Adam Wade

Adam Wade (born Patrick Henry Wade on March 17, 1935 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) began his professional life working as a laboratory assistant for Jonas Salk on polio research before turning to music in the late 1950s. He signed with Coed Records in 1959 and had early chart success in 1961 with three Top 10 Billboard hits: “Take Good Care of Her,” “The Writing on the Wall,” and “As If I Didn’t Know.”

In 1975 he made history by hosting the CBS daytime game show Musical Chairs, becoming the first African-American to host a national U.S. television game show. Beyond singing and hosting, Wade pursued acting—appearing in films, musicals, and television shows including soaps and sitcoms throughout the 1970s and ’80s.

Later in life he earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, taught theater and speech, and ran a production company with his wife. Wade lived in Montclair, New Jersey, and after a long career in entertainment he passed away on July 7, 2022 at the age of 87 after battling Parkinson’s disease.