On December 14, 1969, five brothers from Gary, Indiana walked onto one of the most important stages in American television.
By the time they walked off, 11-year-old Michael Jackson had given millions of viewers an early glimpse of what he would eventually become.
It was the Jackson 5’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
They were not complete television newcomers. The brothers had already made their national TV debut two months earlier on ABC’s The Hollywood Palace. But Ed Sullivan gave them another enormous national showcase just as their first Motown single was beginning to take off.
The group opened with Sly and the Family Stone’s “Stand!”
Then Michael stepped forward.
Wearing his now-famous purple hat and vest, he introduced “Who’s Lovin’ You” with a playful story about meeting a girl in a sandbox.
Then his voice changed everything.
Michael sang Smokey Robinson’s song with a level of control, pain and confidence that seemed almost impossible coming from an 11-year-old.
And they still had one song left.
The Jackson 5 finished with “I Want You Back,” their explosive first Motown single. Michael danced across the stage while handling the lead vocal as if he had already been performing on national television for years.
The Jackson 5 Perform “I Want You Back” on The Ed Sullivan Show
The performance became one of the defining early clips of Michael’s career.
And Ed Sullivan clearly noticed him.
After the group finished, Sullivan did not make the often-repeated prediction that they were “going straight to the top.”
His documented comment was simpler:
“The little fella in front is incredible.”
He was talking about Michael.
The timing could hardly have been better.
“I Want You Back” was already climbing the charts when the brothers appeared on Sullivan. It would eventually become their first No. 1 single, followed by “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.”
Four consecutive Jackson 5 singles would reach No. 1, turning the brothers into one of Motown’s biggest acts and making Michael one of the most recognizable young performers in America.
But none of that had happened yet when Michael stood underneath those television lights in December 1969.
He was still an 11-year-old kid from Gary.
Then he opened his mouth and sang.
Ed Sullivan needed only one performance to see it: the little kid standing in front of the Jackson 5 was something extraordinary.