Ed Ames is a name that many people may recognize from his successful careers in music and acting. He was part of the popular singing group The Ames Brothers, and he also starred in several TV shows and Broadway plays. But how much did he make from his entertainment ventures? What is Ed Ames’ net worth as of 2024?
Early Life and Music Career
Ed Ames was born as Edmund Dantes Urick on July 9, 1927, in Malden, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of nine children of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He grew up in a poor household and suffered from malnutrition and rickets as a child. He attended the Boston Latin School, where he developed an interest in classical and opera music, as well as literature.
He and his brothers formed a singing quartet while in high school and won several competitions in the Boston area. They later moved to New York City and changed their name to The Ames Brothers. They signed with Decca Records in 1947, but due to a musicians’ strike, they only released three singles. They then switched to Coral Records, a subsidiary of Decca, and had their first major hit in 1950 with “Rag Mop” and “Sentimental Me”.
The Ames Brothers continued to have success throughout the 1950s with songs like “You, You, You”, “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane”, and “It Only Hurts for a Little While”. They also appeared on various TV shows and had their own 15-minute program in 1955. According to Celebrity Net Worth, The Ames Brothers earned about $1 million per year at the peak of their fame, which is equivalent to about $10 million in 2024.
Acting Career and Solo Hits
In 1960, The Ames Brothers disbanded, and Ed Ames pursued a career in acting. He studied at the Herbert Berghof School and landed his first starring role in an off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. He then appeared in other plays, such as The Fantasticks and Carnival!, both on and off-Broadway.
He also got into TV and film acting, often playing Native American characters. He played Chief Bromden in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, opposite Kirk Douglas. He also played Mingo, a Cherokee tribesman, in the TV series Daniel Boone, with Fess Parker. He appeared in 72 episodes of the show from 1964 to 1970.
While acting, Ames also continued to sing as a solo artist. He signed with RCA Victor and released several albums and singles. His most successful songs were “Try to Remember”, “My Cup Runneth Over”, and “When the Snow Is on the Roses”. He also performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ed Ames earned about $2 million per year from his acting and singing career in the 1960s and 1970s, which is equivalent to about $15 million in 2024.
Later Years and Retirement
Ed Ames retired from show business in the early 1980s, although he occasionally made guest appearances on TV shows and performed in concerts. He also invested in real estate and other ventures. He married his second wife, Jeanne Arnold, in 1984, and they lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills, California. He also had a ranch in Santa Ynez, California, where he raised horses and cattle.
Ames died on May 21, 2023, at the age of 95, from natural causes. He was survived by his wife, four children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ed Ames had a net worth of $3 million at the time of his death.
Conclusion
Ed Ames was a talented and versatile performer who had a long and successful career in music and acting. He was part of The Ames Brothers, one of the most popular singing groups of the 1950s, and he also starred in several TV shows and Broadway plays. He also had a number of solo hits, such as “My Cup Runneth Over” and “Try to Remember”. He retired from show business in the 1980s and lived a comfortable life until his death in 2023. His net worth was estimated at $3 million, which reflects his earnings from his entertainment ventures, as well as his investments and assets.