If you’re at least in your mid-30s (offer or take), you understand the voice of Elwood Edwards, understand it or not. He taped the expression, “You’ve got mail!” and 3 other lines for Quantum Computer Services in 1989. That business later on rebranded to America Online, and the rest is early web history. Edwards passed away on Tuesday.
WKYC Reported (through Rangethat Edwards died one day before what would have been his 75th birthday. He was a long time off-camera existence at the Cleveland television station, working as a graphic designer, electronic camera operator and jack-of-all-trades worker.
His spouse, Karen Edwards, operated at Quantum when she heard the business’s then-CEO speaking about requiring a voice for the software application that would quickly bombard mail boxes throughout the United States. “So, she offered my voice,” Edwards stated in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my living-room, I tape-recorded the expressions that you’ve familiarized.”
He was paid a grand overall of $200 for his voiceover work.
The new-message catchphrase, taped in Edwards’ calm and inviting voice, ended up being a cultural phenomenon in AOL’s ’90s and early 2000s prime time. Obviously, that consisted of motivating the 1998 Nora Ephron rom-com’s title.
Edwards likewise contributed 3 (lower recognized however still kept in mind by numerous) AOL expressions: “Welcome,” “File’s done” and “Goodbye.” In the 2012 video, he’s illustrated getting pestered by different workers, triggering him to state the important things. (AOL is presently owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s moms and dad business.)
“So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he stated in the clip, “which, well, I have a particular quantity of problem attempting to leave.”
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