In some cases, local censorship or even public protest can accelerate an artist to fame. In the mid 1950s, perhaps the most widely banned singer was a young southerner with the curious name of Elvis. While I was trying to do some research on the Internet I came across a photograph of Presley in a newspaper office, captioned as follows:

NEWSPAPER VISIT -- Elvis Presley stopped by the offices
of The [Memphis] Commercial Appeal on the night of June 8, 1956.
He heard a story that a Canadian radio station had
banned his records. "A lot of people like it," Presley
said about his music. He had just returned from a
two-week show at the New Frontier Club in Las Vegas.
"Man, I really liked Vegas," he said. "I'm going back
there the first chance I get."

I reported earlier that WNBC radio in New York City had banned "Transfusion." (Gene--thanks a heap to the link to the RealAudio file. I had to listen to the song three times before I could do anything else!) Soon after its ruling on "Transfusion," WNBC was banning songs by Elvis Presley. Why? Round up the usual excuses. :-)

A few blocks away, however, arch-rival WCBS decided to engage in a little one-upmanship. At that time newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan hosted the popular "Toast of the Town" television variety program (later re-named the "Ed Sullivan Shoe"), so naturally he simply had to sign Presley for an appearance.

I recall watching Presley's first appearance on national TV. It seemed the entire live audience consisted of adolescent girls who shrieked in unison at regular intervals. (Does anyone know how they co-ordinate so well?) Presley started his number and the cameras varied the close-ups and full length shots. But the moment he started to gyrate, a black band moved up the viewers' screen to block out all the below-the-belt action. The girls went wild!

The next day, all anyone could talk about was the stupidity of WCBS' actions. After all, if 13-year-old girls could see the performance live, how dangerous could it be for the rest of us?

Presley, of course, went on to fame and fortune. Sullivan repeated the coup a few years later with another oddly-named singing group, the Beatles in 1964. There were no blackout-screens that time, but apparently they used the same girls to comprise the audience!

--SteveF.