Elvis Presley made his way onto The Ed Sullivan Show against the odds.

The singer was quickly becoming one of the biggest names in music when he began appearing on different TV shows to perform. While Presley made appearances on The Milton Berle Show and The Steve Allen Show, among many others, Sullivan had hesitations about platforming the provocative singer, whose dance moves thrilled some audiences while offending others.

Sullivan saw that his ratings suffered as his competition enjoyed boosts from featuring the young singer. Eventually, he relented and agreed to let Presley perform on the program for the first time.

Presley performed “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender” in the Sept. 9, 1956 appearance, which drew in over 80% of American TV viewers overall. He also shared well wishes for Sullivan, who was absent from the show while recovering from a car accident. British actor Charles Laughton was guest-hosting on the historic night.

The performance was the first of three that Presley agreed to, for which he was paid $50,000 in total. The second performance was on Oct. 28, 1956, again bringing ratings and attention to the show while broadcasters expressed concerns about Presley’s provocative dance moves

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