Ed Ames

Born Malden, Massachusetts on July 9, 1927 (real name Urick), Ed, Vic Ames, Gene Ames and Joe Ames were sons of Ukrainian Jewish parents and four of nine children. They were very poor but Ed attended Boston Public Latin School along with brother Joe.

The singing group, The Ames Brothers, was formed in 1947 in Boston and later appeared at the "Roxy Theatre" in New York City. During their early years, they won many amateur contests and made their professional debut at the "Foxes and Hounds", a posh Boston nightclub. They went on to play at the "Chez Paree" in Chicago and "Ciro's" in Hollywood. "The Riviera", just across New York City west of the George Washington bridge, was another nightclub where they appeared regularly.

As a solo recording artist for RCA Victor in the 1960s, he had four top-twenty hits on the national charts, "Try to Remember" and "Time, Time" in 1966, "My Cup Runneth Over" in 1967, and "Who Will Answer?" in 1968.

One of Ed Ames most memorable moments in television was when he threw his famous tomahawk on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) in 1965. He threw the tomahawk and it landed right between the target's legs, thus prompting "I didn't even know you were Jewish". This event prompted one of the longest laughs in television history.

Ed is still best known to audiences for his television role as "Mingo" on the Daniel Boone (1964) series on NBC. Ed also appeared on Broadway in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Crucible".

He owns a small ranch in Santa Ynez, Ca where they occasionally spend weekends. [March 2012]