The first [45rpm 7-inch vinyl single] issued ... was 'Texarkana Baby' by Eddy Arnold. He might not be mentioned much now, but he was a big name in the Fifties when his TV show took over Perry Como's slot. His songs spent a total of 145 weeks at number one on the US Country charts and sold over 85 million records. Signed to RCA, he was managed by Colonel Tom Parker, but would later find himself pushed down the roster when the 'Colonel' hooked up with some punk from Tupelo. Like Elvis, Eddy came from an impoverished background. Born in Henderson, Tennessee, in 1918, his father was a sharecropper and eager for his son to earn a few dollars by working the land himself. Accordingly, despite having forged a musical reputation that took him to the Grand Ole Opry, his record was released under the billing of 'Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee PlowBoy and his guitar'. The record was released on 31 March 1949, making it the first single ever released, if we ignore the [RCA spoken-word] demonstration record, which I think we have to. You can cop a listen to it online of course. It's pretty good, and though his guitar is certainly in evidence there are dandy bits of fiddle and lap steel too. It sounds a lot like Hank Williams, only cheerful.
- Mark Radcliffe, Crossroads: In search of moments that changed music, Edinburgh, 2019, p.132-3.
See also:
Music: Rich pickings at the Boston Tea Party, 14 February 2019Music: A Chickasaw County child, 5 February 2018
Music: Mr Iturbi will see you now, 29 December 2013
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