Edward Byrnes
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Edward Byrnes, an American actor, was born Edward Byrne Breitenberger on July 30, 1933, in New York of German and Irish extraction.
His alcoholic father died when he was 13. He changed his surname to Byrnes, which was his maternal grandfather's surname and appeared in the movie Marjorie Morningstar as Edward Byrnes. He was usually billed under the name Edd Byrnes so as to distinguish himself from actor/director Edward Burns.
His most famous role was as Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson III on the TV detective series 77 Sunset Strip. His constant tending of his ducktail haircut led to many jokes and a hit song, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb", which he recorded with Connie Stevens. The Kookie character was an example of the hipster sidekick who talks jive talk and knows what is "the word on the street".
Byrnes was later hired to host Wheel of Fortune, but was fired by Merv Griffin after only the pilot episode in 1974 and was replaced by Chuck Woolery in 1975; he has appeared in many TV shows and unmemorable movies including three spaghetti westerns.
Edd also played the role of Vince Fontaine in the 1978 smash movie Grease.
His son, Logan Byrnes, is a news anchor at WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut.
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