Ed Ames, singer and TV actor of the 1960s, dead at age 95

Ed Ames, the singer and TV star who authored an unforgettable moment in “Tonight Show” history, has died. He was 95.

Ames died from Alzheimer’s disease on May 21, his wife, Jeanne, said Saturday.

“He had a wonderful life,” she said.

Ames rose to fame in the 1950s in a pop quartet with three of his brothers, Joe, Gene and Vic. After the group split, Ames topped the charts multiple times on his own.

In the 1960s, Ames became a stage and screen star, appearing in Broadway shows including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” with Kirk Douglas and Gene Wilder.

Ames’ biggest TV role came as the Native American character Mingo in “Daniel Boone.” That was the part that landed him an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

On the late-night show, Ames was given a tomahawk and asked to throw it at a wood panel with the outline of a cowboy on it. Ames chucked it straight into the cowboy’s crotch, leading to what’s been called the longest sustained audience laugh in “Tonight Show” history.

Born July 9, 1927, in Malden, Mass., Ames was the youngest of 11 children. His mother instilled an appreciation for music in the kids, and the four youngest boys started singing as a quartet at neighborhood events before moving to nightclubs.

The brothers had several hits and became fixtures on variety shows and in clubs. But the constant touring and recording wore them down. They cut 40 albums and were constantly on the road — to the point that Ames’ 3-year-old daughter called him “one of the Ames Brothers” when he arrived home unexpectedly.

“That did it,” he told a reporter. “My brothers and I agreed that we had all had it and should go our separate ways.”

Ed was the most successful solo artist of the group, with chart-topping hits “My Cup Runneth Over,” “Time, Time” and “When the Snow Is on the Roses.”

“I’ve been very blessed to have had an exciting career,” he said in 2007.

Ames was the last surviving member of the Ames Brothers. Vic died in 1978, Gene in 1997 and Joe in December 2007.

With News Wire Services