Window to the World, calling for Wind of Wisdom, as common sense is a gift to each soul, as common environment is the inseparable planet, as common desire is to live in a better world.
Elwood Edwards – voice behind the iconic AOL greeting “You’ve got mail” at beginning of an simpler, friendlier internet age that inspired a movie
The story of Edwards’ famous recording began in 1989 when Steve Case, CEO of Quantum Computer Services (which later became America Online—or AOL for short), wanted to add a human voice to the company’s Quantum Link online service. Karen Edwards, who worked as a customer service representative, heard Case discussing the plan and suggested her husband Elwood, a professional broadcaster.
Edwards recorded the famous phrase (and several others) into a cassette recorder in his living room in 1989 and was paid $200 for the service. His voice recordings of “Welcome,” “You’ve got mail,” “File’s done,” and “Goodbye” went on to reach millions of users during AOL’s rise to dominance in the 1990s online landscape.
The mail alert phrase was perhaps most notable and popular in the dial-up online era, when users would call local AOL phone numbers with a modem to access the nationwide online network. At the time, AOL was also one of America’s largest Internet service providers.
In 1995, Wired Magazine’s AOL forum asked Edwards to record 10 humorous sound files using his iconic voice. The results, which include classics such as “You want fries with that,” “You’ve got credit card debt,” and “Stop touching me!” still live on in the depths of The Internet Archive. He also ran a side business recording custom sound files for AOL users.
Over time, the “You’ve got mail” line became something of a cultural reference point, as tech journalist Harry McCracken pointed out in 2011 on his Technologizer blog, with various news headlines often borrowing the “You’ve got [something]” structure for humorous effect.
Edwards’ voice greeting became so embedded in American popular culture that it inspired the 1998 romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. The film stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as rival bookstore owners who unknowingly fall in love through anonymous email exchanges. Director Nora Ephron built the movie’s narrative around the anticipation that AOL users felt when hearing Edwards’ voice announce new messages, with the film grossing $250 million worldwide.
In 1989, Quantum Computer Services, which would later be known as AOL, was looking for a voice actor to help with the alerts of its new software. Edwards’ wife was working there at the time, which is how Edwards heard about the opportunity. All in the comfort of his living room, Edwards recorded “Welcome,” “You’ve got mail!,” “Files done” and “Goodbye” on a cassette recorder. In return, he received $200.
Edwards’ voice went on to become one of the defining sounds of the internet revolution. He was not only greeting new users to AOL, but often, introducing them to the world of email for the first time. “Edwards’s voice made AOL feel a little friendlier, a little more welcoming at a time when the internet was a big, new world for most people,” AOL said in a statement.
At the turn of the 21st century, AOL began to falter, partly due to its merger with Time Warner and partly because it failed to adapt quickly enough to the changing internet landscape. Edwards eventually moved to Ohio, going to work for 3News at the television station WKYC in 2002. He retired in 2016. But his voice continued to be prominent in various sitcoms and films over the years, most notably the 1998 rom-com You’ve Got Mail. In 2015, Edwards appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to read some lines suggested by the audience.
