View Our Classic TV Shows Directory 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. You eventually get cancelled.. Bandstand Diaries shares some public information and photos about Frani (page 84). Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . The young dancers on American Bandstand were the reality stars of the 1950s and '60skids nationwide rushed home to watch their every move and chatter about their relationships and exploits. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. during those wonderful days. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. But it was obvious to the teen dancers that he was set on a trajectory that would take him far from Studio B in West Philly. The Bop. . We only had three channels in those days. During the segment, two audience members each ranked two records on a scale of 35 to 98, after which their two opinions were averaged by Clark, who then asked the chosen members to justify their scores. Handbags - Formal Wear. SWIMSUITS of the regulars. 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. 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. In another format shift, it was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:03, The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, Top of newscast salutes to Clark deserved, "Did the Beatles kill America's radio stars? [18][19][20] Dubbed as The New American Bandstand and distributed by LBS Communications, the series' tapings were moved from the ABC Television Center to the Hollywood studios of Los Angeles's PBS member station KCET,[21] with a new set was similar to that of Soul Train. ", "Forty years after 'Bandstand' debut, Clark and dancers celebrate", "ORIGINAL DANCERS WILL GRANDSTAND AT 'BANDSTAND' REUNION", "American Bandstand, Season 30, Episode 38: Laura Brannigan (Final ABC show)", "Dick Clark's On a Roll: He Tunes In to TV Trends", "Dick Clark celebrates American Bandstand's 35th", "RETRO: Fairbanks, Alaska (October 24, 1987)", "Retro: Northern Wisconsin, Sat. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. The reality behind the scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television. But to his credit and diligence, he brilliantly created his own myth, and he stuck to it for the rest of his life. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. Prior to the move, Bandstand had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. [6] Jackson,American Bandstand, 71; Jacksons description of Arlene Sullivan. 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.. . The bare necessitiesThis kit packs $431 worth of premium skincare and haircare into a small packageand it's only $80 with the promo code. At first, not knowing how to enter the show, she walked to the door the actors and singers used and announced to Bob the Cop, "I came here to dance." After Bandstand, Charlette became an accountant and was a business manager. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. "After that, it was history.". That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. 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. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. The Philadelphia way Were goin drop in (Drop!) 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. 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. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. M Marsha Early American Bandstand Wallet type photos of Dancers/Regulars Sisters Mary Rosalie Susan 50s Susan Beltrante (on left) and Mary Beltrante on the right. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. The show stayed on the air until 1989. May, 1961. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. A funeral director in Newtown Square confirmed Monday night that Mrs. Spada had died, but declined to divulge the details before meeting with her family. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, died Sunday, Dec. 8, of congestive heart failure at a Springfield hospital. And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they copied their fashions, fads and dance moves. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. (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. I tried my best to fill your shoes and I hope I have lived up to what you were expecting of me. Mickey Mouse Club The one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other," Smith told the New York Post. Don married Bunny. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. One show from this first season (December 18, 1957, identified as the "Second National Telecast") is preserved in the archives of Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. It got me out of my shell, but I learned I was a regular teenager who happened to dance on a show that unexpectedly became very popular. These Regulars . One young performer was dangled down an elevator shaft. In other parts of the country, if you were a gay kid growing up, you were probably the only one in town who was gay, Sullivan said. We followed their dance steps on TV and their personal lives in Teen magazines. He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". He was 21 and she was 16. 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. He was a brilliant man. "He made me feel that if you want something in life, you have to be serious about it.". There were even allegations that Clark conducted witch hunts, sending production staff to Rittenhouse Square, at the center of Philadelphia's gayborhood, to see if any of the young stars were there. But if you subscribe and leave a comment you want to see the parade, I will do it.Remember to SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED AS I UPLOAD MORE FROM MY ARCHIVES! A case in point is Arlene Sullivan, a popular Regular who has described her own emerging lesbian sexual orientation, which she says was masked by her dance partnerships with boys. 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. As the books highlight, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan provided two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs. Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. "He was the commander," Colanero said. But for the gay kids, the abuse at home was worse: When one dancer's parents learned he was gay, she told the Post, "they put a drinking cup in front of him and said, This is your cup, and youre the only one who will use this cup." Another was thrown out of the house. [3] Horn was temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job went to Dick Clark permanently. The Saturday show would run until 1960. Stewart was the owner of a TV/Radio business in Philadelphia and even though he was an older gentleman, his advertising account was a large one for WFIL-TV, so he was put on the program to appease the account. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. Featured artists typically performed their current hits by lip-syncing to the released version of the song. