A Really Big Show.....

When I was in New York City last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a taping of the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, which is produced at the old Ed Sullivan Theatre on Broadway between 53rd and 54th Avenues.

The Letterman show was wonderful with comedian Robin Williams and jazz musician Quinton Marsalis being the major guests. But I also couldn't help but reminisce how many Sunday evenings(when I should have been doing my homework or studying for a test), I was instead watching the ED SULLIVAN SHOW with his wide variety of guests.

Famous for being the first to bring superstars like Elvis Presley and the Beatles to American television, the ED SULLIVAN SHOW featured many of the top American rock acts of the day, along with some quirky regulars like the "Little Italian Mouse", Topo Gigo and ventriloquist Senor Wences.

Another famous appearance on the Sullivan Show was made by THE DOORS with Jim Morrison. They performed their Number One hit "Light My Fire" on the show on September 17, 1967. That included the lyrics: "Girl, we couldn't get much higher," which Sullivan had asked them to change to: "Girl, we couldn't get much better." Jim Morrison sang it the way he wanted to, and on a live program, no one could stop him.

THE DOORS were never invited to appear on the Sullivan Show again, but here's their performance from that evening courtesy of vids.myspace.com
The Doors - Light My Fire (The Ed Sullivan Show)

THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 until June 6, 1971. It always appeared in the 7:00 PM (Central Time) Sunday night time slot, making it one of the few TV programs to air at the same time over a period of more than two decades.

But by the late 1960s and early '70s, viewership declined and the age of the Sullivan Show's viewing audience rose significantly, and so the program was cancelled after the end of the 1970-71 season. The last show was episode 1087 and, believe it or not, it had a strong Father Ryan connection.

Among the guests on that last show, which aired on March 28, 1971 were Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. Mr. Davis later became a very major supporter of Ryan and helped begin the annual Father Ryan Gala which remains a major fund raiser for the school.