Ed Sullivan's Arch-Nemesis The Singer He Despised

Now ladies and gentlemen right Elvis frle you a nothing Ed Sullivan was a legendary TV host and entertainment icon known for his variety show The Ed Sullivan Show but did you know that he had an arch nemesis Sullivan was a Powerhouse in the entertainment World bringing the world's most talented performers to the masses he had a sharp eye for talent but there was one singer he despised this Feud was so intense that it left a lasting mark on Sullivan's Legacy so who was this singer that Ed Sullivan couldn't stand join us as we uncover the story behind this long-standing Feud and the impact it had on both parties involved early days Sullivan's Journey began on September 28th 1901 in Harlem New York City where he was born to Elizabeth F and Peter Arthur Sullivan tragically his twin brother Daniel was not as fortunate and passed away within a few months growing up in Port Chester New York Sullivan's family lived in a simple Red Brick House on 53 Washington Street reflecting their Irish heritage music was a constant presence in their home with piano playing singing and listening to phonograph records being regular activities in high school Sullivan's athletic prowess Shone through earning him an impressive 12 athletic letters at Portchester high school he he excelled in football basketball track and baseball leading his team to numerous victories Sullivan's perspective on racism was shaped during his high school years where he learned the importance of judging individuals based on their abilities and character rather than their skin color after graduating Sullivan landed his first job at the Portchester Daily Item a local newspaper where he had previously shared sports news during his high school days he became a full-time member of the the publication in 1919 he made the move to the Hartford Post but unfortunately the newspaper shut down within his first week there Sullivan then took on the role of a sports reporter for the New York evening mail however when the newspaper closed its doors in 1923 he began a series of news related positions working for various organizations such as the Associated Press the Philadelphia bulletin the the morning world the Morning Telegraph the New York bulletin and the leader finally in 1927 Sullivan found his place at the New York evening graphic starting as a sports writer and eventually becoming a sports editor Sullivan's career in 1929 upon Walter Winchell's move to the Daily Mirror Sullivan assumed the role of Broadway columnist for the New York evening graphic he later transition to the New York daily news the city's largest tabloid Sullivan's column little old New York focused on Broadway shows and gossip while he also presented show business news on Radio by 1933 Sullivan wrote and starred in the film Mr Broadway showcasing New York night spots and interactions with entertainers and celebrities establishing himself as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry Sullivan emerged as one of Winchell's Prim AR competitors he designated the El Morocco nightclub as his unofficial base contrasting Winchell's stronghold at the nearby stor Club despite their rivalry Sullivan maintained his column in the New York daily news alongside his broadcasting Endeavors surpassing Winchell in popularity in the late 1960s Sullivan acknowledged Winchell's influence in a magazine interview leading to a significant reconciliation between between the two longstanding adversaries throughout his tenure as a columnist Sullivan engaged in entertainment Ventures including producing Vaudeville shows and serving as Master of Ceremonies in the 1920s and 1930s hosting a radio program on the original WABC and organizing benefit performances for various charitable causes in 1948 Marlo Lewis a producer managed to convince CBS to hire Ed Sullivan as the host of a weekly Sunday night television variety show called Toast of the town this show later became known as The Ed Sullivan Show it made its debut in June 1948 and was initially broadcast from Maxine Elliot's theater on West 39th Street in New York however in January 1953 the show moved to CBS TV studio 50 located at 1697 Broadway this studio was previously a CBS Radio Playhouse and was eventually renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967 interestingly this theater later became the home of popular shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Show with Steven Colbert when the show first aired television critics were not impressed and gave it and its host Ed Sullivan poor reviews Harriet Van Horn one of the critics even claimed that Sullivan's success was not due to his personality but rather his lack of one in response Sullivan wrote a letter to Van Horn calling her a derogatory term despite the criticism Sullivan's acting abilities were also questioned even 20 years after the show's debut Time Magazine questioned what exactly Sullivan's Talent was his on camera mannerisms were so awkward that some viewers even speculated that he suffered from Belle's py despite the perception of Sullivan's show initially his shows went up to Captivate the people of his time the Allure of Sullivan's show Sullivan was no ordinary guy he was the one who brought the glitz and glamour of show business right into the living rooms of the audience comedian Fred Allen once remarked Ed Sullivan will always be remembered as long as there are talented individuals out there and he couldn't have been more right Sullivan had a way of doing nothing yet doing it better than anyone else on television his show were a treat for