| Adam Wade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Patrick Henry Wade |
| Born: | March 17, 1935 |
| Birth Hometown: | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Died: | July 7, 2022 (age 87) |
| Place of death: | Montclair, New Jersey |
| Occupation: | Singer, Musician, Actor |
| Years active: | 1959-2022 |
| Known for: | Being a singer and for being the first African-American game show host for the 1975 version of Musical Chairs |
Patrick Henry Wade or Adam Wade (born March 17, 1935; died July 7, 2022) was an American singer, musician, and actor. Wade was perhaps mostly known for his short-lived stint as the host of the CBS daytime game show Musical Chairs (1975) by making him the first black game show host in history 47 years ago.
Early Life and Career[]
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. United States, to Pauline Simpson and Henry Oliver Wade Jr. was raised by his grandparents. Wade grew up in the East Liberty neighborhood and attended Westinghouse High School; graduating in 1952. After high school, Wade attended Virginia State University but dropped out in his sophomore year.
Career[]
After working for a time as a lab assistant with Dr. Jonas Salk on the polio research team, Wade began to pursue a recording career, singing with Coed Records in late 1959. He had his first hit in early 1960 (No. 58) with the song "Ruby", a cover of the hit movie song of 1953.
Wade was popular in the early-1960s. In 1961, three of his recordings ("Take Good Care of Her" [No. 7], "As If I Didn't Know" [No. 10] and "The Writing on the Wall" [No. 5]) made the Top Ten in the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. These songs also made the Top Five of Billboards's Easy Listening survey. Wade released the following albums in the United Kingdom: Adam and Evening in 1961 and Adam Wade One is A Lonely Number in 1962. Wade also released an EP in 1960, And Then Came Adam. "Take Good Care of Her" reached No. 38 in the UK singles chart in June 1961. Wade's vocal style was generally compared to that of Johnny Mathis. But it was actually a singer from an earlier period Nat King Cole, who was his principal influence. In a Connecticut Public Radio interview, Wade said: "My father introduced me to Nat's music when I was a kid, He was my idol since high school".
In 1975, Wade hosted the game show Musical Chairs on CBS. He starred in a stage production of Guys and Dolls in 1978 and hosted the talk show Mid-Morning LA. In 1979, he co-starred with Della Reese in a production of Same Time, Next Year. On tv, he was seen in soap operas The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow and was a familiar presence on such popular black-oriented sitcoms as Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, What's Happening!! and Good Times. His handsome face lit up the room and allowed his natural mannerism to take over the scene. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wade began to concentrate on acting and appeared in several of the so-called blaxploitation movies including Gordon's War.
Wade briefly returned to recording, producing a self-titled album on the Kirschner record label, which was distributed by Columbia Records. This was a venture into a more soulful singing genre. It met with moderate success but is still a favorite with his loyal fans. He appeared in one episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. His latest theatrical appearance was with the 2008 touring company of the play The Color Purple. Wade and his wife Jeree have a music production firm, Songbird, whose headquarters are in New Jersey.
Personal Life[]
Wade was married twice and had three children. Wade's first marriage was to his high school sweetheart Kay A. Wade from 1956 until 1973. Together, they had three children: Sheldon (Ramel) Wade, Patrice Johnson Wade and Michael (Jamel) Wade. Sixteen years later, Wade was married to Jeree P. Wade from 1989 until his death in 2022, They often performed together. Wade revealed in an interview that he met Jeree on the set of Musical Chairs.
Death[]
Due to his battle with Parkinson's disease, Wade passed away on July 7, 2022 at the age of 87. On July 8, 2022; His death was announced by his family & friends via Facebook[1].
"It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of our husband, father, brother, friend, Adam Wade. Arrangements are being made for his memorial and we will keep you updated; It is a great loss for everyone who knew and loved him. Please keep our family in your prayers."
With deep sorrow,
The Wade Family <3
Show Hosted[]
Musical Chairs (1975)
Show Appeared[]
To Tell the Truth (Collyer)