Slim Whitman, the country yodeler with the distinct falsetto, died in Orange Park, FL., yesterday of heart failure. He was 90 years old.

Whitman started his professional music career after he returned from serving in World War II. He started off with the Variety Rhythm Boys and caught a break when he was heard by Col. Tom Parker (who later went on to become Elvis Presley’s manager). With Parker’s help, Whitman got a record deal with RCA Victor. His first single dropped in 1948. But 1952 was Whitman’s big year; he landed Top 10 hits with “Indian Love Call” and “Keep It a Secret.” “Rose Marie” was a big hit in the U.K., sitting comfortably sitting in the top spot on the charts for 11 weeks. Other hits included “The Bells That Broke My Heart,” “More than Yesterday,” “Something to Remember” and “When.” Whitman was an influential artist; Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all called him one of their favorites. Whitman’s last album, Twilight on the Trail, was released in 2010.