the viewers each episode would showcase a variety of Acts from Vaudeville performers like acrobats jugglers and magicians to popular comedians singing stars and even figures from the legitimate theater and let's not forget the appearances of the Beloved puppet toppo Gigio or famous athletes it was a truly International affair with artists from Europe sharing the stage with their American counterparts but what set Sullivan apart was his ability to laugh at himself he not only allowed but encouraged impersonators like John biner Frank Goron Rich Little and especially will Jordan to imitate him on his show even Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers couldn't resist imitating his unique posture and mannerisms they exaggerated his stiffness raised shoulders and nasal voice along with his trademark introductions like and now right here on our stage and for all you youngsters out there was the famous phrase a really big shoe that his Impressionists loved to imitate interestingly Sullivan never actually said those words during the opening of any episode in the entire history of the show Sullivan's influence extended Beyond television he was portrayed by Will Jordan in several films including I Want to Hold Your Hand the Buddy Hol story The Doors Mr Saturday night and Down With Love he even made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1979 television movie Elvis in Jerry Lewis's 1964 film the py Sullivan played a fictionalized version of himself poking fun at his own mannerisms his impact was felt in the world of music as well the musical bye-bye birdie featured a song inspired by Sullivan and in 1963 he made an appearance as himself in a film in 1954 Sullivan co-hosted the television musical special General food's 25th anniversary show a salute to Rogers and Hammerstein it was just another Testament to his versatility and popularity Ed Sullivan was more than just a host he was a friend to the people of color during his time giving them the platform to shine Sullivan's indiscriminate nature according to Sullivan he emphasized that he never inquired about a performer's religion race or politics when conducting his own show instead he believed in selecting performers based solely on their abilities Sullivan believed that this aspect of his show contributed to its success and garnered a broad and devoted audience despite initially expressing reservations about Elvis Presley's image Sullivan eventually recognized his immense popularity and booked him for three appearances in 1956 however due to a car accident involved Sullivan and his son-in-law they were unable to attend Presley's first appearance which was introduced by Charles lton once Sullivan got to know Presley personally he made amends by acknowledging him as a genuinely decent and admirable individual Sullivan's ambition to be ahead of the game in the TV industry was fueled by his failure to secure Presley before anyone else determined not to miss out on the next big sensation Sullivan found himself at he airport in November 1963 it was there that he witnessed the frenzy of beetle Mania as the band returned from Sweden causing a commotion with hordes of screaming teenagers taking over the terminal initially Sullivan hesitated to book The Beatles as they hadn't yet achieved commercial success in the US however at the urging of his friend Sid Bernstein Sullivan took a chance and signed the group The Beatles made their first appearance on the the Sullivan Show on February 9th 1964 and it quickly became the most watched program in TV history up to that point the band went on to appear three more times in person and also submitted filmed performances another British group The Dave Clark 5 who were seen as having a cleaner image compared to the Beatles made a total of 13 appearances on the show more than any other UK group unlike many shows at the time Sullivan and insisted that most musical acts perform live rather than lipsyncing to their recordings there were exceptions of course such as when technical limitations prevented a performer from being close enough to a microphone one memorable example was BJ Thomas's 1969 performance of Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head where water was sprinkled on him as a special effect in 1969 Sullivan played a pivotal role in introducing the Jackson 5 to the World by Pres presenting them with their first single I want you back the song quickly Rose to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 knocking Thomas's hit off the throne Sullivan's appreciation for black entertainers was evident throughout his career while other TV variety shows only welcomed acceptable black Superstars Sullivan went a step further as early as the 1950s he showcased lesser known black entertainers he had discovered during his visit to Harlem including Legends like Peg Leg baits pig meat Markham and Tim Moore these performers Were Strangers to White America but Sullivan saw their talent and gave them a platform to shine Ed Sullivan was a Trailblazer in showcasing black artists on his show he fearlessly defied pressure from sponsors and critics who wanted him to exclude or limit interactions with black entertainers in fact he welcomed and embraced them on screen Sullivan show featured groundbreaking performances by legendary musicians such as Bo didley The Platters Brook Benton Jackie Wilson FATZ Domino and numerous mtown Acts including the iconic Supremes who made 17 appearances as the esteemed critic John Leonard noted Sullivan's show was a platform for every important black artist of the time his commitment to inclusivity