Adam Wade, singer and actor, died on July 7 at the age of 87. He died at his home in Montclair, New Jersey, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, according to a statement from his wife. Wade became famous as the host of the CBS show Musical Chairs, and was the first black host of the show in the country. His funeral is still being completed.
All about Adam Wade
Adam Wade was born on March 17, 1935, and was raised by his grandparents. He attended Westinghouse High School and grew up in the East Liberty area. He attended Virginia State University after graduating in 1952, but dropped out in his second year. Wade began his career as a lab assistant on Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio research team. In 1959 he joined Coed Records, and in early 1960 he released Ruby, a version of the popular 1953 film song.
Wade rose to fame in the early 1960s, with three of his songs topping the Billboard Hot 100. During this time, he released two albums: Adam and Evening and Adam Wade One Is A Lovely Number, followed by the EP And Then Came Adam. Adam’s singing style has been compared to Johnny Mathis, although he was more akin to Nat King Cole, a singer from another era. Not only was he the first African-American to host a television game show, he was also the host of the Mid-Morning LA chat show. Wade appeared in the Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls in 1978 and Same Time, Next Year in 1979.
Wade has appeared in numerous soap operas, including The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow. He appeared in sitcoms such as Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, What’s Happening!! and Good Times. Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, he began to concentrate solely on acting, appearing in several blaxploitation films such as Gordon’s War.
He eventually returned to recording, releasing a self-titled album for the Kirschner label, which was released by Columbia Records. Although the record was only a mediocre hit, his followers loved it. He appeared in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. The actor’s last acting engagement was in the drama The Color Purple in 2008. Adam and his wife are the owners of the New Jersey-based music production company Songbird.
Twitter users pay tribute
Adam Wade is known for his television appearances as well as successful albums. When news of Wade’s death spread, Twitter was flooded with tributes. Some of them commented on his work and how much he will be missed. Wade is survived by his wife, Jeree Wade, and their four children, Ramel, Patrice, Jamel and Latoya, as well as countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
#REST IN PEACE Adam Wade; actor and singer (often compared to Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole) worked for Dr Jonas Salk (!), had three Top 10 hits in 1961 and appeared in ‘Shaft’ and ‘Claudine’ before entering history as host of the game show ‘Musical Chairs’. https://t.co/rQ0uIHOVge
— Mike Barnes (@MikeBarnes4) July 10, 2022
I remember this brother, a great actor and he was very funny, rip sir… Adam Wade, singer, actor and pioneer in gaming, dies at 87 https://t.co/UkiBI1687B via @Yahoo
— TBreezy (@bullock_l) July 11, 2022
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: vcmp.edu.vn