When you’re at least in your mid-30s (give or take), you recognize the voice of Elwood Edwards, understand it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve got mail!” and three different strains for Quantum Pc Companies in 1989. That firm later rebranded to America On-line, and the remaining is early web historical past. Edwards died on Tuesday.
WKYC first reported (through Selection) that Edwards handed away at some point earlier than what would have been his seventy fifth birthday. He was a longtime off-camera presence at the Cleveland TV station, working as a graphic designer, digital camera operator and jack-of-all-trades worker.
His spouse, Karen Edwards, labored at Quantum when she heard the corporate’s then-CEO speaking about needing a voice for the software program that may quickly bombard mailboxes throughout the US. “So, she volunteered my voice,” Edwards mentioned in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my living room, I recorded the phrases that you’ve come to know.”
He was paid a grand complete of $200 for his voiceover work.
The new-message catchphrase, recorded in Edwards’ calm and welcoming voice, turned a cultural phenomenon in AOL’s ‘90s and early 2000s heyday. Of course, that included inspiring the 1998 Nora Ephron rom-com’s title.
Edwards additionally contributed three (lesser identified however nonetheless remembered by many) AOL sayings: “Welcome,” “File’s done” and “Goodbye.” Within the 2012 video, he’s depicted getting hounded by varied staff, prompting him to say the factor. (AOL is presently owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s mum or dad firm.)
“So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he mentioned within the clip, “which, well, I have a certain amount of trouble trying to escape.”
