Pick a Day

Music History Events: TV Appearances

August 5, 1957 American Bandstand goes national when it airs for the first time on ABC. The show will run for five years on the Philadelphia TV station WFIL as Bandstand. Hosted by Dick Clark throughout its national run, the show remains on network TV until 1987. The first song the kids dance to this day is "That'll Be The Day" by Buddy Holly.

August 4, 1957 The Everly Brothers perform "Wake Up Little Susie" on the Ed Sullivan Show. It is one of the more controversial songs ever played on the show, as there are some questions as to what Susie and her date were doing before she fell asleep.

July 28, 1957 Jerry Lee Lewis makes his first national TV appearance, singing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" on The Steve Allen Show.

April 10, 1957 Ricky Nelson, 16, performs his first single, a cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walking," on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the TV series he stars in alongside his real-life family. The song quickly climbs the charts and launches his music career.

February 2, 1957 Fats Domino makes an appearance on The Perry Como Show, singing his hits "Blue Monday" and "Blueberry Hill."

January 21, 1957 An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."

January 4, 1957 On NBC's Steve Allen Show, former heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis introduces the world to singer Solomon Burke, who performs Louis' song "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide."

November 18, 1956 Fats Domino sings "Blueberry Hill" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

October 28, 1956 Elvis Presley makes his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Unlike the first appearance, Sullivan himself is hosting. Elvis sings "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog" and "Love Me," and Ed presents Presley with a Gold record for "Love Me Tender."

September 23, 1956 Micky Dolenz of The Monkees begins his television career as a child actor with the premiere of NBC's Circus Boy series.

September 9, 1956 Elvis Presley makes the first of three contracted appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Sullivan had previously announced he would never have such an act on, but ratings prevailed and Sullivan offered Elvis a record $50,000 for the three shows. Charles Laughton hosts, filling in for an ailing Sullivan as Elvis performs "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Ready Teddy" and "Hound Dog" but is shot from the waist up only to avoid scandal. The show draws a staggering 54 million viewers.

July 28, 1956 Gene Vincent makes his first national TV appearance, singing "Be-Bop-a-Lula" on NBC's The Perry Como Show.

June 5, 1956 Elvis Presley appears on The Milton Berle Show where the pair do a comedy bit performing Elvis' "Hound Dog" and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." It marks the first TV appearance of The Jordanaires backing up Elvis, and the last Milton Berle show for 10 years.

April 8, 1956 The Johnny Burnette Trio (with brother Dorsey) make the first of three appearances on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour on ABC-TV.

April 7, 1956 Network TV premiere: Rock & Roll Dance Party with Alan Freed, on CBS.

April 7, 1956 The Platters make their national television debut on Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show on CBS.

April 3, 1956 Elvis Presley performs "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes" onboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock in San Diego. It's broadcast live on The Milton Berle Show.

March 31, 1956 Brenda Lee makes her US television debut, singing an unrehearsed version of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" on ABC's Ozark Jubilee.

March 17, 1956 Carl Perkins makes his first TV appearance, on the Ozark Jamboree.

March 10, 1956 Bobby Darin makes his first television appearance, singing "Rock Island Line" on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. The budding entertainer is clearly nervous - he keeps glancing at his palms where he's written the song's lyrics.

January 28, 1956 Elvis Presley makes his TV debut on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show, where he sings "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel."

November 20, 1955 After agreeing to perform Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit "Sixteen Tons" on CBS-TV's Ed Sullivan Show, Bo Diddley instead plays the song he was actually there to promote, his own hit "Bo Diddley." A furious Sullivan blackballs Bo from ever appearing on the show again. The singer has claimed he was never paid for the performance.

September 24, 1955 Judy Garland makes her television debut on the CBS variety show Ford Star Jubilee.

July 2, 1955 The Lawrence Welk Show premieres on ABC.

May 28, 1955 Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on the Big D Jamboree radio program, broadcast from the Dallas Sportatorium by KRLD.

March 14, 1955 Popular country star Jimmy Dean interviews Elvis Presley on Dean's Washington, DC television show Town and Country Time. A nervous Elvis answers every question with "yep" and "nope."

March 5, 1955 Elvis Presley makes yet another appearance on the Shreveport radio show Louisiana Hayride, which is this time also carried over the TV airwaves by local station KWKH, making this Presley's first television appearance.

November 15, 1954 Joan Weber sings "Let Me Go, Lover" on the CBS Studio One variety show, sending the song up the charts to #1 in America.

November 6, 1954 Elvis Presley, who has been playing a radio concert show called the Louisiana Hayride, records a radio commercial for Southern Maid Doughnuts, who sponsors the show. It was the only commercial he ever recorded and was not false advertising: He really did love those hot donuts.

September 27, 1954 The first national Tonight Show with Steve Allen is telecast.