Eddie Fisher (singer)

Eddie Fisher ( born: Edwin John Fisher, born August 10, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † 22 September 2010 in Berkeley, California ) was an American singer and entertainer.

Life

Eddie Fisher was born as the fourth of seven children of Jewish- Russian immigrant Joseph Fish and Kate Winokur, who changed her surname after immigrating to the United States in Fisher. Early discovered the then Sonny just called Eddie his singing talent. At age 16, he began to sing in bands, was in New York City discovered by Eddie Cantor and 1949 nationally known through a radio broadcast. Cantor gave him a record deal with RCA Records. 1950 Fisher had with his second single Thinking of You, which peaked at rank 5, the first singles chart success. In 1951 he was drafted, served in the army temporarily in Korea and has performed with various military bands.

The 1950s were Fishers decade: He had 1950-1956 - that is, in the period before the rock and roll - not less than 50 hits in the top 30 of the Billboard charts, including with Wish You Were Here (1952 ), Just Another polka ( 1953), Oh! My Pa - Pa ( 1953) I Need You Now (1954 ) four number - one hits. In addition, he had from 1953 to 1959 his own television show and numerous guest appearances on shows from colleagues such as Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. Eddie Fisher gave concerts in many major houses of the United States and had shows in Las Vegas, New York and London.

Even in the movies Eddie Fisher was represented. With two of his wives he stood in front of the camera: In the movie musical Bundle of Joy 1956 he played alongside Debbie Reynolds; In 1960 he was 8 with his second wife Elizabeth Taylor to see in the drama Butterfield, who won an Oscar for her role.

Also in the wake of his headline-grabbing divorce from Reynolds and Taylor - - In the 1960s, Fisher's successes were in the singles charts in decline., Added his RCA LP Games That Lovers Play 1966 Nelson Riddle, on the other hand was the best-selling album of his career.

The early 1970s, Fisher was broke because he the greatest part of his fortune ( as he later known in his autobiography ) had gambled in casinos and spent on drugs. In 1984, he tried with the new recorded album After All a comeback, but he was unable to repeat earlier successes.

In 1981 his autobiography, Eddie: My Lives, my Loves, which was followed by a second entitled Been There, Done That 1999.

Eddie Fisher was given in February 1960 two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in the category of music recordings for his record ( at address 6241 Hollywood Boulevard ) and a second in the television category for his television shows ( at the address 1641 Vine Street ).

Fisher died at the age of 82 years at a hospital in Berkeley, California after complications following a hip operation.

Family

With his turbulent private life Fisher has repeatedly hit the headlines; He was married five times and has four children. From his marriage with Debbie Reynolds (1955-1959), the actress and author Carrie Fisher and son Todd Fisher come. In 1959 he was divorced Reynolds to marry in the same year Elizabeth Taylor, his had died the previous year close friend Michael Todd 's widow. The marriage with Taylor in 1964 again divorced when Taylor fell in love with Richard Burton. From Fisher's third wife, the actress and singer Connie Stevens (1967-1969), the two actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher emerged. After a brief marriage with the beauty queen Terry Richard (1975 /76) was from Fisher married in 1993 with the Chinese -born businesswoman, Betty Lin ( † 2001).

Fisher's daughter Carrie Fisher wrote the novel and the screenplay for the TV movie These Old Broads (2001), where her mother Debbie Reynolds and her stepmother Elizabeth Taylor play the lead roles.

Relationship to the " Rat Pack "

Legendary is Fisher's reputation as a quasi " natural enemy " of Frank Sinatra, the twinkle in his eye since the 1950s repeatedly and publicly ridiculed him for his supposed lack of singing talent and compared Fisher's work style as a singer with a snare drum. Later, other members of the so-called by the press Rat Pack joined in Sinatra's entourage at these jokes, and developed it into a running gag; Dean Martin about said as he made ​​fun of his own ( mostly just played ) alcohol consumption on the stage: " I need alcohol in order to believe I'm Dean Martin, a singer, a movie star. Without booze, I'm Eddie Fisher. " ( " I need alcohol to believe that I am Dean Martin, a singer, a movie star. Alk Without I 'm Eddie Fisher. "). 1965 Fishers countered Sinatra LP release Eddie Fisher Today ( Dot Records) with his similarly titled Reprise album Sinatra '65: The Singer Today.

Sinatra and Fisher had off stage, however, a good relationship and completed in March 1958 in Sinatra The Frank Sinatra Show ( ABC) also shared vocal performances in front of the camera. In 1953, Sinatra had recorded a cover version of I'm Walking Behind You Fishers hit at his first recording session for Capitol Records; 1962 Sinatra gave Fisher an engagement at the Casino Cal Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe. Likewise, Fisher entered the 1960s on several occasions in Dean Martin's television show.

Discography

Singles ( only U.S. Top 30 hits)

Albums

Filmography

Autobiographies

• Eddie Fisher: Eddie. My Life, My Loves. Harper & Row, New York 1981. ISBN 0-060-14907-8.
• Eddie Fisher: Been There, Done That. St Martin's Press, New York 1999. ISBN 0 - 312-20972 -X.