(Twentieth Century Fox), Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. KENNY AND ARLENE. That might have had something to do with the scandal that surrounded the departure of his predecessor, Bob Horn, who faced a drunken-driving arrest and morals charges. The most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region. This American Bandstand tribute book celebrates Dick Clark and the Regulars with 700 Photos. Thank you "C" Group for continuing the "Philly Saga". Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. The marker stands opposite 4548 Market Street (not shown here), which once housed WFIL-TVand its Studio B, the original home of American Bandstand. Read the review. The guy who had been in charge of the show before he took over was the subject of a scandal a DUI, I think so Clark wanted to be the clean-cut guy, and he was. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! I did notice the studio was not as full, allowing the Regulars much more camera time. Famously, Buddy Holly made his last television appearance on the program, miming "It's So Easy" and "Heartbeat" on August 7, 1958, just months before the . The show also incorporated appearances by acts like Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and Connie Francis, who would lip-sync performances. The History of "American Bandstand" - LiveAbout After that, management at WFIL-TV/Channel 6 (46th & Market) in Philadelphia installed the clean-cut Dick Clark to take over the teen dance party show and renamed it "American Bandstand." She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. Steve Colanero, 66, a West Philadelphia transplant in Palm Beach, Fla., posted on Facebook a picture from the 1980s of himself with Clark. [Clark] was a cool professional with an agenda from the beginning, an agenda for success that made him rich; he was a millionaire by the end of the 1950s. . Asked By : Francisco Allen Dick Clark, affectionately known as the "world's oldest teenager," has died. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. But this one was different. Talevski, Nick. That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. , Puppy love Titled "The Rise of the Salesman" and written by Smith, it captures the wildly successful and influential career of Clark from "American Bandstand" host to media mogul: "Dick Clark may not have known much about music, but he knew how to cultivate it, spread it, and make it work for the masses.". Photo taken on October 27, 1981. There were quite a few Regulars crossing over at that time. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. We ended up spending weekends together when she came to New York and D.C. to perform We went to lunch together and had fun, but Annette had to rest and perform, so we didnt have time for anything else., Sullivan never felt like a superstar, even when the Regulars averaged 100 to 150 fan letters a day. Via this network, which advertised itself as WFIL-adelphia, the show reached almost six million viewers in the Delaware Valley, the nations third-largest market at the time. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune). I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. The rest is American Bandstand history. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. (7/21/2011) I just received this from Bunny Gibson and certainly thought it was appropriate to mention here: Anna Russo, formerly Anna Banani, went to American Bandstand 1963 until AB left Philly for Los Angeles, lost both of her legs to diabetes and is in need. Weekday afternoons were spent with the kids in Philly, the kids on American Bandstand. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. Support+971+2+5530548 Email: sales@mazoutdft.com. This is the interview with Arlene, Kenny, Frank and Carole about their days on American Bandstand and their experiences with the Golden Boys. "It was in the original TV studio and it was amazing," says Cutler. Fabian and Bobby Rydell Hang With American Bandstand Regulars - YouTube Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) REGULARS Gallery 1. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. American Bandstand Dancers - Legacy.com . The American Bandstand Regulars Say. - YouTube I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. They knew what was going on, but they never asked the question., Sullivan says there were at least four other popular girl dancers on Bandstand who she quickly learned were lesbians and we all started hanging out together. "So many of the regulars who jitterbugged on the show way, way back were there. Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. Dick Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as a non-performer. Numerous black and white performers who appeared on American Bandstand during its seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in this building. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. And then they leave the show, go up on the El, go home to their neighborhoods, they then had to run to their door because somebody was always waiting there to beat them up.. He retained his youthful looks through the 1980s, burnishing his reputation as Americas Oldest Living Teenager. Dick Clark died at age 82 in Santa Monica. On each broadcast day the line of teens hoping to appear on the show snaked around the block; some were granted entry and others denied. 1 (2012): 89-113. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. American Bandstand Dancer Dottie Horner died yesterday. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. I will be working on a mult-pictorial page for Bob. But to his credit and diligence, he brilliantly created his own myth, and he stuck to it for the rest of his life. The rest, as they say, is history. Interracial couples were not allowed on camera, so they sat on the sidelines. It's handled with sensitive delicacy. Particularly during the show's prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. That really annoyed me, said Smith, Because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS., According to Brancaccio, Clark didnt want racial integration on his show either. He practiced dancing with his niece, Robin, but when he went down to the show, they wouldnt let him in because he was over the age of 18. Dottie Brian Henderson The Executives Bill & Boyd Sadly we also lost: Particularly during the shows prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. Millions of kids from Brooklyn to Beverly Hills ran home from school every weekday to watch them dance, imitate their styles and fantasize about their lives. California residents do not sell my data request. Like nostalgia? ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. Fabian and Bobby Rydell Hang With American Bandstand Regulars By Rick SiegelFabian, the teenagers heart throb from the 50's, hob knobs along with the America. These Regulars went on to receive mail, have fan clubs, feature magazine articles and dancer contests just like the previous groups. