After working for a time as a lab assistant with Dr. Jonas Salk on the polio research team,[4] Wade began to pursue a recording career, signing with Coed Records in late 1959. He had his first hit in early 1960 (No. 58) with the song "Ruby",[5] a cover of the hit movie song of 1953.[6]
Wade was popular in the early-1960s.[7] 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 100chart.[2] These songs also made the Top Five of Billboard'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.[8] Wade's vocal style was generally compared to that of his contemporary Johnny Mathis.[2] But it was actually a singer from an earlier period, Nat King Cole, who was his principal influence.[2] 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."[9]
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 have a music production firm, Songbird, whose headquarters are in New Jersey.
Death
A resident of Montclair, New Jersey following his marriage in 1989, Wade died there on July 7, 2022, at age 87.[12] He had battled Parkinson’s disease.[13]
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. Wade was married to Jeree Wade in 1989, and their marriage lasted until his death. The two often performed together, and Wade revealed in an interview that he met Jeree on the set of Musical Chairs.
^McNally, Owen (February 14, 2012). "Crooner Wade Visits Hartford". Connecticut Public Radio Home. Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved June 2, 2020. I was the first one in my family to go to college, but dropped out in my sophomore year from Virginia State University.
^McNally, Owen (February 14, 2012). "Crooner Wade Visits Hartford". Connecticut Public Radio Home. Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved June 2, 2020. As a young man, I worked as a lab technician for Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the vaccine for polio.
^Opinde, Walter (April 23, 2019). "June 16, 1975, Adam Wade". Retrieved June 3, 2020. He starred in the production Guys and Dolls in 1978, and hosted the talk show Mid-Morning Los Angeles.
^Martin, Julia. "Adam Wade, TV pioneer and longtime Montclair resident, dies at age 87", The Record, July 19, 2022. Accessed July 21, 2022. "Adam Wade, who had a string of Billboard Top 10 hits in the 1960s and appeared in many films, plays and TV productions, including as the first Black host of a TV game show, died in Montclair on July 7 at age 87.... Adam and Jeree Wade moved to Von Breeman Court in Montclair in 1989. They married earlier that year, just a few months after meeting at the club Sweetwaters, where Wade was singing and his future wife also sang."
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