About The Midnight Special
- Released on August 19, 1972
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 plays Host (9 episodes)
Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 1941 – 29 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, songwriter, author, actre...
See Helen Reddy's other roles →Secondary Cast of The Midnight Special
Prince
Bobby Z
André Cymone
Dez Dickerson
Dr. Fink
Gayle Chapman
Roy Orbison plays Host (1 episode)
John Denver plays Host (1 episode)
Cass Elliot plays Self (1 episode)
Harry Chapin plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
Phil Everly plays Self (1 episode)
Don Everly plays Self (1 episode)
The Isley Brothers plays Themselves (1 episode)
Linda Ronstadt plays Self (1 episode)
Linda Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned ten Grammy Awards,...
See Linda Ronstadt's other roles →Ed McMahon plays Self (1 episode)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an America...
See Ed McMahon's other roles →George Carlin plays Self (1 episode)
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor an...
See George Carlin's other roles →Johnny Rivers plays Self/Host (1 episode)
Anne Murray plays Host/Self (1 episode)
Steve Martin plays Self (1 episode)
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, mus...
See Steve Martin's other roles →Don McLean plays Self (1 episode)
Sonny Terry plays Self (1 episode)
Brownie McGhee plays Self (1 episode)
Albert Hammond plays Self (1 episode)
Merrilee Rush plays Self (1 episode)
Mac Davis plays Host (2 episodes)
Waylon Jennings plays Self (2 episodes)
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as one of the founding pion...
See Waylon Jennings's other roles →Billy Paul plays Self (1 episode)
Billy Preston plays Self (3 episodes)
Joan Rivers plays Self (1 episode)
Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, an...
See Joan Rivers's other roles →Rick Derringer plays Self (2 episodes)
Edgar Winter plays Self (3 episodes)
Mick Fleetwood plays Self (2 episodes)
Shawn Phillips plays Self (3 episodes)
Muddy Waters plays Self (2 episodes)
Carol Burnett plays Self (1 episode)
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedienne, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett ...
See Carol Burnett's other roles →Aretha Franklin plays Self (1 episode)
Earl Scruggs plays Self (1 episode)
Freeman King plays Self (1 episode)
The Unknown Comic plays Self (as Murray Langston) (1 episode)
Bill Cosby plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (1 episode)
Ray Charles plays Host / Self (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
Curtis Mayfield plays Host (2 episodes) , Self (2 episodes)
Johnny Nash plays Self (1 episode)
Skeeter Davis plays Self (1 episode)
Gladys Knight plays Host (1 episode) , Self (2 episodes)
Gladys Knight was born on May 28, 1944 and is currently 80 years old.
See Gladys Knight's other roles →Taj Mahal plays Self (1 episode)
Dr. John plays Self (1 episode)
Robert Klein plays Self (1 episode)
Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appeara...
See Robert Klein's other roles →Skylark plays Self (1 episode)
Robin Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
Barry Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
The Staple Singers plays Themselves (2 episodes)
John Stewart plays Self (1 episode)
Maurice Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
Canned Heat plays Themselves (1 episode)
Ravi Shankar plays Self (3 episodes)
Ike Turner plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
Tina Turner plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 - May 24, 2023) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 50 y...
See Tina Turner's other roles →Lakshmi Shankar plays Self (2 episodes)
Barbara Fairchild plays Self (1 episode)
Bobby Womack plays Self (2 episodes)
Wilson Pickett plays Self (2 episodes)
Jimmie Spheeris plays Self (1 episode)
Richard Pryor plays Host (1 episode)
Helen Reddy plays Self (2 episodes)
Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 1941 – 29 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, songwriter, author, actre...
See Helen Reddy's other roles →Kris Kristofferson plays Self (1 episode)
Rita Coolidge plays Self (1 episode)
Paul Williams plays Self (1 episode) , Host (2 episodes)
Jeff Lynne plays Self (2 episodes)
Jack Elliott plays Self (as Ramblin' Jack Elliott) (1 episode)
The Stylistics plays Themselves (1 episode)
Jim Croce plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
David Brenner plays 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.
See David Brenner's other roles →Livingston Taylor plays Self (1 episode)
Peter Noone plays Self (1 episode)
Jerry Lee Lewis plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Karl Green plays Self (1 episode)
Billy J. Kramer plays Self (1 episode)
Wolfman Jack plays Host (2 episodes) , Self (4 episodes)
Doug Kershaw plays Self (1 episode)
Albert King plays Self (1 episode)
Melissa Manchester plays Self (2 episodes)
Joe Walsh plays Self (1 episode)
Teddy Pendergrass plays Self (w/ Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes) (1 episode)
José Feliciano plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
Chuck Berry plays Self (2 episodes) , Host (2 episodes)
Steve Miller plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
War plays Themselves (1 episode) , Hosts (1 episode)
Robert Fripp plays Self (1 episode)
Patti LaBelle plays Self (1 episode)
Patti LaBelle was born on May 24, 1944 and is currently 80 years old.
