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

When you’re not less than in your mid-30s (give or take), you understand the voice of Elwood Edwards, notice it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve bought mail!” and three different traces 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 at some point 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 may quickly bombard mailboxes throughout the US. “So, she volunteered my voice,” Edwards mentioned in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my lounge, I recorded the phrases that you simply’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 completed” and “Goodbye.” Within the 2012 video, he’s depicted getting hounded by numerous workers, prompting him to say the factor. (AOL is at present owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s mother or father firm.)

“So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he mentioned within the clip, “which, properly, I’ve a certain quantity of bother making an attempt to flee.”