Elvis Presley was a force that took the music world by storm.
His dashing good looks and deep, romantic voice made him an instant hit with ladies from all around the world. In the footage from early in his career, Elvis performs on The Ed Sullivan Show and proves exactly why he became one of the most influential singers of all time.
His voice just takes you to another place!
In this clip, Elvis Presley performed “Don’t Be Cruel” in his third and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Ed Sullivan Show was an American talk show that aired from 1948 to 1971. Every Sunday night, Sullivan would welcome and interview some of the world’s most talented artists. Over the course of his career, Elvis appeared on the show a total of three times, with this one being his last.
“The King” begins singing “Don’t Be Cruel” as soon as the video starts, with three backup singers standing directly behind him humming the melody.
As soon as Elvis’s voice comes streaming out you know it’s him, he’s truly one-of-a-kind.
Elvis uses his powerful voice to captivate everyone watching him, even flashing his gorgeous smile as he sings the words to “Don’t Be Cruel.” Released in 1956, “Don’t Be Cruel” surpassed Presley’s popular song “Hound Dog” and reached #1 in all three main charts: pop, country and R&B.
It doesn’t take much for Elvis to transform a room!
Everyone in this clip is completely transfixed by the heartthrob, and he wows everyone watching with every word.
“The King” flawlessly sings “Don’t Be Cruel,” and he only gets better each step of the way.
With his perfect hair and shimmering shirt, Elvis looks the part of the sweetheart singer that he is.
Not only is his look great and voice phenomenal, but Elvis also has the theatrics to go along. That’s exactly why he made his debut on the big screen in 1956 while in the movie Love Me Tender.
Toward the end of his performance, Elvis chuckles a bit after some girls in the crowd scream for him.
Elvis was just a teenager when he started recording music and is still quite young in this appearance at just 21 years old.
It’s almost like you can see the innocence and joy in his smile during this performance—he just seems truly happy while singing”Don’t Be Cruel.”
Even all these years later, people on the internet couldn’t get enough of this performance.
Fans from all over watched the video, and many were taken back to their younger years.
Elvis’s performance of “Don’t Be Cruel” has been viewed over 3.2 million times, with 18,000 likes.
Hundreds of people also left comments on the video, with some fans even schooling other YouTube users with some fun Elvis facts.
Elvis was the type of musician who only comes around every century or so, which is why his incredible music still continues to inspire us today.
As this video also shows perfectly, The Ed Sullivan Show was a cultural institution for the entire time it was on the air.
Although it has since gone off the air, it’s clear that it’s still having its influence as clips keep circulating around the world online.
To see Elvis’s final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, just watch the video below!
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