Due to the unfavorable publicity surrounding the affair and divorce, NBC canceled Fisher's television series in March 1959. Fisher's affair and subsequent marriage to Taylor, Todd's widow, caused a show business scandal because he and Reynolds had a very public divorce. His best friend was showman and producer Mike Todd, who died in a plane crash in 1958. He played a dramatic role in the 1960 drama Butterfield 8 with second wife Elizabeth Taylor. In 1956, Fisher costarred with then-wife Debbie Reynolds in the musical comedy Bundle of Joy. He had 17 songs in the Top 10 on the music charts between 19 and 35 in the Top 40. 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 Gobel's series).įisher's strong and melodious tenor made him a teen idol and one of the most popular singers of the early 1950s. 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). During his active duty period, he also made occasional guest television appearances, in uniform, introduced as "PFC Eddie Fisher". From 1952 to 1953, he was the official vocal soloist for The United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) and a tenor section member in the United States Army Band Chorus (an element of Pershing's Own) assigned at Fort Myer in the Washington, D.C. Army in 1951, sent to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training, and served a year in Korea. He then signed a recording contract with RCA Victor.įisher was drafted into the U.S. After performing on Cantor's radio show he was an instant hit and gained nationwide exposure. Cantor's so-called discovery of Fisher was later described as a totally contrived, "manipulated' arrangement by Milton Blackstone, Grossinger's publicity director. He was heard in 1949 by Eddie Cantor at Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel in the Borscht Belt. Career īy 1946, Fisher was crooning with the bands of Buddy Morrow and Charlie Ventura. Because he became a local star, Fisher dropped out of high school in the middle of his senior year to pursue his career. He also performed on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, a popular radio show that later moved to television. He made his radio debut on WFIL, a local Philadelphia radio station. 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. įisher attended Thomas Junior High School, South Philadelphia High School, and Simon Gratz High School. To his family, Fisher was always called "Sonny Boy", a nickname derived from the song of the same name in Al Jolson's film The Singing Fool (1928).
His father's surname was originally Tisch, but was changed to Fisher by the time of the 1940 census. Fisher was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fourth of seven children born to Gitte (later Katherine or "Katie" née Winokur 1902–1991) and Joseph Tisch (1901–1967), who were Russian Jewish immigrants.
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