See Patti LaBelle's other roles →Debbie Harry plays Self (as Blondie) (1 episode)
An American singer, songwriter, and actress, known as the lead singer of the new wave band Blondie.
See Debbie Harry's other roles →Chris Stein plays 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.
See Chris Stein's other roles →Eddie Levert plays Self (The O'Jays) (1 episode)
Crystal Gayle plays Host (1 episode)
Frankie Valli plays Host (1 episode) , Self (1 episode)
Paul Anka plays 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...
See Paul Anka's other roles →Joan Baez plays Self (1 episode)
Randy Newman plays Host (1 episode)
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist know...
See Randy Newman's other roles →Sly Stone plays Host (as Sly and the Family Stone) (1 episode) , Self (2 episodes)
Al Green plays Host (2 episodes)
Olivia Newton-John plays Host (1 episode)
Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE was an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy...
See Olivia Newton-John's other roles →Rod Stewart plays Host (1 episode)
Sir Roderick David Stewart CBE is a British rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. With his distinctive...
See Rod Stewart's other roles →Kenny Loggins plays Host (as Loggins & Messina) (1 episode)
Kenny Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Born in Everett, Washington, USA...
See Kenny Loggins's other roles →Gordon Lightfoot plays Host (1 episode)
Bill Withers plays Host (1 episode)
Marvin Gaye plays Self (1 episode)
B.B. King plays Host (1 episode)
Little Richard plays Host (1 episode)
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 - May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was a flamboyant and groundb...
See Little Richard's other roles →The Kinks plays Host (1 episode)
Loretta Lynn plays Self (1 episode)
James Seals plays Self (1 episode)
Darrell Crofts plays Self (1 episode)
Jonathan Winters plays Self (1 episode)
Bobby Darin plays Self (1 episode)
Tammy Wynette plays Self (1 episode)
George Jones plays Self (1 episode)
Lou Rawls plays Host (1 episode)
George Burns plays Self (1 episode)
Crew of The Midnight Special
Discover the backstage crew of The Midnight Special →
- Prince
- Bobby Z
- André Cymone
- Dez Dickerson
- Dr. Fink
- Gayle Chapman
- Roy Orbison
- John Denver
- Cass Elliot
- Harry Chapin
- Phil Everly
- Don Everly
- The Isley Brothers
- Linda Ronstadt
- Ed McMahon
- George Carlin
- Johnny Rivers
- Anne Murray
- Steve Martin
- Don McLean
- Sonny Terry
- Brownie McGhee
- Albert Hammond
- Merrilee Rush
- Mac Davis
- Waylon Jennings
- Billy Paul
- Billy Preston
- Joan Rivers
- Rick Derringer
- Edgar Winter
- Mick Fleetwood
- Shawn Phillips
- Muddy Waters
- Carol Burnett
- Aretha Franklin
- Earl Scruggs
- Freeman King
- The Unknown Comic
- Bill Cosby
- Ray Charles
- Curtis Mayfield
- Johnny Nash
- Skeeter Davis
- Gladys Knight
- Taj Mahal
- Dr. John
- Robert Klein
- Skylark
- Robin Gibb
- Barry Gibb
- The Staple Singers
- John Stewart
- Maurice Gibb
- Canned Heat
- Ravi Shankar
- Ike Turner
- Tina Turner
- Lakshmi Shankar
- Barbara Fairchild
- Bobby Womack
- Wilson Pickett
- Jimmie Spheeris
- Richard Pryor
- Helen Reddy
- Kris Kristofferson
- Rita Coolidge
- Paul Williams
- Jeff Lynne
- Jack Elliott
- The Stylistics
- Jim Croce
- David Brenner
- Livingston Taylor
- Peter Noone
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Karl Green
- Billy J. Kramer
- Wolfman Jack
- Doug Kershaw
- Albert King
- Melissa Manchester
- Joe Walsh
- Teddy Pendergrass
- José Feliciano
- Chuck Berry
- Steve Miller
- War
- Robert Fripp
- Patti LaBelle
- Debbie Harry
- Chris Stein
- Eddie Levert
- Crystal Gayle
- Frankie Valli
- Paul Anka
- Joan Baez
- Randy Newman
- Sly Stone
- Al Green
- Olivia Newton-John
- Rod Stewart
- Kenny Loggins
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Bill Withers
- Marvin Gaye
- B.B. King
- Little Richard
- The Kinks
- Loretta Lynn
- James Seals
- Darrell Crofts
- Jonathan Winters
- Bobby Darin
- Tammy Wynette
- George Jones
- Lou Rawls
- George Burns