Diahann Carroll in 1954. Just a few years later, in 1959, Ms. Carroll would be the first Black perfo
Diahann Carroll in 1954. Just a few years later, in 1959, Ms. Carroll would be the first Black performer to sit on the coveted Tonight Show couch when original host Jack Paar was hosting the show. Notice that I said “sit on the couch” - not merely be a guest. Believe it or not, there was a time when it was considered normal for Black guests not to sit on the couch at The Tonight Show. Sure, they could perform and stand as they talked to Mr. Paar, but sit? For years, many believed that the comedian and activist Dick Gregory was first, but he did not appear until 1961. Mr. Paar wrote in his 1983 memoir, “I suddenly realized that in our year or more on The Tonight Show, while there were black performers on, I had not actually sat down with one and talked. This may seem a strange thing to say now, bt I do it only in the historical context. It just had not been done on any program or panel show that I knew of.” Ms. Carroll would go on to appear more than a dozen times during Mr. Paar’s tenture, and it was where Richard Rodgers spottedherfor the first time and felt compelled to call her immediately with an unforgettable opportunity: a chance to star in a Broadway musical. That musical would be “No Strings,” the 1962 show that earned Ms. Carroll a Tony Award. Photo by Ipol Archive/ipol/Globe Photos, Inc. -- source link