Sarah Vaughan is the newest addition to The Ed Sullivan Show’s YouTube channel. The legendary jazz singer performed on the CBS variety show on June 26, 1949, singing “Bianca” from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Her powerful version of this key song highlights her incredible four-octave vocal range.
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It follows the ups and downs of two relationships: one between director Fred Graham and his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi, who stars in the show, and the other between actress Lois Lane, who plays Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and won the first Tony Award for Best Musical the following year.
Vaughan, who passed away in 1990, is celebrated as one of the greatest voices in modern jazz. She started her career in 1943 and released 48 studio albums. Vaughan won two Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and received nine nominations. In 1985, she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988.
Vaughan’s legacy lives on in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, where the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition is held. This year marks the 14th edition, with applications open until September 2. The top five finalists will perform live on November 23.
The Ed Sullivan Show, which aired from 1948 to 1971, is famous for launching music legends like the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Recently, a documentary titled Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan premiered on Netflix, exploring his impact on Black talent during a challenging time in America.
