An Internet legend is driving for Uber.
This past weekend, Brandee Barker, co-founder of public relations firm The Pramana Collective, hailed an Uber in Cleveland and ultimately realized it wasn’t a typical ride. Her driver was none other than Elwood Edwards, the voice-over actor who was is responsible for AOL’s iconic “You’ve Got Mail” chime in the 1990s.
In an interview with tech news site The Verge, Barker said Edwards is the news editor for WKYC-TV, a news station in Ohio. Barker said she assumed he was an Uber driver on the side to “meet and talk with people.”
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Edwards is also an Internet icon. In 1989, his wife was working in customer service at online company Q-Link, the precursor to AOL, and overheard former chief executive Steve Case say he needed a voice-over actor for something he was working on. Edwards’ wife volunteered her husband for the role, which in addition “You’ve got mail,” included being recorded saying “Welcome” and “Goodbye.” His clips, recorded in his home, were ultimately heard by millions of people. AOL has since largely retired them, but the chimes still available to check out on Internet archive sites and on countless YouTube videos.
Over the last several years, Edwards has worked in the news industry, and last year appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to read comedic phrases that the late-night host and his fellow writers cooked up.
OMG OMG my @Uber driver in Ohio was the You've Got Mail voice Elwood Edwards!!! I made him say it in this video #GOTVforHRC pic.twitter.com/Jgcl7v040D
— Brandee Barker (@brandee) November 5, 2016
According to Barker, Edwards said during their ride that he was paid $200 for the AOL voice over.
For more about Uber, watch:
Now, he’s making a little extra cash driving Uber passengers. And AOL has been acquired by Verizon.