was evident in his interactions with black ENT entertainers despite facing backlash from his sponsor Ford's Lincoln dealers he boldly kissed Pearl Bailey on the cheek and shook hands with Nat King Cole author knockman wrote that Sullivan had to defend himself against Ford's pressure but he stood his ground in fact when a Ford executive suggested that Sullivan should reduce the number of black acts on his show Sullivan had him thrown out of the theater in another incident a dealer in Cleveland questions Sullivan's decision to put his arm around Bill Bojangles Robinson at the end of his dance Sullivan's anger was so intense that he had to be physically restrained from attacking the man however Sullivan's commitment to equality extended Beyond his show he even raised funds to contribute to Robinson's funeral expenses Sullivan's dedication to promoting diversity faced opposition from some Southern station managers who complained about the number of black artists he booked in response Sullivan passionately addressed the issue during a CBS Affiliates meeting in the late 1950s he made it clear that any station manager who held such discriminatory views was not obligated to carry his show despite the controversy no station canel its affiliation with Sullivan's show he firmly believed in standing up against intolerance drawing from his own experiences as a Catholic who had witnessed the suffering of his own community growing up he had developed a deep empathy for minority causes with the struggles of African-Americans and Jews resonating strongly with him Sullivan needed no persuasion to support these causes and was always ready to lend a helping hand however despite the fact he was a friend to many not everyone ended up being his friend in fact he had many feuds with some famous faces during his time Sullivan's arch nemesis during during a time when country and western music weren't popular on television Sullivan decided to Showcase Nashville performers on his show this paved the way for other shows like heaw and variety shows hosted by famous country singers like Johnny Cash and Glenn Campbell the Canadian comedy duo Wayne and Schuster made the most appearances on the show with a whopping 67 appearances between 1958 and 1969 Sullivan didn't just stick to his own show though he also made appearances on other television programs in April 1958 he appeared as himself on an episode of The Howard Duff and Ida Lupino CBS comedy show called Mr Adams and Eve he even made a surprise appearance on What's My Line as a mystery guest on September 14th 1958 and in 1961 Sullivan filled in for Red Skelton on the Red Skelton Show taking on skelton's funny roles in the comedy sketches they even renamed skelton's hobo character Freddy the freeloader to Eddie the freeloader when Sullivan took over Sullivan was easily offended and could hold on to grudges for extended periods according to biographer Gerald knockman Sullivan admitted I'm a pop off I flare up then I go around apologizing nackman described Sullivan as having an Irish temper and thin skin which fueled his desire for conflict due to his involvement in boxing Bo didley buddy Hol Jackie Mason and Jim Morrison were all involved in some of Sullivan's most famous disputes on November 20th 1955 Bo didley an African-American rock and roll singer and guitarist made an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show however his decision to perform his own song didly Daddy instead of the requested 16 tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford led to Sullivan's displeasure a reporter present at CBS Studios 57 described the controver y that ensued following the incident on Ed Sullivan's Coast to Coast television show Toast of the town the conflict arose from a performer's refusal to comply with Sullivan's request to perform a specific number during the live broadcast during the dress rehearsal Bo didley who was listed as the seventh performer in the lineup for the show agreed to perform 16 tons as requested by Marlo Lewis the executive producer of toast of the town and Sullivan however at 8:29 p.m. when Sullivan went into a commercial break the folk singer quickly approached Ray block the musical director to inform him that he had changed his mind and intended to perform didly daddy instead despite several attempts to persuade him otherwise the CBS Executives convened in A hurried conference in an effort to coordinate the timing of the show with the longer Song Buddy Holly and the Crickets made their debut on on the Sullivan Show in 1957 and the audience couldn't contain their excitement when they were invited back for a second appearance in January 1958 there was a little hiccup Sullivan felt that the lyrics of their chosen song Oh Boy were a bit too suggestive for the show and asked Holly to pick another one however Holly had already promised his friends back in Texas that he would be performing oh boy for them this didn't sit well with Sullivan who was not used to being questioned he repeated his request but Holly stood his ground as the band was getting ready for the rehearsal they were a bit slow to respond to the summons Sullivan took this opportunity to make a snide remark saying that the Crickets didn't seem too thrilled about being on The Ed Sullivan Show Holly still irritated by Sullivan's attitude fired back expressing his hope that the band was more excited than he was Sullivan feeling challenged decided to cut their performance from two songs to just one to add insult to injury he even mispronounced Holly's name during the introduction and if that wasn't enough he