Adam Wade, a singer, and actor, died on July 7 at the age of 87. He died at his home in Montclair, New Jersey, following a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease, according to his wife. Wade rose to prominence as the host of the CBS game show Musical Chairs, and he was the country’s first black game show host. His funeral arrangements are still being finalized.
Everything 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 by early 1960, he had released Ruby, a version of a 1953 popular movie song.
Wade rose to prominence in the early 1960s, with three of his songs topping the Billboard Hot 100 list. At the time, he published two albums: Adam and Evening and Adam Wade One Is A Lovely Number, followed by an EP called And Then Came Adam. Adam’s singing style was likened to Johnny Mathis, although it was more akin to Nat King Cole, a vocalist from a different era. He was not only the first African-American to host a television game show, but he was also the host of the chat program Mid-Morning LA. Wade featured in the Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls in 1978 and Same Time, Next Year in 1979.
Wade went on to feature in a number of soap operas, including The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow. He has appeared in sitcoms such as Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, What’s Happening!!, and Good Times. Between the late 1970s and the 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 on the Kirschner record label, which was released by Columbia Records. Although the record was only a middling hit, his followers adored it. He made an appearance in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. The actor’s most recent stage engagement was in the drama The Color Purple in 2008. Adam and his wife own the music production company Songbird, which is based in New Jersey.
Twitter users pay tribute
Adam Wade is well-known for his television appearances as well as his successful albums. When word of Wade’s death spread, Twitter was inundated with tributes. Some of them remarked about 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 grandkids and great-grandchildren.
#RIP 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 showed up in ‘Shaft’ and ‘Claudine’ before making history as the 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 was very funny, rip sir… Adam Wade, Singer, Actor and Pioneering Game Show Host, Dies at 87 https://t.co/UkiBI1687B via @Yahoo
— TBreezy (@bullock_l) July 11, 2022
