Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan (1901-1974), American television (TV) personality, noted for hosting The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971), the longest-running and perhaps most influential variety show (program that combines various types of performances, such as skits, songs, or comedy sketches) in television history. Sullivan had an uncanny instinct for presenting entertainers when they were most topical or on the verge of becoming national stars.

Born Edward Vincent Sullivan in New York City, he worked as a newspaper reporter after graduating from high school in the 1920s. He initially covered sports but began reporting on show business in 1931 with a syndicated column, “Little Old New York” (1931-1974), through which he came to know many of the leading celebrities in the United States. When network television commenced in the late 1940s, Sullivan proposed a weekly variety show, which premiered as The Toast of the Town on June 20, 1948. It was an immediate success, highlighted by the TV debut of American comedians Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The program, which in 1955 was renamed The Ed Sullivan Show became part of a Sunday night routine for many viewers and usually ranked among the top ten programs in TV ratings.

Sullivan's nervous mannerisms and apparent discomfort before the cameras endeared him to his audience. The program advanced the careers of hundreds of performers, notably the Beatles and Elvis Presley, and became one of the most coveted performance opportunities in show business.

Sullivan continued writing his newspaper column until his death. In 1957 he helped found the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was honored with an Emmy Award in 1971 and in 1984 was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.