25 Facts About The Ed Sullivan Show

1. The Ed Sullivan Show was known for embracing African-American artists, refusing to kowtow to racist sponsors and, as such, was a major force in diversifying the American media landscape.

2. The Ed Sullivan Show married Sylvia Weinstein in 1930 and the couple had a daughter, Elizabeth.

3. The Ed Sullivan Show was livid and the band was never allowed back on the show.

4. The Ed Sullivan Show was a powerful figure and associated with celebrities, presidents, and Popes.

5. The Ed Sullivan Show got criticism from some, but just ignored it and continued to support everyone equally.

6. The Ed Sullivan Show began to take notice at the pandemonium as the Beatles had just arrived from their tour in Stockholm, Sweden.

7. The Ed Sullivan Show would use his name and influence for a good cause.

8. The Ed Sullivan Show is rumored to have been so grateful to the Ford Motor Company that he would send postcards to dealers when he was traveling.

9. The Ed Sullivan Show coveted Winchell's influence and wanted to move in the same circles.

10. The Ed Sullivan Show turned down a chance to attend college, even though an uncle had offered to pay his tuition, and chose to go into the newspaper business instead.

11. The Ed Sullivan Show was a twin, but his brother, Danny, died before their first birthday.

12. The Ed Sullivan Show became significantly stricter with his on-camera warning to children not to watch it.

13. On May 27 1956, The Ed Sullivan Show presented an animated short film entitled A Short Vision.

14. The Ed Sullivan Show considered his May 17, 1953, telecast to be the single most important episode in the show's first decade.

15. The Ed Sullivan Show is noteworthy for showcasing performances from numerous classic Broadway musicals of the era, often featuring members of the original Broadway casts.

16. The Ed Sullivan Show presented Domino alone at his piano singing as if he were a young Nat 'King' Cole or Fats Waller, as he performed "Blueberry Hill".

17. The Ed Sullivan Show launched the careers of many performers by presenting them to a nationwide TV audience and ignored the criticism.

18. The Ed Sullivan Show was intrigued, telling his entourage it was the same thing as Elvis all over again.

19. The Ed Sullivan Show hosted a second appearance by Presley on October 28, 1956.

20. The Ed Sullivan Show rubbed one hand on his hip to dry off the perspiration from playing his guitar.

21. In 1971, The Ed Sullivan Show came to an abrupt end.

22. The Ed Sullivan Show would regularly feature singers from the Metropolitan Opera and the staff orchestra would accompany divas such as Eileen Farrell, Maria Callas or Joan Sutherland.

23. The Ed Sullivan Show was basically a musical variety show, and thus members of the CBS orchestra were folded into the Ed Sullivan Show Orchestra, conducted by Ray Bloch.

24. The Ed Sullivan Show realized that to keep viewers, the best and brightest in entertainment had to be seen, or else the viewers were going to keep on changing the channel.

25. The Ed Sullivan Show enjoyed phenomenal popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s.