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Elvis Presley -

Elvis and his band rehearse for his first performance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1956. It became the most-watched television broadcast of the decade.

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The Rolling Stones -

Pictured: Mick Jagger and his bandmates perform on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1966.

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The Mamas and the Papas -

Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, Dennis Doherty, and John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas can be seen performing on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1968.

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Stevie Wonder -

A young Stevie Wonder poses for a portrait with Ed Sullivan on May 3, 1964.

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The Everly Brothers -

Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly perform on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1958.

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Fred Astaire -

The iconic dancer, singer, and actor performs 'That Face' on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on April 7, 1957.

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Jerry Lewis -

Ed Sullivan and the famous comedian during an episode of 'The Ed Sullivan Show.'

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Nancy Sinatra -

The famous singer performs on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' circa 1969.

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Nina Simone -

The legendary jazz singer performs on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on May 8, 1960.

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Buddy Holly -

Buddy Holly & The Crickets perform on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on January 26, 1958.

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Frank Sinatra -

The iconic singer during a guest appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on August 19, 1956.

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Édith Piaf -

The legendary French performer on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on February 22, 1959.

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Nat King Cole -

Nat King Cole during one of his many performances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' This one was on April 13, 1958.

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Kirk Douglas -

Ed Sullivan talks to iconic American actor Kirk Douglas, circa 1955.

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The Beach Boys -

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and Carl Wilson pose for a photo with Ed Sullivan after their performance on September 27, 1964.

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Salvador Dalí -

The famous Spanish artist and Ed Sullivan pose for a promotional photo for the show, circa 1963.

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Rocky Marciano -

The famous boxer and the television host pretend to prepare for a fight, circa 1955.

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Anthony Perkins -

The 'Psycho' actor sings on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1957.

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Errol Flynn and Paulette Goddard -

Actors Errol Flynn and Paulette Goddard perform on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on May 11, 1952 at the Maxine Elliott Theater in New York City.

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Lucille Ball and Paula Stewart -

The famous actresses perform the song 'Hey, Look Me Over' from the Broadway musical 'Wildcat' on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1961.

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Christopher Plummer -

The actor performs on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on August 7, 1955.

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Paul Anka -

Singer Paul Anka performs his hit single 'Diana' on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on November 3, 1957.

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Bob Hope -

Comedian and actor Bob Hope performs during the seventh anniversary episode of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on June 26, 1955.

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Eddie Fisher -

The famous singer and actor rehearses for his performance on August 29, 1954.

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Sarah Vaughan -

The American jazz singer performs a song on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on March 20, 1955.

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Clayton Moore -

Ed Sullivan with actor Clayton Moore as his famous fictional character, the Lone Ranger, on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on February 12, 1956.

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The Beatles -

The Beatles' iconic live debut on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on February 9, 1964 was witnessed by just 728 people in the studio—but an estimated 73 million viewers sat down in 23 million homes in the United States to watch the Fab Four perform.

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Gerry and the Pacemakers -

Les Maguire, Freddy Marsden, Gerry Marsden, and Les Chadwick of the British band Gerry and the Pacemakers pose for a portrait as guests of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on May 1, 1964.

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Elvis Presley -

The King returns to the stage of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on January 6, 1957.

See also: Switching on the small screen

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