Ms. Bridget Zarate
Special Assistant To Director Of Honorary Awards
Washington, D.C.

Subject : Presidential Medal Of Freedom.

Dear Ms. Bridget Zarate,

It is with the utmost respect and dignity I wish to place in nomination, Dr. Richard Edward Arnold for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.    Dr. Arnold is better known to the world as Countries Great Eddy Arnold.   Or just plain "Eddy" as humble Eddy likes to be called.  Please bear with me as I introduce you to the World's Greatest Country Western singer.  He truly is one of the Greatest singers in both genres of Country, as well as Pop singers.   He is well known, for being the best ... for his cross over from Country to Pop songs.

Married to his lovely wife Sally Gayhart for 63 years this Nov.28.... Eddy will celebrate his 86 birthday this May 15, 2004.     From a poor and humble beginning....Eddy needed to quit school to help out on the family farm.   His Father died on Eddy's 11th birthday...and Eddy soon became the man of the house.  To make matters worst during these hard times.....their family farm was taken from them due to a missed mortgage payment.    Eddy was subjected to working as a share cropper on his own family farm...as well as other farms to make ends meet.   As a young boy he also cut timber and did hard labor to earn a few dollars.    Life was hard for young Eddy as he worked and plowed the fields of his once owned family farm.

As his career got off to a  small start singing at tent shows and fish fries the nick name "Tennessee Plow Boy" was tagged on to Eddy.    His career really started as a young boy.... as he was sitting there playing and trying to learn the cords on his Silvertone guitar his cousin had loaned him.   When a man selling subscriptions to a newspaper heard him.     It so happened he knew some one at the local radio station in Jackson, Tennessee...and got Eddy an audition.      This turned out to be the start of his great career.....and raised him out of poverty.     He soon hooked up with the late Pee Wee King as his lead vocal singer.  But Eddy soon left Pee Wee King....with Kings blessing.        The reason for this was, he thought he could better himself by striking out on his own as he felt he wasn't getting anywhere.

Soon after leaving Pee Wee King in 1943....it wasn't long before he had a record contract....and soon started to have one hit after another.      His very first  recorded song for Victor [ R.C.A.] was "Each Minute Seems Like A million Years" in 1945....and he went on to record and unbelievable 1,107 songs.     His career really got off to a great start after taking on Col. Tom Parker as his manager.       Col. Tom Parker later went on to great heights himself, when he went on to manage Elvis Presley after leaving Eddy.      Col. Tom Parker was very outspoken and  flamboyant....and Eddy was a laid back person and quiet.      Soon their personalities clashed, and Eddy and the Col. soon parted.     Eddy made a cash settlement with him and they went their separate ways.    They remained good friends for life... and Eddy spoke at his funeral a few years ago.

If the truth be known and a lot know this, Eddy made NASHVILLE.      Not the other way around and was one of the first, if not the first to record in Nashville's W.S.M. Radio station.     He later went on to record in Chicago and New York.    During what they call the "OUTLAW MOVEMENT''  and the start of Rock and Roll....Eddy's career  slowed down in the early 1960's.     He soon took on Jerry Purcell as his manager...with out even signing a contract.    Some one once said, "A hand shake with Eddy is better than a written contract''....as Eddy is a very trusted man.        Jerry Purcell was a New Yorker and a very innovated manager.   He soon had Eddy in custom made tuxedo's and shoes.     It was Eddy himself, who thought of adding violins to his musical group....which raised him back up to what Eddy describes as his second career.    Many looked down their noses at Eddy for doing this.....but before long they were doing the same thing.     Adding violins brought his career right back up.     He soon played "Carnegie Hall" in NYC...to two sold out crowds and standing ovations..... to people decked out in ermine and mink.      Then appearing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.    As well as several other symphony orchestras later in his career.

Known as "The Ambassador of Country Music" and topping the charts for 145 weeks during his tremendous career.   His very first 92 releases charted....out of that number 71 were in the top 10...plus 28 hit the number 1 spot on the charts.    No one living or dead comes close to what Eddy has accomplished with hits in 7 straight decades.    His "Bouquet of Roses"  was in the number one spot longer than any other singer. He has had 3 books written about his career and starred in 2 movies.    In closing Eddy has been shunned by the media on more than one occasion.   When Mr. Guitar Man, the late and great Chet Atkins died they mentioned on T.V. that he produced for such greats as Elvis,...Roy Orbison,...The Everly Bros...and others.        Others??? what about Eddy Arnold......this peaked my interest...so I looked in Michael Streissguth's book on Eddy  titled "Pioneer Of The Nashville Sound".    In his sessionography Chet Atkins is listed  as producing 86 sessions for Eddy.........each session composed of 6 songs that's a total of 516 songs.   If there is any Artist that Chet Atkins has produced more for ....I'd sure like to know.    In fact I doubt very strongly that none of the aforementioned artist even recorded that many songs in their lifetime.   I think Ralph Emery of T.N.N. {Nashville Now} fame in his book..... "50 Years Down A Country Road".......says in all.        Where on the leaf of his book he writes "To Eddy Arnold Country Music's First Superstar" and dedicates the book to Eddy Arnold.       On  attached sheets please note the unbelievable  accomplishments this giant in Country music has achieved.

Respectfully submitted,

Don  Stewart
Stevens, Pa. 17578

Ms. Zarate
Special Assistant. to Director Of Honorary  Chair's and Awards.
Washindton, D.C.
Fax #  202 -456-6604  {Your letter must be faxed}