I'm all shook up

Who do you think taught Elvis that stiff-legged dance?

 

Oh my.

Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time on Sept. 9, 1956.

Sullivan paid Presley a whopping $50,000 for appearing on three shows: Sept. 9, 1956, Oct. 28, 1956, and Jan. 6, 1957. Sullivan changed his mind about never having Presley on his show after The Steve Allen Show had about twice as many viewers on July 1, 1956 as Sullivan's show when Presley was a guest.

Sullivan was not able to host the first show since he was recovering in the hospital after a serious car accident. Instead, guest host and Oscar-winning actor Charles Laughton introduced Presley from New York and then cut to a Hollywood sound stage where Presley was filming Love Me Tender.

Presley appeared on a stage with large, artistic guitars as decoration. Wearing a plaid jacket and holding his guitar, Presley thanked Laughton and then said, "This is probably the greatest honor that I've ever had in my life."

Presley then sang, "Don't Be Cruel," followed by "Love Me Tender," which was an unreleased track from his new movie. During his second set, Presley sang "Ready Teddy" and then ended with a portion of "Hound Dog."

Presley's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a huge hit. More than 60 million people watched the show and many people believe it helped bridge the generation gap for Presley's acceptance into mainstream culture.