Especially if you saw Ed Sullivan, you have to wonder why he became a leading icon and performer on TV. He seemed like an odd fit. As an MC, he was about as stiff on camera as Richard Nixon and a penguin combined. He had odd posture: He held his shoulders high, his neck low, and he was famous for mispronouncing the names of his guests over and over again. They say he had a toddy or two before the show. Even when Ed was hitting on all cylinders, the standing joke among viewers was that Sullivan had a really big "shoe" that night. The silver-tongued Ed could make "show" come out as "shoe" any day of the week. So how did this awkward former pugilist become the leading force in variety show entertainment from the 1940's until the 1970's? First, you have to realize that this was the beginning of the television era. The new medium was not so glamorous in the beginning and it was relying on people from other related fields to fill the airtime. They chose many radio stars but also newspaper columnists. That is where Ed came in. Sullivan began his media work as a newspaper sportswriter. As circumstances played out, and his full potential was discovered, he became a theater columnist in New York City -- the big apple. From there, he had a radio show, critiquing Broadway shows and dispensing entertainment gossip. Then in 1948 CBS TV hired him to do his Sunday night variety show "The Ed Sullivan Show" that was the big gorilla of television for many years. It was not so much his personality the network was buying, as much as his important connections that allowed him to acquire the top entertainers. He could make or break an act overnight. Stories about Sullivan the man, his quirky behavior and his quick temper, could fill a book. Instead, I selected three videos. The first one is for those people who do not know Ed Sullivan from Kermit the frog. This was a commercial Sullivan did in his prime, and you can see just how stiff he was in front of the camera. It gets across his basic style and personality, or lack thereof.
One of the highlights in the history of his show was when, in 1956, he booked Elvis. The cavorting about, shimmy-shaking, had the girls worked into a dither across the country, Canada too. but especially so in Searcy, Arkansas. It was the first time that many parents out there had seen this young man Presley. They were displeased with the raw sexuality that was exuded by the future king of rock n' roll. Oh yes, those were simpler times. Check out that historic performance that many labeled as obscene. Probably the biggest coup of Sullivan's career came in 1964 when he managed to book the new sensation from England known as the Beatles. 73 million people watched the show that night, which was the largest audience in the history of television up until that time. And, from that point on Beatlemania gripped the USA and Canada. If you were around in the 60's this might be nostalgic. If not, you can see with your own eyes what a bunch of freaks we all were -- glued to this odd TV personality, with his mush-mouth, every Sunday night like bad religion.
For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar 
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA Home Inspections
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
Mr Ed (not the horse----although that was too) was definately religion in our house----I remember watching that particular show when he had the beat-tles as he called them.
Charlie,
Your enthusiasm for the Ed-meister is out of character for you.
Steve, I have had considerable time to go through many incarnations----some with fewer redeeming qualities than others:)
Steve, this is a fantastic blog. How'd you know I adored Elvis! Trouble is in Georgia, where I grew up, the show must have been censored. I remember Ed showed him only from the waist up to the dismay of me and everyone else who watched. He did make me swoon.
I love those Beatles too but not with the passion that I had for Elvis! Elvis was my favorite until he went into acting and he was an awful actor....with awful songs. Coming out of the first Elvis movie was so disappointing.
But my love affair went on. Marrying a man from Searcy AR put me closer to him. My husband, before I met him, was a honky-tonk man and he traveled around to Newport and little country honky-tonks and saw Elvis as he was starting out. We'd been married a few years and Elvis was to do a concert in Little Rock, 50 miles away. He said he'd take me. HE WAITED TOO LONG TO GET TICKETS! I DIDN'T GET TO SEE ELVIS IN PERSON!!! I have never forgiven him! I'm going to go in right now and remind him of it!!
One final note. The crowds were controlled then. The last concert I went to I was on the 3rd row and everyone in front of me stood up the whole time!! Rude, rude. I decided to give up concerts.
Barbara, Steve has that move Elvis does on the Ed Sullivan show down pat-----you would swear he IS Elvis----truely un-nerving. I'd probably break something:)
Barbara,
I am glad that you liked it. I enjoy some of the nostalgic things. Probably many AR members do not know him from Kermit. You can thank Charlie for my writing this. He is so infatuated with Ed that it is about all we talk about on the phone. Lord Charlie, he has been dead 30 years. Move on. I do not even know where he gets all the Ed Sullivan posters that decorate his den.
I still go to concerts. Wife and I went to the Police, had people stand in front of us the whole time and sawy. Wish I had a cherry bomb.
...we all were -- glued to this odd TV personality, with his mush-mouth, every Sunday night like bad religion.
What were we to do? He was the only "shoe" in town!
Charlie, I guess you have Ed's moves since he's your idol and Steve has Elvis's moves. I am so torn between which one I like best.
