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10 Facts About Ed Sullivan and the Ed Sullivan Show
The show was really biig, biig.
For many seniors, “The Ed Sullivan Show” is the epitome of what a variety show should be. The show helped propel numerous acts onto superstardom. And I must admit, I never watched a full episode. It just didn’t click with me. But despite my lack of viewership, the show reached iconic status. Go figure.
I decided to delve into the Ed Sullivan phenomenon. One of the first things you would notice about Ed was how stiff he was. It was like rigor mortis had set in before death. But there was a reason for that, Ed suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, which involves arthritis of the spine. So, it was a medical condition, not nerves that gave Ed such a stiff appearance.
With that said, here are some things you might not know about Ed Sullivan and his show.
1: The Beatles received a telegram from “Elvis Presley” after their performance on the Ed Sullivan.
Actually, the telegram was from Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis and The Beatles were jealous of each other.
After being informed of the telegram, George Harrison responded, “Elvis who?”
