Connie Stevens
Who was Eddie Fisher (singer) 's spouse from 1967 to 1969?
Eddie Fisher ( singer ) Edwin Jack Fisher ( August 10 , 1928 – September 22 , 2010 ) was an American singer and actor . He was one of the most popular artists during the first half of the 1950s , selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show . Fisher divorced his first wife , actress Debbie Reynolds , to marry Reynolds best friend , actress Elizabeth Taylor , after Taylors husband , film producer Mike Todd , was killed in a plane crash . The scandalous affair was widely reported , bringing unfavorable publicity to Fisher . He later married Connie Stevens . Fisher fathered Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher with Reynolds , and Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher with Stevens . Early life . Fisher was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on August 10 , 1928 , the fourth of seven children born to Gitte Kathrine Kate Tisch ( née Minicker , later Stup ; b . 1901 ; d . 1991 ) and Joseph Fisher ( né Tisch ; 1900–1972 ) , both Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire . His fathers surname was originally Tisch , but was changed to Fisher by the time of the 1940 census . To his family , Fisher was always called Sonny Boy , a nickname derived from the song of the same name in Al Jolsons film The Singing Fool ( 1928 ) . His siblings were Sidney , Nettie , Miriam , Janet , Alvin , and Eileen . Kate and Joseph divorced when Fisher was an adult , after 33 years of marriage , and Kate married Max Stup . Fisher attended Thomas Junior High School , South Philadelphia High School , and Simon Gratz High School . It was known at an early age that he had talent as a vocalist , and he started singing in numerous amateur contests , which he usually won . He made his radio debut on WFIL , a local Philadelphia radio station . He also performed on Arthur Godfreys Talent Scouts , a popular radio show that later moved to television . Because he became a local star , Fisher dropped out of high school in the middle of his senior year to pursue his career . Career . By 1946 , Fisher was crooning with the bands of Buddy Morrow and Charlie Ventura . He was heard in 1949 by Eddie Cantor at Grossingers Catskill Resort Hotel in the Borscht Belt . Cantors so-called discovery of Fisher was later described as a totally contrived , manipulated arrangement by Milton Blackstone , Grossingers publicity director . After performing on Cantors radio show he was an instant hit and gained nationwide exposure . He then signed a recording contract with RCA Victor . Fisher was drafted into the U.S . Army in 1951 , sent to Fort Hood , Texas , for basic training , and served a year in Korea . From 1952 to 1953 , he was the official vocal soloist for The United States Army Band ( Pershings Own ) and a tenor section member in the United States Army Band Chorus ( an element of Pershings Own ) assigned at Fort Myer in the Washington , D.C . Military District . During his active duty period , he also made occasional guest television appearances , in uniform , introduced as PFC Eddie Fisher . After his discharge , he began to sing in top nightclubs and had a variety television series , Coke Time with Eddie Fisher on NBC ( 1953–1957 ) . Fisher also appeared on The Perry Como Show , Club Oasis , The Martha Raye Show , The Gisele MacKenzie Show , The Chesterfield Supper Club and The George Gobel Show , and starred in another series , The Eddie Fisher Show ( NBC ) ( 1957–1959 , alternating with Gobels series ) . Fishers good looks and strong and melodious tenor voice made him a teen idol and one of the most popular singers of the early 1950s . He had 17 songs in the Top 10 on the music charts between 1950 and 1956 and 35 in the Top 40 . In 1957 he signed a then record $1 million deal with the newly opened Tropicana Las Vegas to appear there a minimum of 4 weeks a year for 5 years . In 1956 , Fisher costarred with then-wife Debbie Reynolds in the musical comedy Bundle of Joy . He played a dramatic role in the 1960 drama Butterfield 8 with second wife Elizabeth Taylor . His best friend was showman and producer Mike Todd , who died in a plane crash in 1958 . Fishers affair , divorce from Reynolds , and subsequent marriage to Taylor , Todds widow , caused a show business scandal . Due to the unfavorable publicity surrounding the affair and divorce , NBC canceled Fishers television series in March 1959 . Beginning in fall 1959 , he established two scholarships at Brandeis University , one for classical and one for popular music , in the name of Eddie Cantor . In 1960 , he was dropped by RCA Victor and briefly recorded on his own label , Ramrod Records . He later recorded for Dot Records . During this time , he had the first commercial recording of Sunrise , Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof . This technically counts as the biggest standard Fisher can claim credit for introducing , although it is rarely associated with him . He also recorded the albums Eddie Fisher Today and Young and Foolish ( both 1965 ) . The Dot contract was not successful in record sales terms , and he returned to RCA Victor and had a minor single hit in 1966 with the song Games That Lovers Play with Nelson Riddle , which became the title of his best selling album . When Fisher was at the height of his popularity , in the mid-1950s , singles , rather than albums , were the primary medium for issuing recordings . His last album for RCA Victor was an Al Jolson tribute , You Aint Heard Nothin Yet , released in 1968 . In 1983 he attempted a comeback tour but this was not a success . Eddie Fishers last released album was recorded around 1984 on the Bainbridge record label . Fisher tried to stop the album from being released , but it turned up as After All . The album was produced by William J . OMalley and arranged by Angelo DiPippo . DiPippo , a world-renowned arranger , worked with Eddie countless hours to better his vocals but it became useless . His final recordings ( never released ) were made in 1995 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra . According to arranger-conductor Vincent Falcone in his 2005 autobiography , Frankly : Just Between Us , these tracks were the best singing of his life . Fisher performed in top concert halls all over the United States and headlined in major Las Vegas showrooms . He headlined at the Palace Theater in New York City as well as Londons Palladium . In the culmination of his return to the concert stage in 1962 , Fisher headlined a five-week Broadway show at Winter Garden , calling it a dream of his since youth to perform in the venue Al Jolson had made famous . Fisher created interest as a pop culture icon . Betty Johnsons I Want Eddie Fisher For Christmas , containing references to a number of hit songs , reached No . 28 in the Music Vendor national survey during an 11-week chart run in late 1954 . Fisher has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , one for recording , at 6241 Hollywood Boulevard , and one for television , at 1724 Vine Street . Personal life . Fisher had five marriages and four children : - Debbie Reynolds ( m . 1955–div . 1959 ) - Carrie Fisher ( b . 1956–d . 2016 ) - Todd Fisher ( b . 1958 ) - Elizabeth Taylor ( m . 1959–div . 1964 ) - Connie Stevens ( m . 1967–div . 1969 ) - Joely Fisher ( b . 1967 ) - Tricia Leigh Fisher ( b . 1968 ) - Terry Richard ( m . 1975–div . 1976 ) - Betty Lin ( m . 1993 – April 15 , 2001 ; her death ) In 1981 , Fisher wrote an autobiography , Eddie : My Life , My Loves ( ) . He wrote another autobiography in 1999 titled Been There , Done That ( ) . The later book devotes little space to Fishers singing career , but recycled the material of his first book and added many new sexual details that were too strong to publish before . Upon the books publication , his daughter Carrie declared : Im thinking of having my DNA fumigated . While performing at The Tropicana Hotel in 1957 , Fisher had numerous affairs with women which he contributed to his turbulent marriage to Debbie Reynolds . One of his notable affairs was with model Pat Sheehan . They eventually parted ways after Fisher refused to divorce Reynolds . He would divorce Reynolds two years later and marry Elizabeth Taylor . When she was interviewed , Debbie Reynolds said that she could understand being dumped for the worlds most beautiful woman , referring to Taylor , who was previously a close friend . Taylor and Reynolds later resumed their friendship and mocked Fisher in a TV movie written by Carrie Fisher , These Old Broads , in which their characters ridiculed the ex-husband they shared , named Freddie Hunter . In his memoirs , Fisher admitted to addictions to drugs and gambling , which aggravated his career problems . Death . Fisher suffered from knee , back , hearing , and eyesight problems in his later years , the last of which were worsened by complications stemming from cataract removal surgery , and he rarely appeared in public . According to friends , he remained mentally vigorous and kept himself busy watching television , following news and politics , and singing his old songs while friend George Michalski played the piano . Michalski had worked on several occasions over the years to help Fisher get his name back on the music charts . He said The 60s passed Eddie by ; he missed that entire era of music . Id play a Beatles song like Something for him and hed think I wrote it . Fisher fell and broke his hip on September 9 , 2010 , and died 13 days later on September 22 , 2010 , at his home in Berkeley , California , from complications from hip surgery . He was 82 years old . Discography . Albums . - Eddie Fisher Sings ( 10-inch album ) ( RCA Victor 1952 ) - Im in the Mood for Love ( RCA Victor 1952/55 ) - Christmas with Eddie Fisher ( 10-inch album ) ( RCA Victor 1952 ) - Eddie Fisher Sings Irving Berlin Favorites ( 10-inch album ) ( RCA Victor 1954 ) - May I Sing to You ? ( RCA Victor 1954/55 ) - I Love You ( RCA Victor 1955 ) - Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs ( RCA Victor 1955 ) - Bundle of Joy ( film soundtrack ) ( RCA Victor 1956 ) - As Long as Theres Music ( RCA Victor 1958 ) - Scent of Mystery ( film soundtrack ) ( Ramrod 1960 ) - Eddie Fisher at the Winter Garden ( Ramrod 1963 ) - Eddie Fisher Today ! ( Dot 1965 ) - When I Was Young ( Dot 1965 ) ( re-recordings of his RCA Victor hits ) - Mary Christmas ( Dot 1965 ) - Games That Lovers Play ( RCA Victor 1966 ) - People Like You ( RCA Victor 1967 ) - You Aint Heard Nothing Yet ( RCA Victor 1968 ) - After All ( Bainbridge Records 1984 ) Compilations . - Thinking of You ( RCA Victor 1957 ) - Eddie Fishers Greatest Hits ( RCA Victor 1962 ) - The Very Best of Eddie Fisher ( MCA 1988 ) - All Time Greatest Hits Vol.1 ( RCA 1990 ) - Eddie Fisher – Greatest Hits ( RCA 2001 ) Books . - Fisher , Eddie ( 1984 ) . Eddie : My Life , My Loves . Harper Collins . . External links . - Thinking Of You : Eddie Fisher on The Interlude Era site - Obituary , The New York Times - Eddie Fisher : Life and Times – slideshow by Life magazine