Will Jordan, a gifted impressionist who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show over fifteen times, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91. The stand-up comedian and actor had many impressions in his repertoire including Bing Crosby, Jack Benny and Groucho Marx, but it was his impression of Ed Sullivan that put him on the map. He was known as the man who “invented Ed Sullivan.” Many of...

D.J. Fontana, the drummer and sole surviving member of Elvis Presley’s band, has died at the age of 87. Fontana was the first drummer in Presley’s band and played on over 460 RCA cuts with him over their 14 years together, accompanying him on hits such as “Hound Dog,” “All Shook Up,” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” He can also be seen playing with him in the movies Jailhouse Rock, Loving You, and G.I. Blues. Fontana’s presence behind the drum kit was revolutionary and helped shape...

Roberta Peters, who at 20 was catapulted to stardom as a last-minute substitute in Don Giovanni, died on Wednesday at her home in Rye, New York. The cause of death was Parkinson’s disease. She was 86. Ms. Peters was one of the most prominent American opera singers, noted for her 35-year run as a soprano with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York. In addition to the Met, Peters was heard at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Cincinnati Opera, the Vienna State Opera,...

Florence Henderson, who went from Broadway star to become one of the most popular moms in television history in The Brady Bunch, died Thanksgiving night at the age of 82. Her unexpected death was attributed to heart failure. Before she became known as “America’s Mom” on The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson was an established Broadway star and a frequent presence on television. She was one of the Today show’s “Today girls,” reading the news and weather and occasionally...

Julia Meade, the iconic pitchwoman for The Ed Sullivan Show, passed away in her Manhattan home at the age of 90. Meade's charming, effervescent personality made her a fixture on The Ed Sullivan Show. She was the perfect blend of saleswoman and sex appeal that made her Ed Sullivan's go to gal for pitching live commercials. Meade's advertisements became so memorable that she became synonymous with Ed Sullivan's biggest sponsors,...

Cilla Black was a multi-talented singer, actress, and TV host with a career that spanned over 50 years. Born as Priscilla Maria Veronica White, she decided to go by the stage name “Cilla Black” when a Liverpool publication erroneously misprinted her name. Black started from humble beginnings, working as a cloakroom girl at the famous Cavern Club...

  We are deeply saddened by the loss of comedian and actress Anne Meara. With husband and partner, Jerry Stiller, the two made up the comedy duo of “Stiller and Meara.” The husband and wife comedy performers became regulars on...

    Great Deadline article discussing the prolific careers and similarities between Ed Sullivan and David Letterman. Excerpt: "While we’re all thanking David Letterman for tossing the genteelTonight Show mold and recasting post-primetime comedy in his own rebellious image, here is a heresy worth considering: Letterman’s debt to

We are deeply saddened at The Ed Sullivan Show and SOFA Entertainment to have learned of the passing of legendary Blues musician B.B. King. While his career accolades were highlighted by a slew of awards, including a lifetime achievement award and 15 Grammy wins, King’s influence travels well beyond the hardware....

The Ed Sullivan and SOFA Entertainment are deeply saddened by singer Lesley Gore’s passing.  Born Lesley Sue Goldstein on May 2nd 1946 in Brooklyn, NY, Lesley got her start at only 16 years old, after being discovered by producer Quincy Jones in 1963. Gore recorded her first hit “It’s My Party” soon after signing with Mercury Records, where Jones was an A&R man. The song immediately became a success and overnight Lesley Gore turned into a star.  “It’s My Party” raced to No. 1 on the charts, was nominated for a Grammy and sold more than 1 million copies. Over the next two years, while still in high school, Gore released a string of so called bubble-gum...