Noted filmmakers Margo Precht Speciale and Andrew Solt joined host Kenneth Womack to talk about how the Beatles really got booked on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the lasting legacy of the television program on its 75th anniversary and more on a special bonus episode of “Everything Fab Four,” a podcast co-produced by me and Womack (a music […]
It’s a television show that made history over and over again, on multiple levels. No one could have realized the impact The Ed Sullivan Show would have not only on TV, but on American culture when it debuted 75 years ago, on June 20th, 1948. For the next 23 years, the show featured live performances by those […]
When he first appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1956, Elvis Presley had yet to earn the nickname the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” But Ed Sullivan was very much a kingmaker. Producer-director Andrew Solt, who owns the Ed Sullivan archives, says Sullivan – who could make or break a career – had been […]
The sheer brilliance and theatricality of James Brown’s live show is captured in an extended medley performance now available on the official YouTube page of The Ed Sullivan Show. In the clip, from the edition of October 30, 1966, the Godfather of Soul is seen with members of his band – including the ever-present Bobby Byrd – […]
Ed Sullivan wasn’t kidding when he’d announce, “We have a really big ‘shoe’ tonight.” Over the variety show’s 24 seasons and over 1,000 episodes, the who’s who of music, comedy, and dance appeared on stage to wow America with incredible performances. Here are some of The Ed Sullivan Show’s most famous acts: The Best Acts from The Ed Sullivan […]
Ike and Tina’s indelible cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song became a massive hit in 1971 and remained one of Tina’s signature songs IT WAS ALL happening for Tina and Ike Turner in 1970. They’d spent the Sixties building a steady head of steam in the U.S., and especially abroad, with hits like “So Fine,” […]
This week Amazon announced that the original Ed Sullivan Show is now streaming for free on its free streaming service Freevee. Now you will be able to relive the classic show for free on Amazon. This news comes as Amazon recently announced a deal to bring over 100 Amazon originals to Freevee. Now Amazon says […]
A vintage performance by Ella Fitzgerald features in the latest clip from the archives of The Ed Sullivan Show. The peerless vocal stylist is seen, in her finest scatting form, in a performance from the February 2, 1964 edition of “Perdido,” accompanied by storied trumpeter Roy Eldridge. Fitzgerald made numerous appearances on the famous variety […]
A unique medley by the Temptations, still at the height of their Motown reign, is the latest addition to the official YouTube channel of The Ed Sullivan Show. The clip dates from the January 31, 1971 edition of the show, which was two months from the end of its regular run in syndication, dating back […]
At one point during his 1955 European tour, Louis Armstrong made an unscheduled pilgrimage. Having just played a concert with his All-Stars, he dashed over to La Scala — to “stand by those big cats like Verdi and Wagner, and take pictures,” he later recalled, “‘cause they figure our music is the same; we play ‘em both […]