The earliest traceable evidence of any blues on television is probably Gladys Bryant’s 1952 appearance on the game show You Bet Your Life, when host Groucho Marx, to his credit, recognizes her name (“Not the Gladys Bryant?
” he asks) and allows her a few seconds to sing and dance before taking part in the show itself.
Beyond that wild anomaly, we have to wait until the syndicated broadcasting of the series Showtime at the Apollo (see the (see the ...