Steve, my husband was confused as to why I went in while he was watching TV, grabbed the remote and hit him on the head with it. He deserved it!
Barbara,
Down near the bottom of this page, there is quite an explanation of the whole censorship on Sullivan. Depends on which show you saw. Link below.
http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_1957_elvis_ed_sullivan_show.html
I've never read that before. Interesting article. I loved the black and white photos of Elvis.
Barbara,
All this stuff from the past is kind of fun. I enjoy writing blogs of this nature. It is fun to resurrect my life, the part that was lived when dinosaurs were still walking the earth. I remember when I was in about 5th grade. Elvis was big. But the girls in the class got into an argument about who they liked best: New Christy Minstrels, Peter, Paul and Mary, Kingston Trio. The boys, we all liked Big John by Jimmy Dean.
PS...ask Charlie to post his black and whites of Ed Sullivan in his prime.
Steven you sure went to "wild" school! I will take Elvis and Chuck Berry over any of those "posers" you mentioned-----especially Big John. At that same time there was really great stuff being done by Ray Charles, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters, Ruth Brown, Patsy Cline, Billie Holliday, and T-Bone Walker-----and the list goes on and on. The roots of a lot of what was to come later.
How dare you Charles Buell. Big John was the second best song ever recorded. Care to guess what the best ever song was Mr. Buell? You are such an elitist but we shall bring you down.
Well, do I get to choose the "list" or do we have to go with yours:)
You ask, and the king delivers the best song ever recorded. Pretty nifty for you, eh?
All time best, forever, no kidding, good stuff
The "best" of most things is rarely "popular":)
Having a little trouble there?:)
The stupid King is having trouble delivering. Okay here we go, I think
The best ever, most popular, and bestest song ever is below. Even better than Big John....man can you believe it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7z7mgrckhs
I am too afraid of what it might be---I AM NOT GOING TO CLICK ON IT!
You will want it. You will want to buy it. You will be a transformed man.
I am old enough to remember seeing the Beatles on Ed's "Big Show"
The talk of the nation from then on
Wow, more interesting history. Ed sure was a peculiar individual but he got the job done. Thanks for the music lesson.
Sean Allen
Sean,
You summed it up great. Peculiar but he did what needed to be done at the time.
I am 46 now and have some vague memories of Ed. The guy was scary looking but you are right in that he pulled in all the acts and made people from appearances on his show. Thanks for sharing. IF anything this pushes us to do what others have not tried yet and let the momentum carry us.
Stan Stepak
Real Living / Realty One
Northeast Ohio 440-476-0234
Stanley,
Ed was a big part of the lives of the current baby boomer generation.
I hated Ed Sullivan, but everyone else in my family loved him. When he came on, I just went outside to see what I could find. Sometimes I crawled under the house to see what I could find. Maybe that's where I learned how enjoyable it would be to be a home inspector. Hmmmmmmm.
I discovered many things outside while others were inside glued to the boom-tube, and I think I'm the better for it.
I still find it difficult to watch television. I usually watch it with the sound off and The Beatles playing. When I go outside, I usually have my headphones on and music playing in the CD player attached to my belt.
Who needs television? Oh, yeah. Sports. Nevermind.
Russel,
I never liked Ed. Terrible MC. But I liked some of the acts he got on the air.
Steve:
I love the old footage, especially the peppermint lounge. I played there when I was a kid.
I grew up in a 50's/60's music family, My older brothers had a group called the Delrays and I followed behind them.
I live and slept the Beatles.
Richard
Not much competition for Ed. We watched every Sunday night; don't even know who was on opposite to him.
I remember Woody Allen doing stand up, and always had someone either ringing bells or twirling plates on sticks.
Richard,
Cool that your were part of that.
Richard two....I rmember the twirling plates and the darn Italian mouse.
Back in those days anyone could be a TV anouncer. It was a new medium, and they were willing to try just about anything. Ed did connect with people though, that is why he lasted so long.
Brian,
Yes, Ed got there not by being glamorous but because of his connections and the talent he could pull because of his newspaper clout. Lucky for him he was not relying on newspaper anything in this day and age.
Steven - Yes it's kind of like the day Kennedy was shot to me. I'll never forget watching that show. I have them now on DVD all of them. It's really cool to see how things have changed in the world let alone the music world.
And yes it had to be the ED show. It was the most popular variety show around back then. A very fond remembrance.
I was definately a Ed Sullivan Fan. .. That is just what you did on Saturday evening in the 60's.
I loved watching the Ed Sullivan Show each week. I remember seeing Elvis and the Beatles.
There was a really good program on PBS about Ed Sullivan Shoe....on Friday Nove 28..
Did you see if too?
Ginger