# Who was the most frequent guest on the Ed Sullivan Show?



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Take a guess.I'll answer tonight.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Since this is an opera thread, and Ed Sullivan was in the '50s and '60s, it must have been an opera singer with popular appeal such as Robert Merrill, Leonard warren, Richard Tucker, Jan Peerce, Eileen Farrell, Dorothy Kirsten, Eleanor Steber or Anna Moffo. That's the best I can do.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Roberta Peters. Very popular coloratura soprano at the time.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Roberta Peters. Very popular coloratura soprano at the time.


Ah, Roberta! Forgot about her.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Wayne and Shuster. Peters was the 4th most frequent guest.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

It was Peters. No opera star today would be on a variety show 65 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it was incredible. She was so beautiful, which helped for tv.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I would suspected that the answer was Steber. 
Never mind, still love her.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

This is trick question by SOF, I say Miss Piggy and muppets...........


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Most frequent guest: Topo Gigio?

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It was Peters. No opera star today would be on a variety show 65 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it was incredible. She was so beautiful, which helped for tv.


Even my father, no opera lover, liked Roberta Peters. Her sweet, bird-like coloratura and petite, perfectly groomed loveliness was the epitome of non-threatening, doll-like femininity (unlike, say, Eileen Farrell, whom Dad couldn't stand), which 1950s men thought represented the proper order of the universe.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Ah, Roberta! Forgot about her.


 She was amazingly popular back in the 1950's and Ed Sullivan had her on, seemingly every week.

She was THE coloratura soprano...but soon, a young girl named Joan Sutherland was destined to make an astonishing debut.

Then people asked, Roberta who?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I suspect Beverly Sills also was on Ed Sullivan's show at some time.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

Can you imagine an opera singer -- or any classical musician -- appearing REGULARLY on a network television program today? _Any_ program? And, for that matter, on any _network_?

The same could be said of jazz musicians. People like Ellington, Armstrong and Brubeck were household names, big stars, who reguarly appeared in the media. Now, most "normal people" can't name ONE living jazz musician.

It used to happen. Now? IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN -- even though there's hundreds of channels instead of four or five.

Sigh.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

JACE said:


> Can you imagine an opera singer -- or any classical musician -- appearing REGULARLY on a network television program today? _Any_ program? And, for that matter, on any _network_?
> 
> The same could be said of jazz musicians. People like Ellington, Armstrong and Brubeck were household names, big stars, who reguarly appeared in the media. Now, most "normal people" can't name ONE living jazz musician.
> 
> ...


They also used to have great plays on TV, like Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman-every week!! That's what happens when the culture gets dumbed down.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

hpowders said:


> They also used to have great plays on TV, like Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman-every week!! *That's what happens when the culture gets dumbed down.*


I can trump that one.


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## Admiral (Dec 27, 2014)

Well, not all of today's opera stars are as talented, charming, and attractive as Roberta Peters.

When I was a voice student she gave me a compliment and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Alas, all downhill after that...


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Barelytenor said:


> Most frequent guest: Topo Gigio?
> 
> :tiphat:
> 
> ...


I would have said the same thing but I guess it must be connected to opera so I will guess Beverly Sills or Robert Merrill.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> I would have said the same thing but I guess it must be connected to opera so I will guess Beverly Sills or Robert Merrill.


This just crossed my mind, she was loved by almost everyone.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Sills was much more of a star in the 70's than the 60's and Sullivan went off the air in 1971. She was much bigger on the Tonight Show where she covered for Carson often when he was on vacation. Can you imagine any star today being featured on such a popular tv show. Now the best we can hope for is some singer on The Voice sining O mio bambino caro with a mike.


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