Current:Home > NewsElwood Edwards, Voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” Message, Dead at 74-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Elwood Edwards, Voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” Message, Dead at 74
lotradecoin versus other crypto exchanges View Date:2024-12-26 02:15:36
America has said goodbye to one of its most memorable voices.
Elwood Edwards, who recorded the famous “you’ve got mail” notification for AOL has died after a long illness, according to NBC affiliate WKYC, where he worked as a “jack-of-all-trades” until his retirement in 2014. He was 74.
“Every time someone would come to visit at WKYC, he’d introduce himself and they’d recognize him,” Frank Macek, senior broadcast director at WKYC, told CNN. “There was such an association between his voice and AOL for such a long period of time that he became an instant celebrity as a result.”
So, how did Edwards originally land the gig? He has his wife to thank for seizing an opportunity.
“It all started when my wife Karen, who worked for Quantum Computer Services, overheard [CEO] Steve Case talking about adding a voice to the then-upcoming AOL software in 1989,” Edwards said in a 2012 video shared to AOL’s YouTube channel. “So, she volunteered my voice and, on a cassette deck in my living room, I recorded the phrases that you’ve come to know.”
In addition to the email notification, he recorded the phrases, “welcome,” “files done” and “goodbye” and was given a one-time payment of $200. Though he once told CNBC that he had a “good relationship with AOL,” he also clarified that he has never received any residual payments.
In the 35 years since recording the instantly-recognizable phrases, Edwards has been amazed by the popularity of his freelance gig, which even led to a 2015 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“I had no idea it would become what it did—I don’t think anybody did,” Edwards said in a 2019 interview on the Silent Giants with Corey Cambridge podcast. “Suddenly, AOL took off… I remember standing in line at CompUSA and seeing [stacks of AOL CDs] and thinking, ‘My voice is on every one of those, and nobody has a clue.’”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (2)
Related
- Rob Schneider Responds to Daughter Elle King Calling Out His Parenting
- 1 man believed dead, 2 others found alive after Idaho avalanche, authorities say
- How 'The Book of Clarence' brings 'majesty' back to the Hollywood biblical epic
- Ohio woman who suffered miscarriage at home won't be charged with corpse abuse
- These six House races are ones to watch in this year’s election
- Nearly 10,000 COVID deaths reported last month as JN.1 variant spread at holiday gatherings, WHO says
- SEC approves bitcoin ETFs, opening up cryptocurrency trading to everyday investors
- T. rex fossil unearthed decades ago is older, more primitive relative of iconic dinosaur, scientists say
- The State Fair of Texas is banning firearms, drawing threats of legal action from Republican AG
- YouTubers Austin and Catherine McBroom Break Up After Nearly 7 Years of Marriage
Ranking
- Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
- 'Jellyfish', 'Chandelier' latest reported UFOs caught on video to stoke public interest
- Boeing's door plug installation process for the 737 Max 9 is concerning, airline safety expert says
- Forecast warned of avalanche risk ahead of deadly avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort
- Don't be fooled by the name and packaging: Fruit snacks are rarely good for you. Here's why.
- Panamanian commission visits copper mine shut down after court invalidated concession
- Former Canadian political leader Ed Broadbent, a social democracy stalwart, dies at 87
- Ariana Madix Details Rollercoaster Journey From Scandoval to Broadway Debut
Recommendation
-
US Army intelligence analyst pleads guilty to selling military secrets to China
-
North Carolina man convicted of hate crime charges in 2 separate confrontations
-
United Airlines plane makes an emergency landing after a warning about a possible door issue
-
Original 1998 'Friends' scripts discovered in trash bin up for sale on Friday
-
Democrats try to block Green Party from presidential ballot in Wisconsin, citing legal issues
-
Illinois secretary of state tells drivers to ‘ditch the DMV’ and register online
-
Scientists explain why the record-shattering 2023 heat has them on edge. Warming may be worsening
-
Think Bill Belichick is retiring? Then I've got a closet of cut-off hoodies to sell you