Edward Vincent Sullivan
Born:
September 28, 1902
Died:
October 13, 1974
Place of Birth:
New York, New York
Major Notes:
Ed Sullivan was to introduce many famous people to his TV audience almost guaranteeing them stardom.
He lived in the Harlem section of Manhattan, New York City, and his father was a customs inspector.
Not a great student but a good athlete, following high school graduation, he became a newspaper reporter specializing in sports.
In 1931, Ed Sullivan started writing a column called
Little Old New York
through which Sullivan met many celebrities.
CBS suggested that he host a weekly television program in 1948.
The highly successful program was named
Toast of the Town
and, in 1955, changed to
The Ed Sullivan Show
.
Sullivan was not a professional TV host and this seemed to help his acceptance to the public.
He was a task master and took a large part in the total presentation of the show as well as booking the acts himself.
Ed Sullivan featured such stars as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Richard Burton, the Wayne & Shuster duo, and Barbra Steisand.
During the length of the show, Sullivan introduced approximately ten thousand performers.
The program featured acts that appealed to all ages and it was a regularly watched Sunday night show.
He was often the source of guest comedians imitating his voice and physical actions as he hosted the show.
Ed Sullivan was one of America's most famous and most successful TV show hosts and appeared in many movies as himself.
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Last Updated: June 17, 2006
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