Friends on Music Row Remember Arnold-Sarah Bishop

It may seem fitting that the place Eddy Arnold spent many of his days recording his country music hits, is where friends and family gathered to remember the singer.

Those at RCA's studio B shared memories of the man they say helped broaden the fan base of country music.

The black and white pictures on the wall at Studio B reminds friends and family of just how colorful Eddy Arnold's life story really was.

"His accomplishments are really unparalleled he holds the record for the most chart records, the longest run on the charts, the most number of hits, he's really the king of the country music format as we know today," Curb Records Chairman Mike Curb said.

Curb adds that for 7 consecutive decades, Eddy Arnold chalked up a hit and had the break through ability to cross over to the pop market.

"Eddy lead the charge, I think he was part of the success that Nashville acquired," Country TV Host Ralph Emery said.

"When you have a timeless voice and you cut great songs that make ageless recordings, they'll always be remembered, so I think there are people who aren't even born yet who'll be fans of his once they discover his music," biographer and friend Don Cusic said.

But it's also the outstanding gentleman Eddy Arnold was that friends will remember.

"He liked the average people, he never thought he was was better than anyone else, never, never braggadocios he was ace number one man and I don't care if it was the mail man or trash man he treated everyone the same," friend Bobby Campbell recalled.

Friends say it was perhaps because he didn't finish school himself that her cherished the value of an education.

"He loved young people and liked to encourage them to go to college and make something of themselves and a lot of them who couldn't sometimes he helped them. He's the nicest man I ever met," Campbell said.

For those who gathered in the studio where the country crooner shared his love affair of music with the world, it was words that were sometimes hard to find.

"It's hard to believe that this has happened, I knew it was going to, but it's hard to accept," Arnold's longtime secretary Roberta Edging said.

But even in his final hours, his grandson says he continued to bring joy to the family.

"I just really started thinking about his laugh and his stories he used to tell and I was even trying to share those with him and the whole family was last night... and you know we just have very fond memories," Shannon Pollard said.