O P I N I O N

BOOMER LIFE

By Annette Kurman

“Ed Sulivan, Ed Sullivan, I’m going to be on Ed Sullivan!” (Sung to the tune from Bye, bye, Birdie\

How many times were your favorite entertainers on Ed Sulliva

Do you remember watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, ogling Elvis as he  gyrated his hips, or Mick Jagger as he frowned while singing “Let’s spend some time together”?

You may not be familiar with all the comedians/singers/bands who also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show during its 23-year run, but here are some of those who racked up the most appearances on the show:

1. Connie Francis, 36 appearances, starting 1958
2. Stiller & Meara, 36 appearances, starting 1964 (Jerry Stiller played Frank Constanza, George’s father, on Seinfeld.)
3. Alan King, 37 appearances, starting 1956
4. Myron Cohen, 43 appearances, starting 1950, comedian from the Borscht Belt
5. Jim Henson’s Muppets, 25 appearances
6. Totie Fields, George Kirby, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Kate Smith (“God Bless American”), 20 appearances
7. Louis Armstrong and Patti Page: 18 appearances

Bands we Baby Boomers can all  recall:

10. The Lovin’ Spoonful (three times, 1967)
11. The Beach Boys (1964, 1968)
12. The Temptations (six performances between 1967 and 1971)
13. Bill Haley & His Comets (1955, 1957); performed the first rock and roll song on national television
14. The Doors (1967); intent on keeping his Sunday night show family-appropriate, The Doors were asked to alter the lyrics of “Light My Fire”. Whether intentional or by accident, Jim Morrison sang the song as originally written on live TV. They were never asked back.

5.  The Rolling Stones (six performances 1965-1969) The Rolling Stones, too, had suggestive lyrics that needed to be changed before going out on live TV. Besides The Doors, what band wouldn’t want to be on national television? So Mick Jagger acquiesced but his performance showed the audience he was not impressed having to spend “some time” together. (“Let’s Spend the Night Together”)

4. The Supremes (16 performances) 1964-1970

3. The Jackson Five (two performances) 1969, 1970; eleven-year-old Michael Jackson amazed the audience and they performed again the following year.

2. Elvis Presley (three performances) twice in 1956, once in 1957; 60 million people saw Elvis’ first performance. Legend has it that although his gyrating hips were censored by Sullivan, audiences were able to see Elvis the Pelvis in full his first two performances on the show.

1. The Beatles (three times in 1964)
For three consecutive Sundays in February, 1964, the four mop-tops performed live on the show, bringing Beatlemania to this side of the pond. They drew 73 million viewers and gave Sullivan the best ratings of his career.

You can reach Annette Kurman at annette.kurman@gmail.com