Tuesday, October 2, 2007

(40) The ED SULLIVAN SHOW : A VARIETY SHOW THAT MADE MUSIC HISTORY

The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcasting from New York City, was one of the most popular variety type television shows there was. Ed Sullivan was one of a kind. He had an attitude to him at times like he wasn't sure that he approved of the entertainers who had been booked on his show. And over time he became notorious for censorship, particularly when it came to Rock and Roll, be it Elvis Presley, or in years to come the Beatles, or the Doors. A lot of people know that Elvis Presley performed on The Ed Sullivan show, but believe it or not, so did I, and so did Buddy Knox and a number of my other friends.

Because Ed Sullivan had been warned that "Elvis The Pelvis" might offend Americans, Ed insisted on having Elvis filmed from the waistline up on his first show. When I performed on Ed Sullivan I was on my mark before he and I got a look at each other. Ed was worried that I might also offend Americans, but I sang "Tiny Spaceman," so there wasn't much of a chance of that. Here's some links to sites about Ed Sullivan that are sure to interest you!


Time/CNN The 100 Best Television Shows of All Time
(See the video of Ed with comedian Jerry Lewis)

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659188_1652093,00.html
Museum of Broadcast Communications - Ed Sullivan Show link above!

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