The Voice Of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” Passed Away

The voice of AOL’s iconic greeting, “You’ve Got Mail”, Elwood Edwards, died yesterday.  He was 74.  Millions heard his voice when they got their email from America Online.

Some background: Beginning in 1993, AOL was a dial-up service to surf the internet and get email.  But to get people hooked on their free trial software, they mailed out millions of CDs that offered hundreds of “FREE!” hours.  Many didn’t understand how it would infiltrate their new computer.  When the hours ran out, they had to pay.  When they got email, they heard Elwood.

In 1998, 50% of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo on it.  They were logging in new subscribers at the rate of one every six seconds.  Verizon bought AOL in 2015 for $4.4 billion.