing, there was plenty of home grown food. However, during those tough childhood years, his father died and the family farm was lost on the auction block.
Eddy reflected on the fact that he entered the music scene by accident. Although he sang in church, there was no professional training.
During an interview, Eddy said, “After we lost the farm, I worked in a funeral home in order to buy a few groceries for th’ family. Those were lonely hours. I’d sit all alone in that funeral home, strum my guitar, and sing the songs that were popular at the time. I was also given a short slot on the local radio station.”
Eddy laughed and said, “My little radio program wasn’t a big production. I would just pick my guitar and sing a few songs. This was my first taste of entertainment, and I guess I liked it. I left home when I was 18 to try to make a mark in the music world. I finally made my mark but, believe me, it didn’t come easy.”
Eddy was one of the first to be placed in the Country Music Hall-of-Fame. Utilizing full orchestras and choruses, he was also the first country artist whose music crossed over into the “pop” music field. For many years, he was the most in-demand singer out of Nashville. For awhile, his manager was Col. Tom Parker. It’s rumored that Eddy fired the Colonel because he questioned the manager’s “approach” to the business.
The Colonel once remarked, “If Eddy Arnold had kept me on the payroll as his manager, I’d never have taken Elvis under my wing.”
My memory of Eddy Arnold focuses on the fact that he was a gentleman with unbelievable talent. He never made the tabloids because of booze or drugs. He was also a non-smoker. All-in-all, he was a good old boy.
Eddy married the former Sally Gayhart in 1942. She preceded him in death in March of this year, following hip surgery. Eddy died two months later. My friend Ralph Emery was the last to interview Eddy on television. He informed me: “We all knew it would be just a matter of time before Eddy joined Sally. She was his life.”
Adding to the hurt was the fact that Eddy was hospitalized because of a fall when Sally died, and wasn’t able to attend her funeral service.
A Nashville musician who was very close to Arnold said, “There wasn’t a single doubt that this good ol’ man died of a broken heart. I know we hear this referenced many times, but it was obvious that he just didn’t want to live after Sally passed away. He had more money than most people, but without her his life had ended.
“I have never seen a man so sad as Eddy…without Sally.”
Before I leave the impression that Eddy Arnold’s life was surrounded with sadness, let me insert the fact that it was the complete opposite. He was one of the happiest individuals to be found in the somewhat complex business of entertainment. According to the grandson who spoke at his funeral, Eddy preferred the simple life, even though he was wealthy from wise investments in real estate and other beneficial areas. He enjoyed meeting old friends for meals in tiny out-of-the-way food spots in Nashville. He still purchased used cars and, except when performing, didn’t make it a habit of dressing in expensive suits. He preferred casual attire, especially when on his prized boat with Sally, a regular weekend happening when they were both in good health.
No, Eddy Arnold wasn’t a tightwad. It just seemed that the memories of those childhood days behind the plow were always there to remind him that having plenty of money could be a temporary thing.
Hear Bill Mack daily from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 p.m. (ET) on XM Satellite Radio. The program is replayed from 8:00 p.m. until Midnight (ET). Bill’s book, “Bill Mack’s Memories From The Trenches of Broadcasting” and recordings can be ordered via his Web site: www.billmackcountry.com.