This Week in ’64: Rod Stewart Makes His TV Debut on The Beat Room

55 years ago this week – possibly even on this very day, depending on which rock ‘n’ roll reference tome you peruse – Rod Stewart made his television debut. Or maybe he just recorded it on this date and then it aired on August 10, which is the other date that’s often indicated as the day he made that debut.

Hey, anybody got a TV Guide?

Well, anyway, whether it was today or later in the week, it’s still a worthy anniversary to mention, not just because of Rod’s appearance on The Beat Room on BBC-2, but also because it was one heck of a star-packed installment of the series. In addition to Rod, the show also offered viewers the opportunity to check out performances by The Untamed Four, Memphis Slim, Manfred Mann, Marianne Faithfull, Wayne Gibson and the Dynamic Sounds.

Oh, and here’s something we neglected to mention: Rod wasn’t even on the bill.

Not really, anyway. He was on the show as part of the lineup of Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men. Yes, it gave the man who would go on to become a household name his first time on the telly, but it would still be a while yet before the name “Rod Stewart” meant much of anything to anyone except his friends and family.