Showy Facts About Ed Sullivan, The Hollywood Starmaker
For entertainers of all stripes, an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show could make their career overnight—unless they rubbed the show’s host the wrong way. From the birth of The Beatles to the blacklisting of Bo Diddley, here are various facts about Ed Sullivan, the ultimate Hollywood starmaker.
1. He Had A Knack For Survival
Edward Vincent Sullivan was born in September 1901 to Elizabeth F Sullivan and Peter Arthur Sullivan—and it’s nothing short of a miracle that he made it through childhood. He had a twin brother, Daniel, who survived for only a few months, and a younger sister who was equally ill-fated.
On the heels of this nightmare, the Sullivan family made a big change.
2. He Had A Happy Childhood
Following the tragic losses of two children, the Sullivan family moved to Port Chester, New York. All sources seem to indicate that the Sullivan family was a happy one, despite their grief.
They filled their home with music from the piano or phonograph and sang songs. But Ed’s real talents lay elsewhere.
3. He Was A Star Athlete
Sullivan often lamented that his older sister, Helen, got all of the brains in the family, calling her “disgustingly brilliant”. But he had talents of his own. Throughout his school career, Sullivan was a star athlete, winning championships in baseball, basketball, football, and even track. He was certainly a trailblazer—but fate had an unconventional plan in store for him.
4. He Was A Defender Of The Downtrodden
Later on in his career, critics and audiences would come to think of Sullivan as something of a civil rights activist. In fact, his progressive stance on race and skin color often got him into trouble with his show’s sponsors and the network.
But, much to the chagrin of those less tolerant, there was no changing his mind on the matter.
