Cast and Crew of The Midnight Special

The Midnight Special

The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981. The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts. As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live. The program also featured occasional comedic performances such as Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman.

Main Cast of The Midnight Special

Helen Reddy

as Host (9 episodes)

Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 1941 – 29 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, songwriter, author, actre...

Secondary Cast of The Midnight Special

Prince

Dez Dickerson

Dr. Fink

Roy Orbison

as Host (1 episode)

John Denver

as Host (1 episode)

Cass Elliot

as Self (1 episode)

Harry Chapin

as Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)

Phil Everly

as Self (1 episode)

Don Everly

as Self (1 episode)

Linda Ronstadt

as Self (1 episode)

Linda Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned ten Grammy Awards,...

Ed McMahon

as Self (1 episode)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an America...

George Carlin

as Self (1 episode)

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor an...

Anne Murray

as Host/Self (1 episode)

Steve Martin

as Self (1 episode)

Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, mus...

Don McLean

as Self (1 episode)

Sonny Terry

as Self (1 episode)

Brownie McGhee

as Self (1 episode)

Albert Hammond

as Self (1 episode)

Merrilee Rush

as Self (1 episode)

Mac Davis

as Host (2 episodes)

Waylon Jennings

as Self (2 episodes)

Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as one of the founding pion...

Billy Paul

as Self (1 episode)

Billy Preston

as Self (3 episodes)

Joan Rivers

as Self (1 episode)

Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, an...

Mick Fleetwood

as Self (2 episodes)

Shawn Phillips

as Self (3 episodes)

Muddy Waters

as Self (2 episodes)

Carol Burnett

as Self (1 episode)

Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedienne, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett ...

Aretha Franklin

as Self (1 episode)

Earl Scruggs

as Self (1 episode)

Bill Cosby

as Self / Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Ray Charles

as Host / Self (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Curtis Mayfield

as Self (2 episodes) , Host (2 episodes)

Johnny Nash

as Self (1 episode)

Skeeter Davis

as Self (1 episode)

Gladys Knight

as Host (1 episode) , Self (2 episodes)

Gladys Knight was born on May 28, 1944 and is currently 80 years old.

Taj Mahal

as Self (1 episode)

Dr. John

as Self (1 episode)

Robert Klein

as Self (1 episode)

Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appeara...

Robin Gibb

as Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)

Barry Gibb

as Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)

Maurice Gibb

as Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)

Ravi Shankar

as Self (3 episodes)

Ike Turner

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Tina Turner

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 - May 24, 2023) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 50 y...

Bobby Womack

as Self (2 episodes)

Wilson Pickett

as Self (2 episodes)

Richard Pryor

as Host (1 episode)

Helen Reddy

as Self (2 episodes)

Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 1941 – 29 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, songwriter, author, actre...

Kris Kristofferson

as Self (1 episode)

Rita Coolidge

as Self (1 episode)

Paul Williams

as Self (1 episode) , Host (2 episodes)

Jeff Lynne

as Self (2 episodes)

Jack Elliott

as Self (as Ramblin' Jack Elliott) (1 episode)

Jim Croce

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

David Brenner

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

David Brenner was born on February 4, 1936 and passed away 9 years ago at the age of 79 on March 15, 2015.

Peter Noone

as Self (1 episode)

Jerry Lee Lewis

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Karl Green

as Self (1 episode)

Wolfman Jack

as Host (2 episodes) , Self (4 episodes)

Albert King

as Self (1 episode)

Melissa Manchester

as Self (2 episodes)

Joe Walsh

as Self (1 episode)

Teddy Pendergrass

as Self (w/ Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes) (1 episode)

José Feliciano

as Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)

Chuck Berry

as Host (2 episodes) , Self (2 episodes)

Steve Miller

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Robert Fripp

as Self (1 episode)

Patti LaBelle

as Self (1 episode)

Patti LaBelle was born on May 24, 1944 and is currently 80 years old.

Debbie Harry

as Self (as Blondie) (1 episode)

An American singer, songwriter, and actress, known as the lead singer of the new wave band Blondie.

Chris Stein

as Self (as Blondie) (1 episode)

Chris Stein is an American musician. He is best known as the co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Blondie.

Frankie Valli

as Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)

Paul Anka

as Host (3 episodes)

Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his s...

Joan Baez

as Self (1 episode)

Randy Newman

as Host (1 episode)

Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist know...

Sly Stone

as Host (as Sly and the Family Stone) (1 episode) , Self (2 episodes)

Al Green

as Host (2 episodes)

Olivia Newton-John

as Host (1 episode)

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE was an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy...

Rod Stewart

as Host (1 episode)

Sir Roderick David Stewart CBE is a British rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. With his distinctive...

Kenny Loggins

as Host (as Loggins & Messina) (1 episode)

Kenny Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Born in Everett, Washington, USA...

Gordon Lightfoot

as Host (1 episode)

Bill Withers

as Host (1 episode)

Marvin Gaye

as Self (1 episode)

B.B. King

as Host (1 episode)

Little Richard

as Host (1 episode)

Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 - May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was a flamboyant and groundb...

Loretta Lynn

as Self (1 episode)

Jonathan Winters

as Self (1 episode)

Bobby Darin

as Self (1 episode)

Tammy Wynette

as Self (1 episode)

George Jones

as Self (1 episode)

Lou Rawls

as Host (1 episode)

George Burns

as Self (1 episode)

Bobby Z

André Cymone

Gayle Chapman

The Isley Brothers

as Themselves (1 episode)

Johnny Rivers

as Self/Host (1 episode)

Rick Derringer

as Self (2 episodes)

Edgar Winter

as Self (3 episodes)

Freeman King

as Self (1 episode)

The Unknown Comic

as Self (as Murray Langston) (1 episode)

Skylark

as Self (1 episode)

The Staple Singers

as Themselves (2 episodes)

John Stewart

as Self (1 episode)

Canned Heat

as Themselves (1 episode)

Lakshmi Shankar

as Self (2 episodes)

Barbara Fairchild

as Self (1 episode)

Jimmie Spheeris

as Self (1 episode)

The Stylistics

as Themselves (1 episode)

Livingston Taylor

as Self (1 episode)

Billy J. Kramer

as Self (1 episode)

Doug Kershaw

as Self (1 episode)

War

as Hosts (1 episode) , Themselves (1 episode)

Eddie Levert

as Self (The O'Jays) (1 episode)

Crystal Gayle

as Host (1 episode)

The Kinks

as Host (1 episode)

James Seals

as Self (1 episode)

Darrell Crofts

as Self (1 episode)

Crew of The Midnight Special

Discover the backstage crew of The Midnight Special →