(Credits: Far Out / Album Cover)
American singer and actor Ed Ames has died at age 95. As one-fourth of the Ames Brothers quartet, the star rose to prominence in the 1950s after signing with Decca Records in 1947. According to reports, he passed away on Sunday, May 21st, 2023.
Alongside his brothers, Vic, Joe and Gene, Ed found success with their song ‘Rag Mop’, written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson. Although multiple artists recorded the 12-bar-blues number, the Ames Brothers’ version became the most well-known.Â
The brothers found further success in the 1950s, releasing hits such as ‘The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane’ and ‘It Only Hurts For a Little While’. As a solo artist, Ames scored chart hits with tracks such as ‘My Cup Runneth Over’, ‘Who Will Answer?’ and ‘Try To Remember’.Â
Before the Ames Brothers broke up in 1963, they had a television show, The Ames Brothers Show. However, Ames joined the cast of Daniel Boone the following year, playing Mingo, the main character’s friend. In season one, he also played his character’s evil twin, Taramingo.Â
Throughout the decade, he starred in many theatre productions, such as The Crucible and Carnival!, and even studied his craft at the Herbert Berghof School. The actor starred on Broadway in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Kirk Douglas between 1963 and 1964.
In 1975, Ames received a theatre and cinema arts degree from UCLA.
