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
Secondary Cast of The Midnight Special
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)
Phil Everly plays Self (1 episode)
Harry Chapin plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Don Everly plays Self (1 episode)
The Isley Brothers plays Themselves (1 episode)
Linda Ronstadt plays Self (1 episode)
Ed McMahon plays Self (1 episode)
George Carlin plays Self (1 episode)
Johnny Rivers plays Self/Host (1 episode)
Anne Murray plays Host/Self (1 episode)
Steve Martin plays Self (1 episode)
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)
Billy Paul plays Self (1 episode)
Billy Preston plays Self (3 episodes)
Joan Rivers plays Self (1 episode)
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)
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)
Taj Mahal plays Self (1 episode)
Dr. John plays Self (1 episode)
Robert Klein plays Self (1 episode)
Robin Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
Skylark plays Self (1 episode)
Barry Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
The Staple Singers plays Themselves (2 episodes)
Maurice Gibb plays Self (1 episode) , Self / Host (4 episodes)
John Stewart plays Self (1 episode)
Canned Heat plays Themselves (1 episode)
Ravi Shankar plays Self (3 episodes)
Ike Turner plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Tina Turner plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
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)
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 Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Livingston Taylor plays Self (1 episode)
David Brenner plays Self (1 episode) , Host (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 Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
War plays Themselves (1 episode) , Hosts (1 episode)
Robert Fripp plays Self (1 episode)
Patti LaBelle plays Self (1 episode)
Debbie Harry plays Self (as Blondie) (1 episode)
Chris Stein plays Self (as Blondie) (1 episode)
Eddie Levert plays Self (The O'Jays) (1 episode)
Crystal Gayle plays Host (1 episode)
Frankie Valli plays Self (1 episode) , Host (1 episode)
Paul Anka plays Host (3 episodes)
Joan Baez plays Self (1 episode)
Randy Newman plays Host (1 episode)
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)
Rod Stewart plays Host (1 episode)
Kenny Loggins plays Host (as Loggins & Messina) (1 episode)
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)
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
- Prince
- Bobby Z
- André Cymone
- Dez Dickerson
- Dr. Fink
- Gayle Chapman
- Roy Orbison
- John Denver
- Cass Elliot
- Phil Everly
- Harry Chapin
- 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
- Robin Gibb
- Skylark
- Barry Gibb
- The Staple Singers
- Maurice Gibb
- John Stewart
- 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
- Livingston Taylor
- David Brenner
- 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