The voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve bought mail!’ has died at 74

In the event you’re at the least in your mid-30s (give or take), the voice of Elwood Edwards, understand it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve bought mail!” and three different strains for Quantum Laptop 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 (via Selection) that Edwards handed away in the future earlier than what would have been his seventy fifth birthday. He was a longtime off-camera presence on 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 will quickly bombard mailboxes throughout the US. “So, she volunteered my voice,” Edwards mentioned in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my front room, I recorded the phrases that you just’ve come to know.”

He was paid a grand whole of $200 for his voiceover work.

The brand new-message catchphrase, recorded in Edwards’ calm and welcoming voice, grew to become a cultural phenomenon in AOL’s ‘90s and early 2000s heyday. In fact, 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 executed” and “Goodbye.” Within the 2012 video, he’s depicted getting hounded by varied workers, prompting him to say the factor. (AOL is presently owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s mother or father firm.)

“So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he mentioned within the clip, “which, effectively, I’ve a specific amount of hassle attempting to flee.”