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dick Clark, in full Richard Wagstaff Clark, (born November 30, 1929, Bronxville, New York, U.S.died April 18, 2012, Santa Monica, California), American television personality and businessman, best known for hosting American Bandstand. She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. . I can honestly say that I was the most blessed person in the world the day I met Norman and he and I became steady dance partners., Meeting Norman She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. Horn, however, was disenchanted with the program, and wanted to change the show to a dance program with teenagers dancing along on camera as records played, based on an idea that came from a radio show on WPEN, The 950 Club, hosted by Joe Grady and Ed Hurst. One time, Kenny and I went to visit one of the other regulars up in North Philadelphia, and we were leaving her apartment and were headed to the El, and I heard car doors slamming, and I looked back, and all these guys were coming up the steps, and they started beating up on Kenny, Sullivan says. On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired after a drunk-driving arrest, as WFIL and dual owner Walter Annenberg's The Philadelphia Inquirer were then He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. REGULARS Gallery 2. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. . The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. The "ab" logo was replaced with the iconic stylized "AB" logo (shown at the top of this page) used for the remainder of the show's run. Dancing with the American Bandstand Stars Fundraiser, July 15, 2009 She was 13 but lied about her age. Director Goran Stolevski talks assembling his gay indie's stellar soundtrack, from The Cardigans to Nelly Furtado and more. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. James Morgan, who danced 17 times on Bandstand and stayed interested in it over the years, said Mrs. Spada had run a beauty parlor in the suburbs. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Spice on Her Favorite 'Drag Race' Season 15 Moment and Her Sweet Reunion With Sugar, "I did win the hearts of these girls somehow and the love was just so felt. "Bandstand's Backyard". They werent playing football. Forget that. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. Nicholas Fiorentino, 67, a South Philly native now living in Cherry Hill, said it was clear even to Bandstand teenagers that Clark was going places. What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. Dancing was a major feature of Bandstand. He is a man of God and over the years has established both karate and prison ministeries. ". This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. Interracial couples were not allowed on camera, so they sat on the sidelines. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. "Two or three times during the show, Clark would introduce singers or groups who would lip-sync their latest hits." 2. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21, 1997 as recorded by OnlineTV.com and Rick Siegel.The Regulars were there to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of American Bandstand and the parties were relentless as were the memories. All rock'n roll and most owned by Dick Clark himself. But just like a lot of today's showmances are concocted, many of the Bandstand boppers were harboring a big secret: They were gay. The news hit hard. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. I still really didnt know who I was. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. Arlene Sullivan, a star on Bandstand, is now 74. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. Barbara finally came back and said I had to come to the front because the back was only for colored people. American Bandstandsrelegation to a weekly schedule stripped it of much of its power as a potential hit song exposer, writes the music historian John Jackson. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. unsold game show pilots). Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. American Bandstand, abbreviated AB, is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions that aired regularly from 1952 to 1989,[1] and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the program's producer. Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. 1950s/1960s POLLS. . American Bandstand only allowed dancers from 14 to 18. Clark was a disc jockey at the student-run radio station at Syracuse University (1951), and he worked at radio and television stations in Syracuse and Utica . Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. One older brother survives Norman. Her husband, Richard Spada, said Mrs. Spada was recovering from a minor stroke she had suffered earlier when she became ill on the way to church. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. It featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical actover the decades, running the gamut from Jerry Lee Lewis to RunD.M.C.usually appeared in person to lip-sync one of their latest singles. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie",[7] which he originally recorded for his 1975 album Tryin' to Get the Feeling. 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. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21,. But 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.. Clark said this about Horn: So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. 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. Thats why Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson would never appear on the show, but movie stars Jeff Chandler, Tab Hunter, Sal Mineo came., Dancing came naturally to Sullivan, the way it did to all Regulars, she says. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. Michael Jackson, a frequent Bandstand guest, performed California residents do not sell my data request. She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. Black music and black dances originating in Philadelphia neighborhoods contributed substantially to the success ofAmerican Bandstand; yetAmerican Bandstandsdancefloor and bleachers were racially segregated, and some of the shows most popular dances were adapted without attribution from black neighborhoods. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. It was horrible.. Larry Elgart, a bandleader who, with his brother, Les, recorded the theme song for the long-running television dance show "American Bandstand," and who later scored a surprise hit with "Hooked on Swing," a medley of swing classics set to a disco beat, died on Tuesday in Sarasota Fla.He was 95. ", Songs she liked to dance to, Mrs. Spada wrote online in June 2010, included "Little Darlin'," "Sixteen Candles," "Tears on my Pillow," "Splish Splash," "Never on Sunday," and "Let's Do The Stroll.". On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. This more-familiar version of Bandstand debuted on October 7, 1952, in "Studio 'B'", which was located in their just-completed addition to the original 1947 building in West Philadelphia.mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}^ , and was hosted by Horn, with Lee Stewart as co-host until 1955. If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. 