Edward Vincent “Ed” Sullivan was born September 28, 1901, in New York City, New York. In 1930 Sullivan married Sylvia Weinstein. They couple remained married until her death on March 16, 1973.

Sullivan started as a boxer and moved in the media as a sportswriter for a newspaper. He then moved up to become the theater columnist for the New York Times. In 1933 Sullivan wrote and stared in the film Mr. Broadway.

In 1948, Ed Sullivan was hired to do a weekly TV variety show Toast of the Town. The show was a hit and was later changed to The Ed Sullivan Show. The studio that held the show has been renamed to the Ed Sullivan Theater.

He seemed to have an instinct about what the public wanted and it worked great for the show.

There was something for everyone.  He always had a good sense of humor and did not care that many people were laughing and doing impressions of him.  Sullivan’s show became the gateway for many new stars. In the 1950s and 1960s, Sullivan was the number one star maker because of the number of performers that became household names after appearing on the show. His influence on music careers can be seen in movies such as I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Buddy Holly Story, The Doors, Mr. Saturday Night and in the 1979 TV movie Elvis.

He was a fan of talent on matter what color or race the person was. He went against the pressure of the studio and allowed African American’s to appear on his show. He also paid for the funeral of dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson out of his own pocket. In 1969, he presented the Jackson 5 to the world and their single jumped to the top of the Billboard charts.

Ed Sullivan had high standards for the acts performing on the show. He asked the acts to perform live, rather than lip-syncing to their recordings.

In 1961, Sullivan filled in for Red Skelton on The Red Skelton Show. Sullivan did OK portraying Red’s characters. In 1964, he managed to get the first live American appearance of  The Beatles in America. This was the most-watched program in TV history to that point and still one of the most-watched programs of all time.

By 1971, the show had dropped down in the ratings.  The show was cancelled. Sullivan was so upset that he refused to do a final show. On Sunday Night, October 13, 1974, Ed Sullivan died in New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital of esophageal cancer at age 73. His funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York. Sullivan was placed in a crypt at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Ed Sullivan’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6101 Hollywood Blvd.