First Name |
Ed
|
Middle Name |
Vincent
|
Last Name |
Sullivan
|
Full Name at Birth |
Edward Vincent Sullivan
|
Alternative Name |
'The Great Stone Face', Edward Sullivan, Ed Sullivan's Star (Hollywood Walk of Fame), 'The Ed Sullivan Show', 'The Ed Sullivan Theater', 'Master of Variety'
|
Birthday |
28th September, 1901
|
Birthplace |
Harlem, New York City, New York, USA
|
Died |
13th October, 1974
|
Place of Death |
Manhattan, New York City, USA (Lenox Hill Hospital)
|
Cause of Death |
Esophageal Cancer
|
Buried |
Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York
|
Height |
5' 7½" (171 cm)
|
Build |
Average
|
Eye Color |
Hazel
|
Hair Color |
Salt and Pepper
|
Distinctive Feature |
A gifted athlete (sprinter) in high school, earning 12 athletic letters at Port Chester High School..., Sullivan paid out of his own pocket for the funeral of dancer Bill Robinson ("Bojangles"), who died penniless. It was one of the many acts of quiet personal generosity which Sullivan was known for among his friends..., Columnist Harriet Van Horne wrote of Sullivan, "He got where he is not by having a personality, but by having no personality"..., Slicked back hair..., One of the biggest hosts in TV history, a talent hunter and starmaker, and sometimes controversial..., His mannerisms on camera were awkward, he usual showed a unusual stiffness, raised shoulders, and nasal tenor phrasing but this would become his trademark image..., “Ed Sullivan can’t sing, can’t dance and can’t tell a joke, but he does it better than anyone else" - Alan King..., On-camera persona was that of a stone-faced, humorless emcee., Heartbroken by the sudden cancellation of his show and crushed by Sylvia’s death the year before, Ed Sullivan died on October 13, 1974 at the age of 73..., His off-screen life was full of glamour and he had personal satisfaction in being famous and being around the famous..., Twin brother Daniel was a sickly child who lived only a few months. Ed, on the other hand, was a strong boy who loved all sports..., Sullivan and his wife were always “on the town,” eating out five nights a week at some of the trendiest clubs and restaurants..., In 1968 Ed received one of his greatest honors - the theater from where he broadcast his show was re-named The Ed Sullivan Theater..., With an uncanny ability to spot top-notch talent, Sullivan presided over many “firsts” on American television..., What Ed Sullivan will be remembered for is how he bucked the system and embraced African-American performers giving them their first television breaks. He supported talent with a passion, regardless of race...
|
Zodiac Sign |
Libra
|
Sexuality |
Straight
|
Religion |
Roman Catholic
|
Ethnicity |
White
|
Nationality |
American
|
High School |
Port Chester High School
|
Occupation Text |
Television host, reporter, newspaper columnist, impresario
|
Occupation |
TV Personality
|
Claim to Fame |
23 years hosting 'The Ed Sullivan Show' (1948-1971)
|
Music Genre (Text) |
TV Variety Show host, Television & Radio Host, Broadway Showbiz Columnist, Newspaper Sports Writer & Editor, Music Act Impresario, Emceeing
|
Year(s) Active |
1932–1973, 1932–1974
|
Record Label |
The Port Chester Daily Item (newspaper), The Hartford Post (newspaper), The New York Evening Mail (newspaper), The Associated Press (newspaper), The Philadelphia Bulletin (newspaper), The Morning World (newspaper), The Morning Telegraph (newspaper), The New York Bulletin (newspaper), The Leader (newspaper), The Evening Graphic (newspaper), The New York Daily News (newspaper)
|
Associated Acts |
CBS
|
Favorite People |
Bill Robinson (dancer), Louis Armstrong
|
Favorite Places |
Stork Club Club, Manhattan, New York, Danny’s Hideaway, New York, Jimmy Kelly’s, New York
|
Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. He is principally remembered as the creator and host of the television variety program The Toast of the Town, later popularly—and, eventually, officially—renamed The Ed Sullivan Show. Broadcast for 23 years from 1948 to 1971, it set a record as the longest-running variety show in US broadcast history. "It was, by almost any measure, the last great TV show," said television critic David Hinckley. "It's one of our fondest, dearest pop culture memories."