Ed Ames
Encyclopedia
Ed Ames is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 popular
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...

 singer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses
When the Snow Is on the Roses
"When the Snow Is on the Roses" is a country music song made famous by Sonny James. The record became an Adult Contemporary hit for Ed Ames in 1967, spending four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart, but only reached #98 on the Billboard Hot 100....

" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over
My Cup Runneth Over
"My Cup Runneth Over" is a quotation from the Hebrew Bible and means "I have more than enough for my needs" though interpretations and usage may vary. Notably, it can be employed sarcastically to indicate that someone, e.g...

." He was part of a popular 1950s singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

 group called The Ames Brothers.

Early life

Born in Malden, Massachusetts
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...

 to Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...

 parents who had immigrated from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, Ed Ames was the youngest of nine children, five boys and four girls.

Ames grew up in a poor household. He attended the Boston Latin School
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....

 and was educated in Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

 and Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 music, as well as literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

.

While still in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, the brothers formed a quartet and often won competitions around the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 area. Three of the brothers later formed the Amory Brothers quartet and went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, where they were hired by bandleader Art Mooney
Art Mooney
Art Mooney was an American popular bandleader. His biggest hits were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face" in 1948 and "Nuttin' For Christmas," with Barry Gordon, in 1955...

. Playwright Abe Burrows
Abe Burrows
Abe Burrows was a Tony and Pulitzer-winning American humorist, author, and director for radio and the stage.-Early years:...

 helped the brothers along the way, suggesting the siblings change their group's name to the Ames Brothers
Ames Brothers
The Ames Brothers were a singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop music hits.-Biography:The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born...

.

Early career

They were first signed on with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

 in 1948, but because of the Musician Union's ban, their records from Decca were never released. They signed on with another label, Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....

, a subsidiary of Decca. They had their first major hit in the 1950s with the double-sided "Ragg Mopp" and "Sentimental Me." The Brothers joined RCA Victor records and continued to have success throughout the 50s with many hits like "It Only Hurts For a Little While," "You, You, You" and "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane." The brothers made appearances regularly on variety shows, and for a short period of time had their own 15 minute variety show in 1955.

Acting career

In 1960, The Ames Brothers disbanded, and Ed Ames, pursuing a career in acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....

, studied at the Herbert Berghoff School. His first starring role was in an Off Broadway production of Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...

's The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...

, going on to starring performances in The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...

 and Carnival!
Carnival!
Carnival is a 1961 musical with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili.-Background:...

, which was on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

. He was in the national touring company of Carnival.

Although Ames is of Ukrainian extraction, his dark complexion and facial bone structure led to his being cast regularly as an American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

. His greatest success as a stage actor came when he played Chief Bromden in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...

, opposite Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...

.

Talent scouts at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

 saw Ed in the production and invited him to play the Native American Mingo on the television show Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...

, with Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...

, Patricia Blair
Patricia Blair
Patricia Blair is an American television and film actress, primarily on 1950s and 1960s television. She is probably best known as Lou Mallory on the classic Western series The Rifleman where she co starred in 22 episodes with Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford and veteran actor Paul Fix; and as...

, Darby Hinton
Darby Hinton
Darby Hinton is an American actor and filmmaker initially cast in commercials when he was six months old. From 1964–1970 he portrayed Israel Boone, a son of American pioneer Daniel Boone, on the NBC adventure series Daniel Boone, with Fess Parker in the title role...

 and Veronica Cartwright
Veronica Cartwright
Veronica A. Cartwright is an English-born American actress who has worked mainly in American film and television. She is best known for her role of Lambert in Alien, for which she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress....

. In two episodes of Season One, Ames also portrayed Mingo's evil twin
Evil twin
The evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...

 brother, Taramingo.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

While playing Mingo on television, Ames developed some skill in throwing a tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...

. This led to one of the most memorable moments of his career, when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....

 on April 29, 1965. During the course of the show, Ames and Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...

 were discussing Ames' tomahawk throwing abilities. When Ames claimed that he could hit a target from across the room, Carson asked Ames if he could demonstrate this skill. Ames agreed, and a wood panel with a chalk outline of a cowboy was brought on to the stage. Ames proceeded to throw the tomahawk, which hit the "cowboy" square in the groin with the handle pointing upward. This led to a very long burst of laughter from the audience. After a moment, Ames proceeded to walk toward the target to retrieve the tomahawk but Carson stopped him and allowed the situation to be appreciated for its humor. Carson ad-libbed, "I didn't even know you were Jewish" and "Welcome to Frontier Bris." Ames then asked Carson if he would like to take a turn throwing, to which Carson replied, "I can't hurt him any more than you did." The clip became a favorite of Carson's own yearly highlight show and subsequently blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...

 television specials.

Singing career

Ames recorded under the name "Eddie Ames" while still with the Ames Brothers, releasing the single "Bean Song (Which Way To Boston?)" in 1957.

During the 1960s, Ames returned to singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, this time as a solo artist. He released his first RCA Victor chart single, "Try to Remember," in 1965. The song barely made the charts. A bigger success came in 1967 with "My Cup Runneth Over
My Cup Runneth Over
"My Cup Runneth Over" is a quotation from the Hebrew Bible and means "I have more than enough for my needs" though interpretations and usage may vary. Notably, it can be employed sarcastically to indicate that someone, e.g...

