- Sullivan paid out of his own pocket for the funeral of dancer Bill Robinson ("Bojangles"), who died penniless. It was one of the many acts of quiet personal generosity for which Sullivan was known among his friends.
- Reportedly columnist Harriet Van Horne wrote of Sullivan, "He got where he is not by having a personality, but by having no personality; he is the commonest common denominator." Sullivan sent her a short note back reading: "Dear Miss Van Horne, You bitch. Sincerely, Ed Sullivan.".
- Like Elvis Presley and Liberace, both of whom guested on his show at various times, Sullivan was the lone survivor of twins. His twin brother, Daniel, died just before his second birthday.
- Although Elvis Presley made his debut on Sullivan's show on September 9, 1956, Sullivan was not actually the host that evening. Less than a week earlier, Sullivan was involved in a near-fatal auto accident that knocked out all his teeth and broke his ribs. Nonetheless, he was watching from his hospital room when guest host Charles Laughton introduced Presley in New York, followed by Presley's segment live from CBS Television City in Hollywood, as Elvis was in Hollywood filming Love Me Tender (1956).
- From the moment that Elvis Presley hit #1 on the charts in 1956, Sullivan insisted that his act was vulgar, distasteful and that he would never stoop to displaying that kind of entertainment on his show. However, when Steve Allen booked Elvis on his show in July, it turned out to be a ratings blockbuster. The very next day, despite everything he had previously said, Sullivan booked Elvis, who appeared the following September and made two more appearances in October 1956 and later in January of the next year.
- In 1961, CBS asked him to fill in for an ailing Red Skelton on The Red Skelton Hour (1951). Rather than simply being a host, Sullivan donned the costumes and makeup and successfully performed Skelton's characters in the written comedy sketches, including one character renamed "Freddie the Freeloader.".
- A gentle, compassionate showman, there was still another side to Sullivan. He could be very quick to take offense if he felt that he had been crossed or betrayed and could hold a grudge for a long time. Comedian Jackie Mason and the rock group The Doors were two cases in point who got on Ed's bad side. In the case of The Doors, Jim Morrison agreed to change what Sullivan considered inappropriate lyrics in performing their rendition of "Light My Fire." Come air time Morrison sang the offensive lyrics anyway. The group never returned to his show. As for Mason, the comedian noticed some off-stage finger gestures from Ed which meant for him to end the routine. According to Mason, he jokingly took the moment to comment on the signs by saying "and here's a finger for you, and one for you . . . " Sullivan thought that Mason was really giving him "the finger" on the air. Outraged, he barred Mason from any further appearances on his program. The controversy over the "finger" damaged Mason's career. He retaliated with a libel suit in the New York Supreme Court and won, but his career was hurt nevertheless. Sullivan and Mason eventually patched up their differences and Mason returned to do a guest appearance on the show in 1967.
- During a Nov. 20, 1955, telecast, Sullivan expressed dismay that Bo Diddley performed his self titled recording of "Bo Diddley", prior to his performance of "Sixteen Tons", a 1955 million seller for Tennessee Ernie Ford. Bo had performed "Sixteen Tons" during rehearsal for the show. Ed said he was "double-crossed". Bo would later explain that he read both "Bo Diddley" and "Sixteen Tons" on the cue card and thought he was expected to sing two songs. Though considered a legendary performer, Diddley never returned to the show, and that may have cost him spots on other TV and film venues.
- Singer Roberta Peters appeared on Sullivan's show more than anyone else--67 times.
- He has always been a very popular target for impressionists, even by Wak (Robert Picardo), a fictional alien in Explorers (1985). He is also one of the few celebrities to have had impressionists (such as Jerome Patrick Hoban and Nick Toth) who have made a career just out of impersonating him.
- 2nd generation Irish American.
- In 1967 controversy arose on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) with the use of the word "higher" in The Doors' performance of "Light My Fire". The next year The Association performed their 1966 hit, "Along Comes Mary" on the show with its reference to marijuana: "Now my empty cup is sweet as the punch". That got past the censors, practically unnoticed.
- Interred at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York, USA.
- One of the songs in the rave Broadway musical "Bye Bye Birdie" was a choral, evangelical song sung by the McAfee family, who have just found out they are going to appear on Ed's show. On June 12, 1960, the cast of "Bye Bye Birdie," fronted by patriarch Paul Lynde, appeared on Sullivan's 12th anniversary program to perform the complete song, with dialog, that led up to "Hymn for a Sunday Evening" and Paul's declaration, "Ed, I love you!"
- Sullivan, who played himself in Bye Bye Birdie (1963), would later reprise the "One Last Kiss" segment "for real" on his weekly variety show. During Dec. 1966 Gary Lewis & The Playboys performed the song, on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), shortly before Lewis' actual induction into the US Army.
- Ed Sullivan had one child, Elizabeth "Betty" Sullivan who was born on 22 December 1930 and married Ed Sullivan Show producer Robert Precht in 1952. They had five children; Robert, Carla, Vincent, Andrew, and Margo. Betty passed away in 2014.
- Father-in-law of Robert Precht.
- Appears on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp, issued 11 August 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring "The Ed Sullivan Show" (which began as The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)).
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