Voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” Dead at 74
“You’ve Got Mail!” Who remembers getting a notification like that? Well, that voice was Elwood Edwards and sources report that he has passed away at the age of 74.
Edwards died Tuesday, November 5, after battling a long illness the day before his birthday. WKYC-TV Studios in Cleveland made the announcement about this death to confirm his passing. Elwood was not only the voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail,” but he also worked at the news station for quite some time.
Elwood Edwards Passes Away at 74
In 1989, Edwards got his big gig and became the voice of America Online’s “You’ve Got Mail” message. During that time, he was paid $200 to record four different voice notes for the company. He recorded, “Welcome,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Files Done,” and “Goodbye.”
Once the company blew up and became a household name, Edwards’ voice became famous as well and known across the country. Many did not know what Edward looked like and some probably still are not aware of what he looked like. But, he did become somewhat of a small celebrity.
In 2015, Edwards made a small appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He delivered those famous lines and the world was finally able to hear his voice and see a face at the same time.
In recent years, there have not been many updates on where he was in his career. In October 2022, he appeared in an ad for Shopify where he read a new line, “You’ve got sales.” The commercial was a play on his original “You’ve Got Mail!”
Reports have not stated what his illness was, but he passed the day before his 75th birthday.
