Ed Sullivan Said Elvis Was ‘Unfit for Family Viewing’: ‘Not My Cup of Tea’

In 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Millions of people tuned in to watch his performance, and Elvis would go on to appear on the show several more times. Despite the success of his appearance, Sullivan initially did not want Elvis on his show. When asked if he would allow the young musician on, Sullivan responded with a resounding no.

Ed Sullivan did not initially want Elvis on his show

In 1956, Elvis was on an atmospheric rise to success. He had begun recording with RCA Victor, a deal that brought him new wealth and opportunities. Songs like “Heartbreak Hotel” were massive hits and he began making television appearances. Still, his career was not without controversy. 

Many felt that his hip-shaking dance moves were lewd and should be censored. After his dancing on The Milton Berle Show shocked audiences, critics rushed to condemn him. Sullivan was among them, saying Elvis was “unfit for family viewing” (via Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows by Greil Marcus). He vowed not to have him on his program.

“He is not my cup of tea,” he said, per the book Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick.

His first appearance drew millions of viewers

Sullivan quickly ate his words when he saw how many viewers his competitor, The Steve Allen Show, got by having Elvis on the show. After The Steve Allen Show crushed Sullivan in ratings, Sullivan sent him a telegram: “Steven Presley Allen, NBC TV, New York City. Stinker. Love and kisses. Ed Sullivan,” (via The Ed Sullivan Show).

Sullivan booked Elvis for three appearances on his show and agreed to pay him an unprecedented $50,000. Sullivan was not on the show for Elvis’ first appearance, however. A car accident left him in the hospital, so guest host Charles Laughton introduced Elvis. Still, Elvis’ appearance was a resounding ratings success. Per Graceland, 60 million viewers, or 82.6 percent of the entire television audience, tuned in.

Ed Sullivan changed his opinion of Elvis

Clearly, Sullivan’s decision to have Elvis on his show paid off. He still received angry messages from critics about Elvis’ dance moves, but he didn’t cancel the performances. Instead, the show primarily shot Elvis from the waist up for his third and final performance. This way, they could still draw high numbers of viewers without enraging Elvis’ critics.

Sullivan also altered his opinion of Elvis after meeting him. While he initially said he was not fit for family viewing, he came to recognize that Elvis was polite and humble.

“I wanted to say to Elvis Presley and the country that this is a real decent, fine boy, and wherever you go, Elvis . . . we want to say that we’ve never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we’ve had with you,” Sullivan said. “So now let’s have a tremendous hand for a very nice person.”