FISHER, EDDIE

FISHER, EDDIE (Edwin Jack Fisher; 1928– ), U.S. singer. Born in Philadelphia, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Fisher learned to sing in a synagogue. On tour in the Catskill Mountains in 1949, the young Fisher caught the attention of singer eddie cantor . Fisher got his first wide exposure as a frequent guest performer on Cantor's early-1950s TV broadcasts. Within a year, he was idolized throughout the country. He gave considerable assistance to Jewish charities. In 1953 Fisher was given his own 15-minute TV show, Coke Time, sponsored by Coca-Cola (1953–57). The show was so popular that the soft-drink company offered him an unprecedented one-million-dollar contract to be their national spokesperson. By 1954 Fisher had become one of the most popular singers in America. During that period he was, along with Perry Como and Elvis Presley, RCA Victor's top-selling pop vocalist. His many hits include "Any time"; "Oh, My Papa"; "Wish You Were Here"; "I Need You Now"; "Dungaree Doll"; "I'm Walking Behind You"; "Heart"; "Games That Lovers Play"; "Somebody Like You"; "Thinking of You"; "Turn Back the Hands of Time;" "Tell Me Why"; "I'm Yours"; "Lady of Spain"; "Count Your Blessings"; and "Cindy, Oh Cindy." In 1955 Eddie Fisher married actress Debbie Reynolds, but he divorced her and married elizabeth taylor in 1959 after a highly publicized affair that damaged his career. His third wife was singer-actress Connie Stevens. In addition to his many TV guest appearances, Fisher performed in three movies. He had a small part in the classic film All about Eve (1950). In 1956 he co-starred with Debbie Reynolds in the romantic comedy Bundle of Joy; and in 1960 he appeared in the drama Butterfield 8 with Liz Taylor, a film that won her an Academy Award. In 1963 Fisher recorded the live album Eddie Fisher at the Winter Garden for his own label, Ramrod. He returned to RCA in the mid-1960s to record the albums Games That Lovers Play; People Like You; and You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet. He did not record much during the rest of his career, but he continued to perform on concert stages and in nightclubs around America. Married five times, Fisher has four children, all of whom are in show business: Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher (with Debbie Reynolds); and Tricia Leigh Fisher and Joely Fisher (with Connie Stevens). Fisher has written two autobiographies, namely Eddie: My Life, My Loves (1981), and Been There, Done That (1999). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Greene, The Eddie Fisher Story (1978). (Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)