Elwood Edwards, known to millions worldwide as the voice of AOL’s email greeting, ‘You’ve Got Mail,’ has died.
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Cleveland television station WKYC, where Edwards once worked as a behind-the-scenes graphics and camera operator, confirmed the news of his passing on Tuesday following a “long illness.”
AOL users from back in the day will immediately recognize his voice. Over 30 years ago, Edwards recorded the four iconic lines for what was then a relatively obscure company known as America Online.
His wife, Karen, was employed at Quantum Computer Services, which later evolved into AOL, as noted by Edwards in a 2012 AOL YouTube video. In 1989, she happened to overhear a conversation involving Steve Case, the former CEO of America Online, about integrating voice features into the upcoming AOL software.
Karen enlisted her husband, and Edwards captured the phrases using a cassette deck in his living room. Those four phrases—“Welcome,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Files Done,” and “Goodbye”—would ultimately resonate with hundreds of millions and become iconic elements of the AOL experience.
Elwood Edwards’s paycheck for becoming the voice of the early internet?
$200.
Elwood Edwards Became Known Worldwide as the Voice of AOL
Although his face remained hidden, Elwood managed to attain a degree of minor celebrity. In 2015, he made a memorable appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the bit, he delivered his iconic greeting along with various phrases suggested by the audience.
During his appearance, Elwood was billed as “The ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Guy.”
For years, Edwards was a versatile team member at WKYC, a television station in Cleveland, Ohio. He excelled in various roles ranging from camera operator to graphics specialist.
Frank Macek, senior broadcast director at WKYC, was friends with Edwards for half of his 30 years at the station. He described Edwards as a generous mentor in broadcasting. Macek said Elwood was always willing to help his colleagues navigate new systems and share his vast knowledge.
“Every time someone would come to visit at WKYC, he’d introduce himself, and they’d recognize him,” Macek told CNN. “There was such an association between his voice and AOL for such a long period of time. He became an instant celebrity as a result.”
Edwards was born in New Bern, North Carolina, where he also graduated from high school. In an interview on the podcast “Silent Giants with Corey Cambridge,” he shared that he began his career in radio during high school. He then transitioned to television as a booth announcer and hosted his own radio show.
“I didn’t enjoy being on camera as much as I enjoyed being behind the scenes,” Edwards said on the podcast, per CNN.
According to WKYC, Elwood passed away just one day before celebrating his 75th birthday.