Died On This Date (May 8, 2008) Eddy Arnold / Country Icon
themusicsover Richard “Eddy” Arnold
May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008
Eddy Arnold was one of the original architects of what would become known as the “Nashville Sound.” Extremely popular, Arnold sold over 85 million records and had almost 150 songs on the charts. Of those, 28 reached the top. He is part of an elite group of country artists that stayed relevant for over 50 years. Arnold launched his career at the age of 18 and made his first radio appearance in 1936. In those early days, he was managed by Col. Tom Parker who later managed Elvis Presley. By the ’50s, Arnold was hosting his own television show. Remarkably, it aired on all three networks. Arnold “retired” in 1999 at the age of 81, but released a new album in 2005. He passed away on May 8, 2008 at the age of 89.
What You Should Own
Eddie Rabbit was a prolific country singer songwriter who achieved much of his success during the ’70s and ’80s. Thanks to his hits, Rabbitt helped define what was considered “crossover” at the time, meaning that they appealed to both a country AND pop music fans. Rabbitt’s first hit came as a songwriter in 1969 when 
Will Owsley was a respected singer-songwriter, producer and musician who is best remembered as Amy Grant’s touring guitarist for more than 15 years. Over the course of his career, he also worked with Shania Twain, the Neville Brothers, Faith Hill and Wynonna Judd. Owsley also released a handful of albums under his own name, including 1999’s Owsley, which earned him a Grammy nomination for its engineering. During the early ’90s, he formed the power pop band, the Semantics with Zak Starkey and Millard Powers. Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 of an apparent suicide.