Edie Adams

A glamorous blonde performer who excelled as a singer, actress and comedienne, Edie Adams brought her talents to the stage, television, nightclubs and motion pictures alike. Born Elizabeth Edith Enke on April 16, 1927, in Kingston, Pennsylvania, she first pursued acting and singing while attending college, ultimately earning diplomas from both the Juilliard School of Music and the Columbia School of Drama. Her professional path opened after she competed on a television talent program, which immediately earned her the crowns of Miss New York Television and Miss U.S. Television.

Throughout the 1950s her profile rose sharply through regular appearances alongside Ernie Kovacs on The Ernie Kovacs Show. She wed the comedian in 1955 and remained his wife until his death in 1962; two later marriages, to Marty Mills in 1964 and to Pete Condoli in 1972, each concluded in divorce. Beyond the small screen she also worked on Broadway, headlining Wonderful Town in 1953 and capturing a Tony Award in 1956 for her performance as Daisy Mae in Li'l Abner. She further starred in Cinderella, the first original musical comedy created expressly for television, opposite Julie Andrews.

In 1959 Edie Adams issued the album The Charming Miss Edie Adams on the RKO label; among its tracks were the earlier chart successes “Sailor Man” and “There May Be a Love,” while “If You Don't Love Me” and “He Don't Wanna Be Kissed” were contributed by Ernie Kovacs, Domenico Modugno and lyricist Jack Segal. The collection was later reissued by Varese in 1997. The following decade brought a steady stream of supporting film parts that still showcased her distinctive charm and striking appearance, among them roles in The Apartment, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and, in 1978, Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke. She portrayed Mae West in the 1984 television biography Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter and continued appearing on screen in The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood and Boxoffice. Additional television credits from the 1990s include Tales of the City and Jack Spanner, Private Eye.

Her private life was marked by tragedy in 1982 when her daughter, whose father was Ernie Kovacs, died in an automobile accident. In 1990 she published the memoir Sing a Pretty Tune, which details her personal experiences alongside her work in theater, film, nightclubs and broadcasting.