Kerry Gordy on ‘Sunday Best’ and How Ed Sullivan Opened Doors for Black America – Los Angeles Sentinel

Kerry Gordy was born into the engine room of American music as the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy, but his career stands on its own—spanning artist management, production, and media ventures that reach beyond the Motown imprint.

Gordy’s latest work is as executive producer of the Netflix documentary “Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan,” which spotlights the television host’s role in putting Black performers on a national stage when most networks resisted.

“When Ed Sullivan put Black faces on TV, it wasn’t just about booking talent—this was a 35-to-50-million-person audience at a time when there were zero Black people on television. And it wasn’t accidental—there was a plan to never let that happen. Ed pushed against that,” Gordy says.

“The Ed Sullivan Show” (1948–1971) consistently reached tens of millions weekly and presented era-defining performances by artists such as Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, “The Supremes,” Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, James Brown, and “The Jackson 5”—exposure that helped normalize Black excellence for mainstream audiences.

Growing up, Gordy’s proximity to greatness was everyday life. “My friends were ‘The Temptations,’ Michael Jackson, Diana Ross. Stevie Wonder would come over. Watching James Brown on TV showed me what performance at the highest level could do,” he recalls.

The values he grew up with became the foundation of his business approach.

Gordy says, “My father taught me to work your butt off and believe in your product. If something isn’t connecting, figure out if it’s the song, the promotion, the distribution—then fix it. Don’t give up.”

He adds, “People told my father to drop ‘The Supremes’ because they weren’t selling. He didn’t blame them—he said, ‘We got something wrong,’ found the right songs, and the rest is history.”

That problem-solving mindset underpins why “Sunday Best” matters to him. Gordy draws a connective line from visibility to opportunity.

“Kerry Gordy says, ‘Ed Sullivan gave Berry Gordy the platform to showcase Michael Jackson. From there came “The Wiz” with Diana and Michael, which led to Michael and Quincy Jones making “Thriller.” That success caught Steven Spielberg’s attention, leading him and Quincy to produce “The Color Purple.”’”

“He continues, ‘Quincy then discovered Oprah Winfrey for that film; she gained national fame and later supported Barack Obama’s presidential run. Without that original platform, maybe none of it happens.’”

Representation, Gordy argues, changes what future generations believe is possible.

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“When I was a kid, people said I could be anything—even President—but I had no reference point. My daughter grew up seeing a Black president and two Black girls in the White House. Her belief is different because her reality is different,” he says.

He worries that some of this history is fading from view. “I mentioned Stevie Wonder to two 24-year-old college grads—they didn’t know who he was. I sang ‘Happy Birthday,’ and they said, ‘Oh yeah!’ They knew the song, not the man. Stevie was the first Motown act on Ed Sullivan, and he championed the Martin Luther King holiday. People need to know that” Gordy says.

Across today’s music, film, and stage, Gordy sees Black creators setting the cultural tone while still navigating structural barriers.

“We create the culture—the music, the dancing, the fashion—but the business can still shut you out if you’re not strategic. Whether it’s a record, a film, or a stage show, you must use both sides of the brain be creative and know how to market, protect, and sell what you make,” he says.

Passion remains his North Star. “Do what you love, whether you’re making money at it or not. If you truly love it, you’ll put in the work—and when you do, people notice,” Gordy says.

The documentary’s broader thesis—that a single, stubbornly inclusive platform on Sunday nights could ripple through popular culture and beyond—tracks with what many of Sullivan’s guests have said for decades: visibility wasn’t cosmetic; it was catalytic.

“Kids need to understand that before Ed Sullivan, we weren’t on TV at all—and that was intentional. He broke that barrier. Once it was broken, nothing was the same,” Gordy says.

“Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan” is available exclusively on Netflix, streaming now across all subscription tiers.

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Keith L. Underwood is an entertainment journalist, producer, and host of Black in the Green Room on KBLA Talk 1580. A former entertainment publicist and 2024 Los Angeles Press Club finalist, his work appears in the Los Angeles Sentinel, EURweb, and across digital platforms. Follow him @blackinthegreen on all platforms including YouTube, @keithlunderwood on Facebook and TikTok, and @mrkeithlunderwood on Instagram.