Claims to fame:
- The "Jewish Sinatra" was one of the postwar era's biggest pop idols
- The first major Jewish-American singing star of the era
- A major teen idol, and one of the first to make the transition into both TV and movies
- His romances/marriages with Hollywood sweethearts and femme fatales represent the very beginning of American celebrity culture
- Was second only to Perry Como as RCA's biggest-selling vocalist
- Father of Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame
Born:
Edwin Jack Fisher on August 10, 1928 in Philadelphia, PA; died September 22, 2010, Berkeley, CA
Styles:
Pop Vocal, Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening, Broadway
Early years:
Eddie Fisher was born the son of immigrant Russian Jews, and he followed the Jewish community's ladder of success closely: having learned to sing in temple, he progressed to local radio, then was hired as a big-band singer (first as Buddy Morrow's lead vocalist, then Charlie Ventura's). Eventually he made his way to the famed resorts of New York's Catskill Mountains. There, he was taken in by publicist and manager Milton Blackstone, who came up with an ingenious way to ensure Fisher's national success: he prevailed upon Jewish singing legend Eddie Cantor to "discover" him at the famous resort Grossinger's.
Success:
With the "discovery" story planted in the media, Blackstone then took a page from the Frank Sinatra story and hired teenage girls to swoon for the young singer; soon, Eddie Fisher was a household word, signed by RCA in 1949 as the next big teen idol. Though he was drafted into the Army in 1951, his fans stayed loyal, and his star status was cemented in 1955 when he married "America's Sweetheart," actress Debbie Reynolds. Although rock and roll cut into his popularity, Fisher continued to maintain popularity on stage and screen. However, scandal would soon derail his career.
Later years:
Eddie began an affair with sultry actress Elizabeth Taylor in the late Fifties, a scandal made worse by the fact that Taylor was only recently widowed from Fisher's best friend, film producer Mike Todd. The subsequent public outrage was unlike anything seen in Hollywood, and when Taylor met Richard Burton on the set of the 1964 epic film Cleopatra, she left Eddie for him, causing further scandal. Between this, changing musical tastes, and an increasingly horrifying addiction to amphetamines, Fisher's career went into a tailspin from which it never recovered. He died in 2010 of complications from hip surgery.
#1 Eddie Fisher hits:
Pop:
"Wish You Were Here" (1952)
"I'm Walking Behind You" (1953)
"Oh! My Pa-Pa" (1953)
"I Need You Now" (1954)
"Wish You Were Here" (1952)
"I'm Walking Behind You" (1953)
"Oh! My Pa-Pa" (1953)
"I Need You Now" (1954)
Top 10 Eddie Fisher hits:
Pop:
"Thinking Of You" (1950)
"Turn Back The Hands Of Time" (1951)
"Any Time" (1951)
"Tell Me Why" (1952)
"Forgive Me" (1952)
"That's The Chance You Take" (1953)
"I'm Yours" (1952)
"Maybe" with Perry Como (1952)
"Lady Of Spain" (1952)
"Outside Of Heaven" (1952)
"Even Now" (1953)
"Downhearted" (1953)
"With These Hands" (1953)
"Many Times" (1953)
"A Girl, A Girl" (1954)
"Green Years" (1954)
"The Little Shoemaker" with Hugo Winterhalter (1954)
"Count Your Blessings" (1954)
"Heart" (1955)
"Dungaree Doll" (1955)
"Cindy, Oh Cindy" (1956)
"Thinking Of You" (1950)
"Turn Back The Hands Of Time" (1951)
"Any Time" (1951)
"Tell Me Why" (1952)
"Forgive Me" (1952)
"That's The Chance You Take" (1953)
"I'm Yours" (1952)
"Maybe" with Perry Como (1952)
"Lady Of Spain" (1952)
"Outside Of Heaven" (1952)
"Even Now" (1953)
"Downhearted" (1953)
"With These Hands" (1953)
"Many Times" (1953)
"A Girl, A Girl" (1954)
"Green Years" (1954)
"The Little Shoemaker" with Hugo Winterhalter (1954)
"Count Your Blessings" (1954)
"Heart" (1955)
"Dungaree Doll" (1955)
"Cindy, Oh Cindy" (1956)
Adult Contemporary:
"Games That Lovers Play" (1966)
"People Like You" (1967)
Top 10 Eddie Fisher albums:
Pop:
I Love You (1955)
I Love You (1955)
Other Eddie Fisher facts and trivia:
- Fisher's family name was Anglicized from "Fisch" upon arriving at Ellis Island
- Eddie's childhood nickname was "Sonny Boy," after a popular Al Jolson song
- Famed gossip columnist Rona Barrett was the President and founder of Fisher's first fan club
- Eddie received so much fan mail while in the Army that his it took his entire platoon to go through it
- At the height of his popularity, Fisher placed 22 singles on the charts in just under two years
Eddie Fisher awards and honors:
- Hollywood Walk of Fame: 6241 Hollywood Blvd. (recording), 1724 Vine St. (television)
Covered by:
The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, Bill Black, Harry James, Bert Kaempfert, Riders In The Sky, Connie Francis, Duane Eddy, Boots Randolph, Dorothy Squires, Roger Williams, Leon Redbone, Eddy Arnold, Hugo Winterhalter, Patsy Cline, Pat Boone, Red Sovine, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, Hank Crawford, Helen Merrill, Charlie Rich, Anne Murray, Dean Martin, The Osmonds
Eddie Fisher movie appearances:
"Bundle Of Joy" (1956), "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959), "BUtterfield 8" (1960), "High Tide" (1987)
Other important songs by Eddie Fisher:
"You Can't Be True, Dear," "Bring Back The Thrill," "Unless," "I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)," "Turn Back The Hands Of Time," "Trust In Me," "Just A Little Lovin'," "Watermelon Weather" with Perry Como, "I Remember When," "The Hand Of Fate," "Everything I Have Is Yours," "Christmas Day," "You're All I Want For Christmas," "How Do You Speak To An Angel?," "Just Another Polka," "Just To Be With You," "Anema E Core," "My Friend," "The Magic Tango" with Hugo Winterhalter, "Heaven Was Never Like This," "Fanny," "A Man Chases A Girl," "(I'm Always Hearing) Wedding Bells," "Song Of The Dreamer," "Don't Stay Away Too Long," "Magic Fingers," "I Wanna Go Where You Go," "Everybody's Got A Home But Me," "Without You," "No Other One," "On The Street Where You Live," "Sweet Heartaches," "O My Maria," "Some Day Soon," "Tonight My Heart Will Be Crying," "Sunshine Girl," "Tonight," "Arrivederci, Roma," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Young And Foolish," "How I Know"
