Peggy Sue & You Send Me were two incredibly popular songs performed on The Ed Sullivan Show

Several of the world’s most popular and beloved artists have performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show since its debut in 1948, and on December 1, 1957, both Buddy Holly & the Crickets and Sam Cooke both appeared as guests on the show for the first time.

The Crickets, also known as Buddy Holly & The Crickets, was a band created in Tennessee by leading singer and eventual superstar Buddy Holly, formed in 1955. Before performing on the show, they had just released their first single, “That’ll Be The Day,” in May of the same year.

With their fun and upbeat performance of the now incredibly famous song “Peggy Sue,” The Crickets were able to thoroughly engage both the live audience as well as those watching at home, and the seminal rock band was made up of four members, including Buddy Holly, Nick Sullivan, Jerry Allison, and Joe B on guitar, and the band was comprised of four members.Mauldin on the bass. Many say that this performance is what made the band the sensation that it was!

On the same airing of the show, Sam Cooke also sang two of his most beloved songs, “You Send Me” and “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons.”

Similar to Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Sam Cooke began his solo career in 1957, and his first solo performance was on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 1st. As a result of his music on the radio night and day, Sam Cooke became a worldwide sensation, and with his music on the radio night and day, Cooke became a household name throughout 1957 and into the next decade. In fact, Sam is often known as the “King of Soul” for his immense influence on the genre.

Compared to The Crickets, his performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was completely different. As opposed to a full band with a pop-rock melody, Cooke sang alone and emotionally, but that doesn’t mean the crowd didn’t love it. Just like The Crickets, Cooke’s December 1st performance was a major turning point in his career, creating new and lifelong fans.

Cooke was supposed to perform on the show on November 3, 1957, but due to time constraints, he was moved to the following month. Sam Cooke was murdered in 1964, and Buddy Holly died in 1959 after being involved in a car accident. Because both of these exceptional singers had extremely short-lived careers, their performances on The Ed Sullivan Show were one of the few that they were able to give before they passed away.

Therefore, the songs they played and sang on the show will live on forever as some of their fans’ favorite performances and a way to watch these incredible artists sing even though they cannot perform for us anymore.

Buddy Holly Ed Sullivan Show Dec 1, 1957 That’ll Be The Day