"It's gonna be a really big shoo..." Ed Sullivan was important for bringing diverse talent, especially African American artists and rock and roll pioneers, to a massive national audience through his influential television show, helping to shape American culture and music history. He was a trendsetter who launched the careers of major stars like Elvis Presley and The … [Read more...] about Ed Sullivan: “The King of Variety”
Ed Sullivan
“What’re You Having”
1939 - Astor Bar, New York My father, Michael Rogers, was a bartender at New York’s legendary Astor Bar from 1936 to 1965. The photo above was taken for the N.Y. Daily News series, “The Correct Thing,” on tipping bartenders. It’s not a good shot of him, as it doesn’t do justice to his hair, wavy and deep black, a color he likened to “the inside of a raven’s wing.” He was … [Read more...] about “What’re You Having”


