He might be the most recognizable man with the least recognizable face. If you used internet service provider America Online (AOL) in the late 1990’s, Elwood Edwards’ voice will sound very familiar. The North Carolina-born voice actor was the chivalrous man behind AOL’s platform saying phrases like “Welcome,” “You’ve got mail,” “Files done,” and “Goodbye.” AOL became so popular that at one point, people were hearing Edwards’ voice 35 million times a day. These days, Edwards lives in Ohio, working for a local news channel. Yet almost 30 years later, he’s still known for his voice-overs for AOL. “It never really went much past that,” Edwards told Cleveland Magazine recently. “I think I became typecast.” Watch the video below to learn more about how he became the voice of America Online.
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