Elwood Edwards net worth: Fortune explored as voice actor behind iconic 'You've Got Mail' alert dies aged 74
Elwood Edwards, the iconic voice behind AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” greeting, has died at 74 after a long illness. Known for his work as a camera operator and graphics staff at Cleveland’s WKYC station, Edwards became a minor celebrity for his distinctive voice. WKYC reported his passing on Tuesday, November 5.
They described him as a:
“Graphics guru, camera operator and general jack-of-all-trades.”
AOL, which initially started off as American Online, had Elwood Edwards and his wife, Karen, volunteer to add their voices to specific upcoming software in 1989. According to WKYC, the duo ended up recording four phrases in their living room, including “Welcome,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Files Done,” and "Goodbye,” in exchange for $200.
Those phrases ended up becoming an integral part of AOL, with Elwood Edwards’ voice echoing across systems in the world. Celebrity Net Worth reported that the voice actor boasts a net worth of $300,000.
More about Elwood Edwards’ fortune as former WKYC employee passes away
The November 1949-born started off in radio right after graduating from a Tar Heel state-based high school. He proceeded to work in television and as a live booth announcer, which is likely the source of his income.
After gaining popularity for his voice, Elwood Edwards ended up starring in a car commercial, news channels, sports news, and also as a weatherman at one point as per Celebrity Net Worth. Adding to his extensive resume, he also worked as a news graphics supervisor, general manager, operations manager, senior director, announcer, and production manager.
Elwood Edwords had not imagined that his voice would become so popular nationwide. In a 2019 Silent Giants with Corey Cambridge podcast interview, he said:
“I had no idea it would become what it did, I don’t think anybody did. Suddenly, AOL took off… I remember standing in line at CompUSA and seeing [stacks of AOL CDs] and thinking, ‘my voice is on every one of those, and nobody has a clue.”
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Edwards went on to voice act in movies like The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and You’ve Got Mail. He also voice-acted in a The Simpsons episode.
The New Bern, North Carolina-native, who admitted to enjoying working “behind the scenes” in the aforementioned podcast also ended up appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In WKYC’s tribute, Edwards’ colleague and senior broadcast director, Frank Macek, who had been friends with the former for 15 of the 30 years Edwards worked at the station, said:
“Every time someone would come to visit at WKYC, he’d introduce himself and they’d recognize him. There was such an association between his voice and AOL for such a long period of time that he became an instant celebrity as a result.”
One of Elwood Edwards’ most recent projects included voice acting in a 2022 Shopify advertisement campaign.
Details about funeral arrangements were unknown at the time of writing this article.