made sure that Holly's guitar amplifier was barely audible except for his guitar solo despite all the obstacles the band's talent and energy won over the audience they were received so well that Sullivan had no choice but to invite them back however Holly not one to hold back responded by saying that Sullivan simply didn't have enough money to bring them back in archival photographs from that appearance you can see Holly smirking completely ignoring a visibly angry Sullivan it was a moment of Triumph for the band proving that their music spoke louder than any ill-willed attempts to bring them down but they never attended his shows again more feuds during Jackie Mason's performance in October 1964 a show that had been shortened by 10 minutes due to an address by President Lyndon Johnson Sullivan who was on stage but off camera signaled Mason that he had 2 minutes left by holding up two fingers this signal from Sullivan caused a distraction among the studio audience and to television viewers who were unaware of the circumstances it appeared as though Mason's jokes were not well received in an attempt to regain the audience's attention Mason exclaimed I'm getting fingers here and made his own frantic hand gesture saying here's a finger for you the videotapes of the incident do not provide a conclusive view of Mason's upswept hand which was just off camera and whether it was intended to be an indecent gesture however Sullivan firmly believed that it was leading to his decision to ban Mason from future appearances on the program Mason later claimed that he was unaware of the meaning behind the middle finger gesture and denied making it all together in September 1965 Sullivan who Mason stated was deeply apologetic surprised him by bringing him back on the show for a grand reunion according to knockman Sullivan referred to them as old Pals which came as news to Mason as he never received another invitation to appear on the show Mason also mentioned that his earning power was significantly reduced after the incident and it wasn't until his Broadway debut in 1986 that he was able to regain his previous success when the birds performed on December 12th 1965 David Crosby engaged in a heated argument with the show's director as a result they were not invited back Sullivan deemed the line girl we couldn't get much higher from the do's hit song Light My Fire too explicit in reference to drug use during the group September 196 7 appearance he instructed them to change the lyric to girl we couldn't get much better despite the band members agreeing they sang the original lyrics Following the show producer Bob pre informed the group that although Sullivan wanted them for six more shows they would not be returning to the Ed Sullivan Show Jim Morrison responded by saying hey man we just performed on The Ed Sullivan Show Mo Howard of The Three Stooges mentioned in 1975 that Sullivan had a tendency to forget things recalling an incident where Sullivan mistakenly introduced them as the three Ritz Brothers Joe darita who worked with the Stooges described Sullivan as having a personality akin to the bottom of a bird cage Diana Ross a fan of Sullivan remembered his forgetfulness during the numerous times The Supremes appeared on his show in a 1995 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman Ross mentioned that Sullivan could never remember their names and would simply refer to them as the girls during a 1990 press conference Paul McCartney recounted an encounter with Sullivan in the early 1970s where Sullivan did not recognize him despite McCartney's attempts to remind him that he was a member of The Beatles Sullivan could not recall Joan Rivers in an interview with Howard Stern around 2012 revealed that Sullivan had been suffering from dementia towards the end of his life what do you think about the feud Sullivan had with these famous faces was it Justified leave a comment below Sullivan's personal life Sullivan's life behind the scenes has been filled with heartbreaking loss in 1927 Sullivan was engaged to The Talented swimmer Cil Bower but unfortunately she passed away due to cancer at the young age of 23 a year later in 1926 Sullivan met Sylvia Weinstein and they started dating initially Sylvia told her family she was seeing a Jewish man named ed Solomon but it was later revealed to be Sullivan a Catholic their families were against their Interfaith relationship causing a three-year break in their relationship however they defied the odds and got married on April 28th 1930 in a simple City Hall ceremony Sylvia gave birth to their daughter Elizabeth months later named after Sullivan's late mother Betty went on to marry Bob pre the producer of The Ed Sullivan Show in 1952 the Sullivans moved to the Hotel del Monaco in 1944 after residing at the hotel Aster for many years Sullivan even rented an office suite next to their family Suite where he worked until the show was cancelled in 1971 he would always call his wife after each program to hear her thoughts the couple enjoyed dining and socializing at prestigious New York City clubs and restaurants like the stor Club Danny's Hideaway and Jimmy Kelly's Sullivan had a wide circle of friends including celebrities US presidents and even popes Sylvia played a crucial role as a financial adviser for her husband until her passing on March 16th 1973 at Mount Si Hospital from a ruptured a ort Sullivan and politics Sullivan apart from the spotlight was also involved in politics in the late 1940s and 1950s Sullivan along with many other American entertainers found himself entangled in the Cold War anti-communist