Ed Wood Edwards, whose voice was familiar to millions of people, announcing a popular electronic mail "You Have a New Message", passed away at the age of 74. His daughter Hizer Edwards reported that he left this life on Tuesday at his home in New Bern, North Carolina.
The cause of death was complications after an insulin he experienced at the end of last year. Edwards recorded the greeting "You Have a New Message" on America Online in 1989, sitting at the desk of his home. The phrase "You Have a New Message" became popular in pop culture in the late 90s and also served as the title of a film with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in 1998.
He also voiced messages "Hello", "Goodbye" and "File Processed" on America Online. Although faceless users recognized him, his voice was heard by millions of people every day. In a CNN interview in 1999, he stated: "For some time America Online was secretive, which made me a mysterious person".
Hizer Edwards revealed that he often worked in his later years, but spent most of the time before the camera. He earned $200 for voicing at that time. His daughter commented on his popularity, saying that "he would be shy when he was reminded. He loved attention, but never got used to it".
Edwards got a job at an independent television channel in Washington, when his second wife suggested his name to a company looking for a voice for its program. He was recommended for work at America Online, voicing their messages, and became widely known as the voice of "You Have a New Message".
He appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in 2015 to repeat the famous phrase. His voice also featured in the episode of "The Simpsons" in 2000. Edwards started his career in radio and then moved to television.