Singer Eddie Fisher dies in Berkeley

Eddie Fisher, whose smooth voice helped him become one of the most popular singers in the nation in the 1950s and who was known for his highly publicized marriages and divorces to some of the most famous Hollywood starlets of the era, has died. He was in his 80s.

Fisher died Wednesday in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher, told the Associated Press.

Between 1950 and 1956, Fisher recorded 25 songs that made the “Top 40,” including 19 “Top 10” hits and four that reached No. 1.

Fisher’s boyish good looks and natural charisma also helped him land roles on television shows and such feature films as “Butterfield 8,” “Nothing Lasts Forever” and “Bundle of Joy.”

But it was his failed marriages to Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens and Elizabeth Taylor that many remember Fisher for best. He also was reportedly involved with Judy Garland and Ann-Margret.

“All those romances took too much energy,” Fisher recalled in a 1990 Times article. “But before you do anything, you’ve got to work. Romance is for kids. There are times when everything is perfect, but it doesn’t last.”