48 Years Ago: The Doors Banned From “The Ed Sullivan Show”

It was 48 years ago today that The Doors were infamously banned from the Ed Sullivan Show.

On September 17, 1967 The Doors were gearing up to perform on the coveted Ed Sullivan Show. At the time, the Ed Sullivan Show was a sought out gig for bands, launching some of the greatest careers in music including Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

As reported on the official Ed Sullivan Show website, rehearsals with The Doors went smoothly throughout the day. About 15 minutes to air time, Sullivan stopped by the band’s dressing room. It was at this time that a simple request would turn into a one of the biggest moments in rock history.

Producers asked the band to change the line “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher” to “Girl, we couldn’t get much better” when performing “Light My Fire,” fearing it would be interpreted as a drug reference. Although accounts of what the band had initially agreed on vary, the end result was Jim Morrison defiantly deciding to sing the original line.

From then The Doors were forever banned from the Ed Sullivan Show.