." The song was both a Pop hit and an Adult Contemporary hit. He had less success on the Pop charts soon after, and only had Adult Contemporary hits with "When the Snow Is On the Roses," "Time Time", "Pete Raids", and "Timeless Love". He did make the Pop Top Twenty one last time in his singing career with the song "Who Will Answer" in 1968.

Ames's distinctive baritone is a regular radio presence during Christmas season, too, thanks to his version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Written originally in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

, the song received its best-selling treatment from Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

 in 1962, but Ames' version, recorded a few years later, is in frequent holiday rotation.

Personal life

While maintaining his career, he attended UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...

, receiving his degree in theater and cinema arts in 1975. At the age of 82, Ames, saying "I am a secular Jew, but I feel strongly about Israel and the Jewish communities of Europe" became president of the Zionist Organization of America
Zionist Organization of America
The Zionist Organization of America , founded in 1897, was one of the first official Zionist organizations in the United States, and, especially early in the 20th century, the primary representative of Jewish Americans to the World Zionist Organization, espousing primarily Political Zionism.Today,...

's Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 chapter.

Singles

Year Single US AC US Pop
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

Album
1965 "Try to Remember" 17 73 39 Try to Remember
1967 "My Cup Runneth Over
My Cup Runneth Over
"My Cup Runneth Over" is a quotation from the Hebrew Bible and means "I have more than enough for my needs" though interpretations and usage may vary. Notably, it can be employed sarcastically to indicate that someone, e.g...

"
1 8 9 My Cup Runneth Over
"Time, Time
Time, Time (song)
"Time, Time" is the title track of a 1967 album by Ed Ames. The song is also known as "Tu As Beau Sourire" . It became Ames' second of three number ones on the Easy Listening chart in the US, when it topped the chart in June 1967. On the Billboard Hot 100, "Time, Time" peaked at number sixty-one....

"
1 61 - Time, Time
"Timeless Love" 2 - - Timeless Love
"When the Snow is on the Roses
When the Snow Is on the Roses
"When the Snow Is on the Roses" is a country music song made famous by Sonny James. The record became an Adult Contemporary hit for Ed Ames in 1967, spending four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart, but only reached #98 on the Billboard Hot 100....

"
1 98 - When the Snow is on the Roses
1968 "Who Will Answer?" 6 19 6 Who Will Answer and Other Songs of our Time
"Apologize" 10 79 47 Apologize
"All My Love's Laughter" 12 122 -
"Kiss Her Now" 22 - - The Hits of Broadway and Hollywood
1969 "Changing, Changing" 11 130 - A Time For Living, A Time For Hope
"Son of a Travelin' Man" 21 92 - The Windmills of Your Mind
"Think Summer" (with Marilyn Maye
Marilyn Maye
Marilyn Maye is an American cabaret singer and musical theatre actress. She began her career as a young child performing in Kansas in both live concerts and on the radio. After graduating from high school, she moved to Chicago where she drew the attention of Steve Allen, performing first on The...

)
17 - -
"Leave Them a Flower" 19 - - Love of the Common People
"Thing Called Love" 21 - -
1970 "Three Good Reasons" 38 - - Sing Away the World
"Chippewa Town" 36 - -

Albums

  • Try to Remember, RCA Victor 2781, 1964
  • More I Cannot Wish You, RCA Victor 3636, 1966
  • It's A Man's World, RCA Victor, 1966
  • My Cup Runneth Over, RCA Victor 3774, 1967
  • Time, Time
    Time, Time
    Time, Time is an album by pop/adult contemporary vocalist Ed Ames.-Track listing:#Time, Time #Michelle #Pretend #Somethin' Stupid #Here with You #Cabaret...

    , RCA Victor 3834, 1967
  • Christmas with Ed Ames, RCA Victor 3838, 1967
  • When the Snow Is on the Roses, RCA Victor 3913, 1968
  • Who Will Answer?, RCA Victor 3961, 1968
  • Apologize, RCA Victor 4028, 1968
  • The Hits of Broadway and Hollywood, RCA Victor 4079, 1968
  • The Windmills of Your Mind 1969 RCA Victor LSP 4172,
  • A Time For Living, A Time For Hope, RCA Victor 4128, 1969
  • Love of the Common People, RCA Victor 4249, 1969
  • The Best of Ed Ames, RCA Victor LSP-4184, 1969
  • Sing Away The World, RCA Victor 4381, 1970
  • This is Ed Ames, RCA VPS-6023, 2 Record Set, 1970
  • Christmas is the Warmest Time of the Year, RCA Victor 4385, 1970
  • Sings the Songs of Bacharach
    Burt Bacharach
    Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...

     and David
    Hal David
    Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...

    , RCA Victor 4453, 1971
  • Somewhere My Love 1972 RCA Camden CAS 2598
  • Ed Ames Remembers Jim Reeves
    Jim Reeves
    James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...

    , RCA Victor 4683, 1972
  • Lost Horizon, RCA Victor 4808, 1972

External links

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