Eddy Arnold Tribute

Eddy Arnold is the most successful country hit maker of all time, who played a crucial role in transforming what had long been considered "hillbilly music" from a rural phenomenon into music with broad-based national appeal. He was 89 when he died, a week short of his 90th birthday.

He was second to George Jones in the number of individual hits on the country charts but, according to a formula derived by Joel Whitburn, is the all-time leader in an overall ranking for hits and their time on the charts. From 1945 through 1983 he had 145 charted songs, including 28 number-one hits.

Arnold died at a long-term care facility near Nashville. His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died a few months earlier.