US pop singer Eddie Fisher, whose clear voice brought him a devoted following of teenage girls in the early 1950s before marriage scandals overshadowed his fame, has died at age 82. He passed away Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley, California, of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press. In the early 50s, Fisher sold millions of records with 32 hit songs including “Thinking of You,” “Any Time,” “Oh, My Pa-pa,” “I'm Yours,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Lady of Spain” and “Count Your Blessings.” His fame was enhanced by his 1955 marriage to movie star Debbie Reynolds - they were touted as “America's favorite couple” - and the birth of two children. When Eddie Fisher's best friend, producer Mike Todd, was killed in a 1958 plane crash, Fisher comforted the widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Amid sensationalist headlines, Fisher divorced Reynolds and married Taylor in 1959. The Fisher-Taylor marriage lasted only five years. Taylor fell in love with co-star Richard Burton during the Rome filming of “Cleopatra,” divorced Fisher and married Burton in one of the great entertainment world scandals of the 20th century. Fisher's romantic messages resonated with young girls in the pre-Elvis period. Publicist-manager Milton Blackstone helped the publicity by hiring girls to scream and swoon at Fisher's appearances.
