Eddy Surmont

"Music for the holiday – sung with taste and authority!" That's how RCA Victor described the 1962 release Christmas with Eddy Arnold, the superstar entertainer's first holiday album. Whether the style was country or pop, Eddy Arnold always sang with taste and authority – as well as tremendous warmth and a big heart. Between 1945 and 2008, "The Tennessee Plowboy" notched 147 U.S. chart hits, sold over 85 million records, and earned inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame and The Grand Ole Opry. The music of Christmas was near and dear to Arnold's heart, and between 1949 and 1967, he recorded two dozen holiday favorites for the RCA Victor label. Now, every one of those seasonal sides has been collected by Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records on The Complete RCA Victor Christmas Recordings, including the complete Christmas with Eddy Arnold album produced by Chet Atkins and featuring Nashville's finest musicians. This first-ever compendium of Eddy Arnold's yuletide music boasts his own "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" and "Will Santy Come to Shanty Town," along with Boudleaux Bryant's "Christmas Can't Be Far Away" and family favorites such as "Up on the Housetop," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas" and "Jingle Bell Rock" – all rendered in the timeless, smooth Arnold style.

"Eddy Arnold: Eddy's Romance" is a remastered album from country music legend Eddy Arnold. It is likely a compilation of some of his love-themed songs from the early 20th century, with titles including 'I Wish I Didn't Love You So', 'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You' and 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You'.

All pompadour, cheekbones, and a trademark "twangy" sound that boomed like it was recorded at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Duane Eddy was rock & roll's first guitar-hero. Beginning with "Moovin' n' Groovin" (1957), the combination of Eddy's hollow-body Gretch, Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, a tremolo unit, and oceans of echo racked up dozens of hits. The best ("Rebel Rouser," "Forty Miles of Bad Road," and "Dance with the Guitar Man") are also typical–Duane twangs a simple melody over some yakkety sax and much excited yelling in the background. As such, his worldwide influence on a generation of guitar-pickers was massive.

In the late 20's, the talkative newly graduated in pharmacy and aspirant piano player Eddy Duchin comes from Boston to New York expecting to play with the orchestra of Leo Reisman at fancy New York's Central Park Casino. However he had misunderstood the invitation of the maestro and while leaving the place, he meets the wealthy socialite Marjorie Oelrichs that asks Leo Reisman to give a chance to Eddy. He plays in the intermission and becomes a successful piano showman. Two years later, Marjorie and Eddy get married and in the Christmas, Marjorie has a baby, Peter, but she dies after the delivery. Eddy rejects Peter blaming him for the death of Marjorie and only five years later he meets his son. With the World War II, Eddy Duchin breaks up his band and enlists to fight in the war. With the end of the war, Eddy returns to New York with the intention of getting closer to Peter but he sees the boy connected to his friend Chiquita…

Released in 1967, RCA's The Best of Eddy Arnold offers an excellent 12-track overview of his countrypolitain peak for the label in the '60s. Other collections may be longer, but this will tell many listeners everything they need to know.