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. In 1960, in an episode that seems incredibly tame by todays standards of greed and corruption, the two major television networks, NBC and CBS were exposed as having rigged their wildly popular primetime quiz shows. The original "Bandstand," as it was called in 1952, was first hosted by deejay Bob Horn, who later was fired due to a drunk-driving conviction.. . From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. One older brother survives Norman. //-->. Sharon Sultan Cutler, of Chicago, talks about "Bandstand Diaries," the book she co-authored with Ray Smith and former American Bandstand participant Arlene Sullivan remembering the shows early days. we were like a little family together, and we all had something in common, and we all stuck together, and that made it easier for us.. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. She never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. Dick Clark, host of the influential "American Bandstand,' dies | CNN e9 = new Object(); Where things are poppin'(Pop!) The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Rock Obituaries: Knocking on Heavens Door. American Bandstand: West Philadelphia's Seven-Year Wonder 1957-1964 With his death, she said, it is "important that Dick is honored for what he did for rock-and-roll and for the impact he had on all the lives of his dancers from Philly to L.A.", Clark, Gibson said, led "the first teenage revolution, and we were part of it. "It is with much sadness that we have lost one of the most loving and beautiful souls - Carole Scaldeferri Spada has passed away," Bunny Gibson, who identified herself as a "Bandstand buddy," posted on Facebook. "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! There is another chapter about Clark. Clark, known as Americas oldest teenager, knew. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. Fifty years later, Bandstand fan Sharon Sultan Cutler wondered what had become of the Regulars, the name given to the teens that showed up daily to dance. I went to Bandstand because I was gay and I was a misfit in my neighborhood. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . Clark now eyed California as where the action is. And in February 1964 Clark moved to Los Angeles, where it would continue until 1989, though lacking its West Philadelphia spontaneity. Pat Molitteeri was credited with inventing the dance, "The Hop" by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop, Pat died in the mid -1970s of a heart attack at age 36, Carmen Jimenez still lives in Philadelphia today and recollects the fun she had being on the show. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. The first book party was in November in where else? As Sullivan puts it: The boys danced. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." OnAmerican Bandstandsdance floor, Sullivan was first partnered famously with Kenny Rossi (1957-58), a multitalented Italian-American student at West Catholic Boys High School, and such was her national popularity that her fan mail eventually totaled some 500 letters weekly. About Us; Services; Gallery; Contact Us Facebook The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. From that dance on we became steady dance partners until I had to leave the show on my 18th birthday, which was in August of 1961., The Pony Contest . In their new self-published memoirs Bandstand Diaries, series regulars Arlene Sullivan, Ray Smith, and Sharon Sultan Cutler reveal that though fans loved to gossip and fantasize about the shows heterosexual pairings, many of their favorites were young gay men and women putting on a show for the cameras. She calls it her one night out.. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. Bunny Gibson was a kid when Dick Clark came into her life - or, rather, when she entered his world in Studio B at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. Sullivans last appearance onAmerican Bandstandwas in 1960.7, In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivans generation onAmerican Bandstandsdance floor. I do hope you continuing writing about the bandstanders. On a sociological front, the show helped popularize rock and roll and make it acceptable to many adults (i.e., parents). At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. Pennants from local high schools lined the walls of American Bandstands production studio, emphasizing to viewers and advertisers the shows local orientation. ". Let the good times roll! The Bop. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, "The Pony" and "The Monkey"; others were named for . When cute young teenagers Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi slow danced together on American Bandstand back in the late 50s and early 60s, kids across the country swooned. He said that when he was a kid, he would come in off the range every day and watch me on 'Bandstand.' She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. He debuted in Studio 3B at WFIL-TV, near the El train stop in West Philadelphia, in 1956 when he was a 13-year-old junior high school student. Special Features: Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. But . Of Clarks behind-the-scenes behavior at Studio B, Ray Smith writes unsparingly: The irony about Clark is that he was not the goody-two-shoes he projected: he smoked, cursed, and for a while teetered on the edge of alcoholism. Carole Scaldeferri Spada, 'Bandstand' dancer, dies at 70 - Inquirer.com Henderson remained the chief newsreader for Australia's Channel 9 until finally announcing his retirement in 2002. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. The big teenybopper magazines of the era Sixteen and Teen plastered Bandstand dancers on their covers and wrote glowing, gossipy stories about their lives in Philadelphia, where Dick Clark produced the show. Hundreds of kids lined up each day hoping to be one of the few lucky ones who got to dance alongside the Regulars and share part of the magic that was American Bandstand. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. Squeaky clean commercial pitchman and deejay Dick Clark inherited Bob Horns locally broadcastBandstandin July 1956 and revamped it for a national audience of teenage consumers as ABCsAmerican Bandstand, which first aired in August 1957. Forget that. By then, he was a big-time television producer. He fell in love with her. I met Joyce and Norman at the Steel Pier one summer and found them both to be so nice. . The followed the trend of solo ("open") dancing started by Chubby Checker and "The Twist.". About Us - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where And while Smith knew he was gay, he was shocked to learn that most of the guys on Bandstand, so many of them, were gay, he told The Post. The Regulars, also known as The Committee were only a part of the Bandstand story. The 1960 amendments to the 1934 Federal Communications Act put heavy constraints on payola, requiring full public disclosure when a record company or its agent pays a broadcaster to play records on the air. The 1960 amendments criminalized any action that breached the disclosure rule. Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. "American Bandstand" goes national - History Really enjoyed reading your article Larry , I also grew up in the 50s watching American Bandstand, your article brought back so many memories of the good ole days growing up. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. In 1988, the National Park Service listed 4548 Market Street on the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. But Sullivan, who lives in New Jersey, did trust her, agreed to collaborate on the book and paved the way to meet and interview dozens of other regulars who once were dancing kids. Amanda McClain is Assistant Professor of Communications at Holy Family University. NEW PAGE! First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). . In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. The show then aired at 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, corresponding with the typical school days end. A Tribute to Bob Clayton | American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE The 50 record albums are packed away for safekeeping., Normans passing They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. The A,B,C,'s of American Bandstand: Part 3 Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. He was 21 and she was 16. She was 36. TV Ratings - US & UK, Quiz Shows Bob Clayton died November 6, 2016. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . Reading the book, one easily grasps or is reminded what an impactful cultural phenomenon "American Bandstand" was for a couple of generations of TV-watching kids. SURPRISING DICK CLARK ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW! | American Bandstand The followed the trend of solo (open) dancing started by Chubby Checker and The Twist. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, The Pony and The Monkey; others were named for motions, for example, The Mashed Potato and The Loco-Motion. Two of the biggest record hits of the early 1960s, both of which received a huge boost from airtime onAmerican Bandstand, were Dee Dee Sharps Mashed Potato Time and Freddy Cannons Palisades Park.8, YetAmerican Bandstandsseven-year stint in West Philadelphia was about to end. The news hit hard. It could happen, How Jimmy Stewart's war service affected 'It's a Wonderful Life', Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." Teresa Bowling. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. Although, unlike some others, Carole never really had a steady dancing partner, she danced with all the good-looking Italian boys and that one special non-Italian whom everyone loved - Harvey Robbins. As the music historian John Jackson observes, from the 1970s on American Bandstandno longer served as Clarks primary video outlet. For the next several decades, Clark would achieve high national visibility as a popular gameshow host and as the impresario of periodic primetimeAmerican Bandstandhit-song reunions (not to mention a spate of video cassettes and books) that fed on white Americas nostalgia forAmericanBandstandsdays in West Philadelphia, evoked in Barry Manilows Bandstand song with Manilows homage to The Philadelphia Way.. . Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 REGULARS Gallery 2. LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1960: Host of the television show 'American Bandstand' Dick Clark appears in a scene with Michael Callan from the movie 'Because They're Young' which was released in April 1960. I was saddened to hear about Norman. In order to help establish a clean-cut image for the show, guys were required to wear ties with suit jackets or sweaters, while girls dressed in good taste, for example a high-cut blouse with a dress or skirt. She would learn their names but, like all of us and them, she would mature, and those images on the screen and her affection for "those kids" would fade. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. Most of us would love her to do a Spotlight Dance once again and tell us know how she is doing today. Being featured on the show all but guaranteed a spike in popularity; even before it moved to a national platform American Bandstand offered a remarkably large audience base for musicians, often generating national popular demand for a new group or single. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. Yes, yes, I know. Surprise: A Lot of the Teens On American Bandstand Were Gay - Jezebel http://dickclark.com A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. Despite changes over the years, the show continued to embody and represent evolutions in American music, fashion, dance, and other sociocultural norms. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Her partner Frank Spagnuola and her won 1st place in dance Cha Lypso contest and 2nd place in Jitterbug Contest . When American Bandstand became the most popular daytime television program in the late 1950s, a group of ordinary Philadelphia high school students who loved to dance suddenly became a national phenomenon. I kissed a girl, and I liked it! Sullivan, now 74 and long out of the closet, reveals in a fascinating self-published book, Bandstand Diaries billed as The Book Youve Waited Over 50 Years to Read!. Self - Interview 1 episode, 1965 . The show, hosted by Dick Clark, sounds like it was both a community of welcome amongst the teens and a repressive construct from higher ups. It was like a high school reunion and some people even had tears in their eyes. Although the Regulars didnt perform in the South, Sullivans memory of a personal visit to Fort Worth, Texas, stuck with her: My friend Barbara [a fellow Regular] and I were visiting Barbaras friend there. The screen would fill with black-and-white images of teenagers dancing, the room would fill with music and she was filled with delight. Teen idol Bobby Rydell, whose music career is still going strong 60 years after American Bandstand, wrote the books introduction; but former Regular Arlene Sullivan, who shares her memories and personal images, is a standout as well as a co-author of the book. Bunnys mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. Filmed in the cramped quarters of the WFIL Studios at 46th and Market Streets in Philly, Bandstand is such a part of Americana that Dick Clarks podium now resides in the Smithsonian. Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. Of course we didn't realize it at the time but these kids were really the first reality stars.". Known for her perky personality, Pat Moliterri is credited with inventing the dance, the Hop, by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop.Sadly, Pat died in in the mid-seventies of a heart attack.