fervor a prime example of this was when tap dancer Paul Draper was set to appear on toast of the town in January 1950 however his appearance faced opposition from Hester McCulla a zealous activist on the lookout for subversives Mulla accused Draper of being a Communist party sympathizer and demanded that Ford Motor Company Sullivan's lead sponsor canceled Draper's appearance despite the backlash Draper denied the allegations and went on the show as planned The Fallout from the incident led to Ford receiving a barrage of over a thousand angry letters and telegrams prompting Sullivan to assure Ford's advertising agency that he would steer clear of controversial guests in the future unfortunately Draper was left with no choice but to relocate to Europe in order to make ends meet following the Draper debacle Sullivan began collaborating closely with Theodore Kirkpatrick from the anti-communist Counterattack newsletter Whenever there were doubts about a potential guest's political affiliations Sullivan would turn to Kirk Patrick for advice in his daily news column on June 21st 1950 Sullivan mentioned that Kirk Patrick had visited his home multiple times to assess performers seeking a stamp of loyalty the repercussions of the Cold War were evident in a different manner when Bob Dylan was scheduled to perform in May 1963 he chose to sing talking John bur paranoid Blues a song that mocked the ultraconservative John bur society and their tendency to perceive communist conspiracies in various situations no concerns were raised Ed by anyone including Sullivan during rehearsals however on the day of the broadcast cbs's standards and practices Department rejected the song due to fears that the lyrics which equated the society's views with those of Adolf Hitler could lead to a defamation lawsuit Dylan was given the option to perform a different song but he declined stating that if he couldn't sing his chosen number he would rather not appear at all this incident garnered significant media attention in the following days with Sullivan publicly criticizing the Network's decision in interviews Sullivan clashed with standards and practices on other occasions as well in 1956 ingred Bergman who had been living in Europe since 1950 following her scandalous love affair with director Roberto rosolini while they were both married planned to make a comeback in Hollywood as the star of Anastasia Sullivan confident that the American public would welcome her return invited her to appear on his show and even traveled to Europe to film an interview with Bergman Yu Briner and Helen Hayes on the set of Anastasia however upon his return to New York standards and practices informed Sullivan that Bergman would not be allowed to appear on the show either live or on film under any circumstances Sullivan's prediction ultimately proved correct as Bergman not only won her second Academy Award for her performance but also regained the Forgiveness of her fans later life and death in 1965 CBS started a new era of Television by introducing color to its weekly programs while the Sullivan Show was broadcast live in the Central and Eastern time zones it was pre-recorded for the Pacific and mountain time zones some captivating moments from the show have been made available on home video and shared on the official Ed Sullivan Show YouTube channel however as the year 1971 rolled around the show's popularity took a nose dive in an attempt to revitalize the CBS lineup the network made the decision to cancel the program in March 1971 along with several other long-running shows during the 1970 to 1971 season which later became known as the rural Purge this decision left Sullivan feeling Furious leading him to refuse hosting the scheduled shows for the next three months instead reruns were aired and a final episode without him was broadcasted in June despite this setback Sullivan continued his association with the network in various capacities and even hosted a special 25 the anniversary celebration in June 1973 tragically in early September 197 4 Sullivan received a devastating diagnosis of advanced esophageal cancer doctors delivered the Grim news that he had very little time left to live however his family made the difficult choice to keep this information hidden from him Sullivan who had been a lifelong smoker believed that his illness was merely another complication arising from his ongoing battle with gastric ulcers sadly Sullivan passed away on October 1 1974 at New York's Lennox Hill hospital his funeral took place on a cold rainy day at St Patrick's Cathedral in New York with 2,000 people in attendance those he even had feuds with attended his burial Sullivan was laid to rest in a crypt at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale New York to honor his remarkable contributions to the entertainment industry Sullivan was given a star on the illustrious Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard additionally in 1985 he was warmly welcomed into the television Academy Hall of Fame cementing his enduring Legacy what do you think about Sullivan and the feuds he had during his career leave a comment below and turn on the notification Bell

Channel: The Ultimate Expedition

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Keywords: Ed Sullivan, Couldn’t Stand, This Singer, He Made, It Obvious, Ed, Sullivan, stand, singer, obvious, greatest, late-night, television, show, series, of all time, dislikes, discovery, Singer He Despised, Arch-Nemesis

Id: vbEJKEyHXJE

Length: 31min 48sec (1908 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 17 2024