Eddie fisher biography debbie reynolds biography

She opened the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel and Motion Picture Museum in Las Vegas in an attempt to preserve film history, though financial difficulties later forced her to auction off much of the collection.

In the 1990s, Reynolds experienced a career resurgence:

•She starred in Albert Brooks’ Mother (1996), earning a Golden Globe nomination

•Appeared in In & Out (1997)

•Found a new generation of fans as the wise and magical grandmother in the Halloweentown series on the Disney Channel

Off-screen, Reynolds was a tireless advocate for mental health awareness, especially following her daughter Carrie's struggles with bipolar disorder.

Singer Eddie Cantor was in the audience for the show, and he found Fisher's style so appealing that he invited him to join his traveling tour. She was one of the last great stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age and lived a life filled with both dazzling success and heartbreaking trials. In The Catered Affair (1956), she portrayed a young bride torn between her dreams and her parents’ expectations with striking realism and vulnerability.

Understated Emotional Depth

While she was known for her sunny disposition, Reynolds was also capable of moments of real poignancy.

Fisher divorced Reynolds and married Taylor in 1959, with the pair staying married for five years until Taylor left Fisher for actor Richard Burton. Eddie and Debbie were close friends with Elizabeth Taylor and her then-husband, film producer Mike Todd. He recalls, "Somehow, though, somehow I knew I was going to get out of that world, and I knew that my voice was going to take me out of it."

Nicknamed "Sonny Boy," Fisher discovered his natural vocal talent at a very young age.

In 1948, at the age of 16, her life changed forever when she won the Miss Burbank beauty contest. From 1950 to 1956 Fisher recorded 35 Top 40 hits, including 19 in the Top Ten and four that reached Number One on the U.S. Hit Parade.

Although Fisher is Jewish, his style has been compared to those of famous Italian tenors and baritones. In his autobiography, Fisher claimed that he was not cut out for superstardom.

The public was in disbelief.

Their courtship was a whirlwind of stolen moments and blossoming affection. She acknowledged the complexities of grief and the allure of a passionate connection. Fisher married actress Debbie Reynolds in 1955, then abruptly left Reynolds to marry actress Elizabeth Taylor in 1958 after Taylor's husband, film producer Mike Todd, was killed in an airplane crash.

Legal and financial problems besieged Fisher in the early 1960s, and his performances dwindled.

This charm wasn’t forced—it flowed effortlessly from her, and it was often the emotional heartbeat of the films she starred in.

Effervescent Energy and Precision Timing

Reynolds' performances were marked by a kinetic energy—bright, bouncy, and constantly in motion. Performed in local amateur shows and on radio while in high school in Philadelphia, 1940s; won Horn and Hardart Children's Hour radio contest, 1941; began singing between acts at the Broadway Paramount Theatre, New York City, 1946; became singer with Buddy Morrow's band, 1945; sang with Charlie Ventura's band, 1946; won Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout contest, 1948; discovered by Eddie Cantor while performing at Grossinger's in the Catskills, NY, 1949; began singing on Eddie Cantor's radio show, 1949; signed recording contract with RCA Victor, 1949; had first hit, "Thinking of You," 1950; had first million-selling record, "Any Time," 1951; recorded four Top Ten albums, 1952-54; recorded 35 Top 40 hits and appeared frequently on major television shows and in top nightclubs, 1950s; starred in television show "Coke Time and the Chesterfield Supper Club," 1953-57; staged minor comeback with hit "Games That Lovers Play," 1966; performed sporadically during 1970s.

Eddie Fisher's Awards

Named America's most promising new male vocalist in a national poll of disc jockeys, Billboard, 1950; five gold records, 1951-56.

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• Singles "Wish You Were Here," 1952.
• "I'm Walking Behind You," RCA-Victor, 1953.
• "Oh, My Papa," RCA-Victor, 1953.
• "I Need You Now," RCA-Victor, 1954.
• "Dungaree Doll," RCA-Victor, 1955.
• "Heart," RCA-Victor, 1955.
• "Games That Lovers Play," RCA-Victor, 1966.
• Albums I Love You, RCA-Victor, 1955.
• I'm in the Mood for Love, RCA-Victor, 1955.
• As Long as There's Music, RCA-Victor, 1958.
• Eddie Fisher at the Winter Garden, Ramrod, 1963.
• Eddie Fisher Today!, Dot, 1965.
• Games That Lovers Play, RCA-Victor, 1966.
• People Like You, RCA-Victor, 1967.

Further Reading

Books

• Fisher, Eddie, My Life, My Loves, Harper & Row, 1981.
• Green, Myrna, The Eddie Fisher Story, P.

  S. Eriksson, 1978.

• Simon, George, T., with others, The Best of the Music Makers, Doubleday, 1979.
• Periodicals Billboard, April 2, 1994.
• Look, March 23, 1954.
• People, September 25, 1992.
• Time, September 4, 1950.
• Variety, May 20, 1953; March 31, 1954.