Eddie Fisher obit

EDDIE FISHER, the much-married, pre-rock teenybopper idol, died Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery. He was 82. Said Fisher’s family, "Late last evening, the world lost a true America icon. One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch." One of the biggest stars of the postwar years, Fisher had 32 hit singles, including "Thinking of You," ''Any Time," ''I'm Yours," ''Wish You Were Here," ''Lady of Spain," "Count Your Blessings" and the stunningly schmaltzy ''Oh, My Pa-pa." Born Edwin Jack Fisher on Aug. 10, 1928, in Philadelphia, the golden-throated youngster started singing professionally at 15 and was subsequently taken under the wing of Jewish comic Eddie Cantor. After getting out of the Army in 1953, he started spinning out the hits, singing them on his own TV show. His 1955 marriage to Debbie Reynolds resulted in their being celebrated as "America's favorite couple," and Carrie Fisher, one of their two children, later became a movie star herself as Princess Leia in the first three Star Wars films. Fisher’s popularity took a colossal hit when he dumped Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor and married her in 1959. Five years later, she dumped Fisher in turn for Richard Burton. He then married actress Connie Stevens and had two more kids with her. In all, Fisher married six times. He later said he’d made and spent $20 million during his heyday, and much of it went to gambling and drugs. (9/24a)