Ed Ames is a beloved American singer, actor, and musician who has been entertaining audiences for over six decades. Born in Malden, Massachusetts on July 9th 1927 to Jewish parents Sarah (Zaslavskaya) and David Urick, Ed was the youngest of nine children. Growing up in a poor household, Ed found solace in music which eventually became his career.
Ed began his professional singing career as part of the Ames Brothers Quartet alongside his siblings Vic, Joe and Gene. The group was known for their close harmonies and performed together until they disbanded in 1960. After the dissolution of the quartet, Ed went on to pursue a solo career with some success. He released several albums over the years including “My Cup Runneth Over”, “Who Will Answer” and “The Edge Of Love”.
In addition to his singing career, Ed also had a successful acting career appearing in films such as The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966), The Bliss Of Mrs Blossom (1968) and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968). He also appeared as Mingo on the iconic television series Daniel Boone from 1964-1970.
In 1947 Ed married Sara Cacheiro who he remained with until her death in 1970. He later remarried to Jeanne Arnold in 1998 and was still married to her at the time of his death. Tragically, three of Ed’s four siblings died prior to him; Vic in 1978 at age 52 due to a car accident, Gene from cancer in 1997 at age 73, and Joe from a heart attack in 2007 at age 86. As of 2022, Ed’s last surviving sibling is his brother Ed (age 94).
Throughout his life Ed was involved with numerous philanthropic cases including volunteering with organizations like Meals On Wheels America and Feeding America where he supported hunger relief efforts across America. In addition to this work he also donated proceeds from many of his shows towards charitable causes such as UNICEF and Save The Children International.
Ed Ames passed away on February 28th 2021 at the age of 93 following complications due to congestive heart failure at a hospice center near his home in Loganville Georgia surrounded by family members including wife Jeanne Arnold who survives him today. He will be remembered fondly by countless fans across the world for many years to come for both his musical achievements as well as for his generous philanthropy work that touched so many lives throughout his lifetime.
Ethnicity of Ed Ames
Ed Ames is Jewish. He was born in Malden, Massachusetts to Jewish parents Sarah (Zaslavskaya) and David Urick (aka Eurich), who had emigrated from Ukraine. Growing up, he was the youngest of nine children in a poor household.
Are Any Ames Brothers Still Alive?
No, as of 2022, Ed Ames (age 94) is the last surviving member of the Ames Brothers. Vic Ames died in a car accident in 1978 at age 52, Gene Ames died of cancer in 1997 at age 73, and Joe Ames died of a heart attack in 2007 at age 86.
Ed Ames’ Time on Daniel Boone
Ed Ames starred as Mingo, Boone’s Cherokee friend, on Daniel Boone for four seasons from 1964 to 1968. In total, Ames appeared in 104 episodes of the series. He was a main cast member for the first four seasons and returned as a guest star in two episodes during the fifth season. Though Ames left the show after season four, his character remained part of the cast until the show’s end in 1970.
The Breakup of the Ames Brothers
The Ames Brothers officially disbanded in 1964 after a successful career that spanned over 15 years. The reason for ther break-up was a combination of factors, including the departure of Ed Ames in 1961 to pursue a solo singing and acting career, as well as the changing musical landscape of the early 1960s.
In 1961, Ed Ames left the group to pursue his own pursuits. This left Gene, Joe and Vic to continue the group without him. Despite this setback, they continued to honor their existing contracts and perform until 1964 when they eventually decided to call it quits.
After the break-up, Gene opened an art gallery in New Jersey, while Joe moved to Germany to teach music. The group had enjoyed incredible success during its time together with some of their biggest hits being “Rag Mop” and “Sentimental Me”. Although they did not stay together forever, the Ames Brothers will always be remembered as one of America’s most beloved harmony groups from an era gone by.
Conclusion
Ed Ames, the youngest of nine children born to Sarah and David Urick, was born in Malden, Massachusetts. Growing up in a poor household, Ed went on to have a successful career spanning six decades as an entertainer, singer, actor and author. Sadly, three of his siblings, Vic, Gene and Joe passed away due to car accidents and health related issues. As of 2022, Ed is the last surviving member at age 94 and is still married to his wife Jeanne Arnold who he wed in 1998. Ed Ames has had an incredible life and career whih will continue to be remembered for many years to come.
