The Ed Sullivan Show archives have opened again and are sharing rare vintage performances by Louis Armstrong for the first time in several decades. These clips, never shown since the original broadcasts, feature Armstrong with Robert Merrill and Gary Crosby performing a medley and “Struttin with Some Barbecue,” respectively. The performances were originally broadcast on CBS Network in 1955 and capture Armstrong’s talent on his trumpet. The clips were made available through the relationship between SOFA Entertainment, the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.

Watch Louis Armstrong and Robert Merrill performing a medley.

By the ‘50s, Armstrong was already widely recognized for his lifetime contribution to music, having entered the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1952. “Satchmo”—as Armstrong was notably referenced—was also a major name on the big screen and had starred as himself in the 1954 Biopic The Glenn Miller Story. That same year he also released his second autobiography, Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. 

Throughout its historic 23-year primetime run (1948-1971), The Ed Sullivan Show brought us the hottest performances from around the world and introduced emerging talent to America’s living rooms every Sunday night. The show featured some of the earliest or first televised performances of music superstars including The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, The Mamas and The Papas, The Supremes, and The Rolling Stones.

Keep an eye on the show’s YouTube channel for updates.