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, 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, died in March, and that same month, he fell outside his home, injuring his hip.
“Make the World Go Away” was a top 10 pop hit in 1965 as well as a No. 1 country hit.
Folksy yet sophisticated, he became a pioneer of “The Nashville Sound,” 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.
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.
