Ed Ames, the youngest member of the popular 1950s singing group the Ames Brothers, who later became a successful actor in the popular Daniel Boone series has died at the age of 95.
The last survivor of the four singing brothers, Ames died May 21 from Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Jeanne Ames, said Saturday, May 27.
“He had a wonderful life,” she said.
Born on July 9, 1927, in Malden, Massachusetts, Ames was the youngest of 11 children, four died in childhood. Their parents were Ukrainian immigrants and their mother taught the children to read Shakespeare and to appreciate the music they heard every Saturday on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts.
Driven to run…It’s the Ames Brothers during a recording session. Ed Ames, who broke with the quartet and went on to tremendous success, is seen second from right. (Getty Images)
In the 1960s, Ames shifted careers and began persuing acting. His first starring role was an off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible.’
However, on television, Ames was likely best known for his role as Mingo, the Oxford-educated Native American in the 1960s adventure series “Daniel Boone” that starred Fess Parker as the famous frontiersman.
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Ed Ames pictured in the 1970s. ( Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ed Ames attends opening night of “PIPPIN” at the Pantages Theatre on October 22, 2014, in Hollywood, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Hollywood Pantages)
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Ames had guest roles in TV series such as “Murder, She Wrote” and “In the Heat of the Night,” and toured frequently in musicals, performing such popular songs as “Try to Remember” and the song that became his biggest hit single, “My Cup Runneth Over.”
After the four brothers split up, the other brothers also continued performing and recording, but gained less notice than Ed. Vic died in 1978, Gene in 1997 and Joe in December 2007.