One of the most successful country artists of the 20th century, Eddy Arnold recorded 28 No. 1 singles and sold more than 85 million records over the course of his six-decade career. He began as a traditional country singer in the ‘30s and ‘40s before going solo in 1944. Arnold found that his smooth, mature vocals generated positive response from both country and pop listeners, and by the ‘50s, he was one of music's biggest stars, with dozens of top-selling singles and his own television series in the states. Arnold continued to earn Top 10 hits into the ‘80s, and he performed until his death in 2008.