Singer Eddie Fisher died Wednesday night at his Berkley home following complications from hip surgery. He was 82 years old.
Eddie came to prominence in the early ‘50s. Hits such as “Thinking of You” and “Any Time” made him a pop superstar. His 32 hits sold millions of records and in 1955, he married girl-next-door actress Debbie Reynolds. Known as “America’s Favorite Couple,” they appeared together in 1956’s Bundle of Joy.
Although the couple had two children, Carrie (who later gained fame as Princess Leia from Star Wars) and Todd, all was not well. The Fishers were very close to the Todds, that is Michael Todd and his wife Elizabeth Taylor. In 1958, Todd died when his private plane crashed. Being a good friend, Fisher sought to comfort the widowed Taylor. By 1959, it was apparent the two were having an affair and Reynolds filed for divorce. Days after the divorce was final, Fisher became Taylor’s fourth husband. The marriage would last until 1964 when they divorced. He would later go on to marry Connie Stevens (that marriage produced daughters Joely and Tricia Leigh), Terry Richard, and Betty Lin.
Fisher’s career never fully recovered after the Taylor scandal. RCA Victor dropped him in 1960, but he started his own label, Ramrod Records. He later returned to RCA Victor with a minor hit “Games That Lovers Play.” He attempted a comeback tour in 1983, but it wasn’t very successful. He recorded his last album After All in 1984.
Fisher frequently appeared on television throughout his career. He appeared on five episodes of “What’s My Line?” two episodes of “The Hollywood Palace,” five episodes of “The Andy Williams Show,” three episodes of “The Dean Martin Comedy Hour,” ten episodes of “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and
Fisher received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – one for recording and one for television.