60 Years Ago, Elvis Presley Made His ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ Debut — But Neither Was in the Studio

Elvis Presley‘s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show drew around 60 million viewers on September 9, 1956. It was a huge night for the singer, but the man whose name was on the show wasn’t there to introduce him. Elvis wasn’t in the program’s New York studio, either.

By then, Elvis had already performed on the Dorsey brothers’ Stage Show, The Milton Berle Show, and The Steve Allen Show. Ed Sullivan had initially refused to book him amid criticism of his dancing, but he reconsidered after Elvis’ July 1, 1956, appearance helped Allen beat Sullivan in the ratings. Sullivan and Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, agreed on $50,000 for three appearances.