Elwood Hughes Edwards Jr. (November 6, 1949 – November 5, 2024) was an American voice actor. He was best known as the voice of various soundmarks for the Internet service provider America Online which he first recorded in 1989.[2][3][4] This included AOL's trademark "You've got mail" greeting.[4]
Elwood Edwards | |
|---|---|
 Edwards in 2015[1] | |
| Born | Elwood Hughes Edwards Jr. November 6, 1949 Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | November 5, 2024 (aged 74) New Bern, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New Bern High School |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1964–2016 |
| Known for | Voice acting for AOL |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
Career
editEdwards started in radio while in high school, in 1964.[5][6] After high school, he continued into television, working as a live booth announcer. Despite some on-air work, including a car commercial, reporting news or sports, and a short stint as a weatherman, Edwards focused mainly on off-camera work, with work ranging from graphics to operating cameras.[5][6] He later worked at WKYC in Cleveland, until his retirement in 2016.[5]
In 1989, Edwards's wife, an employee for online service Q-Link, overheard company CEO Steve Case describe how he wanted to add a voice to its user interface.[2] She recommended Edwards for the job, and he was paid $200 (equivalent to $492 in 2023) to record the lines.[5] In October, his voice premiered on AOL's new program. His greetings include "Welcome", "You've got mail", "You've got pictures", "You've got voicemail", "File's done", and "Goodbye", all recorded in his own living room on a cassette deck.[7]
His voice also appeared in a 2000 episode of The Simpsons, "Little Big Mom" (where he provided the voice of a virtual doctor, saying "You've got leprosy"), and in advertising for the 1998 film You've Got Mail.[5]
After retirement, he sold personalized WAV files through his website.[8]
On the March 4, 2015, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Edwards appeared on screen to read phrases which were meant to be humorous.[9] As of November 2016, Edwards was seen on Instagram and YouTube working as an Uber driver.[10][11][12] On September 16, 2019, Edwards and his AOL story were featured on the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz in an episode entitled "You've Got Mail".[13][14][15]
In October 2022, Edwards appeared in a television ad for the e-commerce platform Shopify, in which he announced "You've got sales" to sellers on the platform.[16]
Personal life and death
editElwood Hughes Edwards Jr. was born in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on November 6, 1949, and grew up primarily in North Carolina, first in Beaufort and then in New Bern.[5][17] He graduated from New Bern High School in 1967.[18] Edwards was a Baptist and was a minister at one point.[6]
Edwards married Betsy Fulcher, and they had two children before divorcing.[5] He then married Karen Adams, whom he had met online through a Q-Link dating service; their marriage also ended in divorce.[6]
Edwards died of complications from a stroke at his home in New Bern, North Carolina, on November 5, 2024, at age 74.[5][19][20]
Other jobs
editReferences
edit- ^ Najib, Shafiq (November 8, 2024). "Man behind AOL's 'You've Got Mail' greeting dies at 74". ABC News. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Sittenfeld, Curtis (September 30, 1998). "He's the Voice of the Net Generation". Fast Company. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Where Are They Now? Elwood Edwards". Cleveland Magazine. December 2009.
- ^ a b "Remembering Elwood Edwards: AOL's Legendary Voice That Welcomed Us All Online". AOL. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lindner, Emmett (November 7, 2024). "Elwood Edwards, Voice of AOL's 'You've Got Mail' Alert, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Harrison (November 8, 2024). "Elwood Edwards, voice of AOL's 'you've got mail' greeting, dies at 74". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Kim, Eun Kyung (March 27, 2014). "'You've got mail' guy: I recorded phrase on a cassette in my living". Today. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "Home page of El Edwards, the Voice of "You've got mail"". 2007. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008.
- ^ "Watch The 'You've Got Mail' Guy Read Ridiculous One-Liners on 'Fallon'". Above Average Productions. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ AOL Youve Got Mail Guy Is Now An Uber Driver In Ohio. Trant23. November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ Bruner, Raisa (November 8, 2016). "This Woman Got an Uber Ride from the Voice Behind AOL's Iconic 'You've Got Mail' Message". Time. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Farokhmanesh, Megan (November 7, 2016). "The voice of AOL's iconic 'you've got mail' has a side gig driving Ubers". The Verge. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "You've Got Mail". Twenty Thousand Hertz. September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "Twenty Thousand Hertz – You've Got Mail!". Stitcher. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "Twenty Thousand Hertz". Apple Podcasts. August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Zafarris, Jess; Lepitak, Stephen (October 14, 2022). "Marketing Morsels: 'You've Got Mail' AOL Guy Is Back". Adweek. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Maruf, Ramishah (November 7, 2024). "Elwood Edwards, voice of AOL's iconic greeting 'You've Got Mail,' dies at 74". CNN. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ Cotten Funeral Home (November 5, 2024). "Elwood Edwards Obituary – New Bern, NC". Dignity Memorial. Service Corporation International. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "Voice of AOL's 'You've Got Mail' greeting Elwood Edwards, a former WKYC employee, dies at 74". WKYC. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ Jackson, Ashleigh (November 7, 2024). "Elwood Edwards, man who voiced iconic 'You've got mail' alert, has died". WDHN. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Haidet, Ryan C. (March 27, 2014). "Meet the local voice of AOL's 'You've Got Mail'". WKYC. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