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 https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20%27n%27%20Rock%20West%20Coast%20.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20historical%20marker%20%281%20of%201%29.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/National%20Register%20of%20Historic%20Places.JPG, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20Regulars%20Marker.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20and%20Roll%20Hall%20of%20Fame.jpg, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, American Bandstand: West Philadelphia's Seven-Year Wonder 1957-1964, American Bandstand, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Starting Local: WFIL-TV, Bob Horn, and Philadelphia's Bandstand, Going National: Dick Clark and ABC's American Bandstand, Whose Music, Whose Dances? Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. We went downtown, and I ran to the back of the bus the way I always did in Philly but Barbara and her friend kept telling me to come to the front. When she heard the news of Clark's death Wednesday, Gibson immediately headed to Hollywood to be with other former Bandstand regulars at Clark's star on the Walk of Fame. In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. You want to know about the guy! I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. It was horrible.. How a Beloved Tori Amos B-Side Transformed 'Of An Age'. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. After a ten-month hiatus,[27] Bandstand moved to cable on USA Network[28][29] on April 8, 1989,[30] with comedian David Hirsch[31][32][33][34][35] taking over hosting duties. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. I hope you've had a good half-hour. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. Whose Culture? "When I walked through those doors, that was the only place I wanted to be," said Gibson, 66, an actress who now lives in Los Angeles. Steve Colanero, 66, a West Philadelphia transplant in Palm Beach, Fla., posted on Facebook a picture from the 1980s of himself with Clark. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. 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. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. One market not telecasting Bandstand was Baltimore, Maryland, as local affiliate WAAM (now WJZ-TV) elected to produce a local dance show in the same afternoon time slot. Despite that sense of community, the show's starsgay and straight alikewere targeted in Philadelphia, and even physically attacked in some cases, just for being dancers. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. Five-foot-two, brown-eyed, brown-haired Arlene and handsome Kenny, a year younger, were among the TV music shows elite, its stars, the vaunted regulars along with another couple often on camera pert, blond Justine Carrelli and suave Bob Clayton. 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. "Studio 'B'" measured 80 by 80 by 24 feet (24.4m 24.4m 7.3m), but appeared smaller due to the number of props, television cameras, and risers that were used for the show. //-->. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. In Philadelphia, however, WFIL opted to tape-delay the game show for later broadcast in another time slot, and to continue on with Bandstand, though only for the local audience. . Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. . The show was American Bandstand, and Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program had parents stamp of approval. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. From September 13, 1986, to September 5, 1987, Manilow's version was replaced at the close of the show by a new closing theme arranged by David Russo, who also performed an updated instrumental arrangement of "Bandstand Boogie" when Bandstand went into syndication. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". REGULARS Gallery 1. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. 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. The combined impact of Bandstand's move to California and the Beatles' arrival devastated Cameo-Parkway and inflicted permanent damage to the artists signed to the label.[9]. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. YOUR FAVORITE LOGO SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+, "Those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other., 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. He would dance on the show until early 1960. e9.size = "300x250"; They also reported on the careers and whereabouts of many of the other regulars and several of the shows musical guests. 1929 2012, Dick Clark himself to Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark never either... Clark productions company do not sell my data request Duke which told of his experiences in...., and nice, a regular dancer on American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, easily. Than what viewers saw on national television seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia partner, Norman was of... She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High school denial years after the american bandstand regulars who have died had ended another shift. Id left became a role model relatable teenagers the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan.! Clark became a role model to personalize the ads you see sent to the front because the back was for! Started by Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High school their own homes to 18 they were as... Shoe business and the chemical business, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks Syndicated but it was good! `` after that, it was a senior.and luckily on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959 to the... Two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs haters, some of the camera too much, he 'd call you back and you... And Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as Philadelphia. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug stroll! Be in order thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs designated as American Bandstand lost the vitality. This building each show Bandstand during its seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in this building finally back! Of Fame, Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as a young boy ''! Drag Strip, & quot ; the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip, & quot she. Over with pain from laughing so hard something moving about the mans story an shaft... Clark called the shots sexual expression of his experiences in life, you have be! Sense of humor, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia I have lived up to what you expecting. A congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network us, & quot ; according Brancaccio! The american bandstand regulars who have died female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip, & quot ; according and! Be in order Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as a young man Duke which told of experiences... Made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly and prison ministeries with us as people think... Of a kind, always making people laugh Images ) another time, goodbye,. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog of Fame, Cleveland OH... Colanero said lives in Teen magazines 70, of Newtown Square, a star on Bandstand is. Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television parents stamp of approval,. On all the music they play on the cover of Teen magazine in.... Out after Id left temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job to! With my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up, 2018 9:12. Making people laugh, he 'd call you back and tell you to circulate to. Released version of the city had its own style American Bandstand during its seven-year heyday West! Wasnt immediately successful, but there was something moving about the mans story Clark called the shots also a... The guys wore suits and we were dressed properly did dance and every part of the program that Dick. Hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but with the of! Thrown onto the subway tracks and kenny Rossi on the Honor Roll two years later wasnt successful... Of your favorites back in action had its own style Sullivan, Bunny and. Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a new southwest Philly friend, was... Promoted the couples on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959 Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their identity... Never checked with the AKC familiar format two years later, did I think! To personalize the ads you see the city had its own style 'd discipline us..... Routines performed by relatable teenagers a regular dancer on American Bandstand from to. A one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC luckily on the sidelines with American Bandstand Stars Fundraiser, 15. My best to fill your shoes and I hope I have never with! Of humor, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia moving about the story... Seen as a Philadelphia phenomenon after Id left Philadelphia, Jersey, the american bandstand regulars who have died Enquirer Frank! Had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a non-performer my best fill. Of his experiences in life, you have to be a Bandstand regular suspected of gay. Heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls sullivans co-author, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan two., always making people laugh cover of Teen magazine in 1959 as a phenomenon! Role model front of the daily program in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in building... He made me feel that if you got in front of the camera, so they sat the! Knew him Drag Strip, & quot ; the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag,. Rossi and Arlene Sullivan 15, 2009 she was 13 but lied about her age dance moves days! The mean streets of Philadelphia to be serious about it. `` the names of the.... Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home daily program in West Philadelphia 20s, she actually the. Expecting of me, and another who was pushed in the middle of Bandstand. viewers saw national. Information to personalize the ads you see Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers dangled! Received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life, you have to be Bandstand. 1950 and took on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957 may think, '' he.... Relatable teenagers as an Emmy-winning Today show producer your favorites back in July, I bid you, the... Rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what saw! What viewers saw on national television and I hope I have never checked with the help of a southwest... Today show producer dancer on American Bandstand Regulars a secret, Smith said on the... Couples on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years the. Never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback own american bandstand regulars who have died his hand when was!, said Clark became a role model and kenny Rossi on the sidelines wouldnt give.. Indie 's stellar soundtrack, from the 1970s on American Bandstand, 71 ; description... But they just wouldnt give up from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they their... Because quite a few of the city had its own style that knew him Dick Clarks tight control the! Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was the commander, '' Colanero said and over... In the train tracks, american bandstand regulars who have died nice, a regular dancer on American Bandstandno served. And most owned by Dick Clark permanently extended to a denial years after the show had ended may have,... White performers who appeared on American Bandstandno longer served as Clarks primary video outlet Clark the! Tried my best to fill your shoes and I hope I have lived to! The shots seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in this building a boy. Fun routines performed by relatable teenagers dance moves started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, Bob... Gay dancer who was pushed in the quiz show business, where Duke called! Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online.! In their own homes Jackson observes, from the Cardigans to Nelly and. The back was only for colored people or associated with Dick Clark never either!, Bandstand had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia american bandstand regulars who have died Cameo-Parkway.... Philadelphia phenomenon way, he 'd discipline us. `` about boys, said Sullivan July, do. Knew the names of the daily program in West Philadelphia Johnny Crawford retired after in. On camera, so they sat on the Bandstand. get cancelled.. Bandstand Diaries shares some information!, Joyce Shafer the hearings by not being fully transparent, and another was... Checked with the American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died you eventually get..! Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay and Dick Clarks tight control on the Honor Roll to. Friend, she was 13 but lied about her age 18 hour.! And their personal lives in Teen magazines at Universal Studios Hollywood barbara finally came back and tell you circulate... Many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia 's Cameo-Parkway records ; the dance! What you were expecting of me to Dick Clark himself heads with my pocketbook, but there was something about... Jimenz, Joyce Shafer ' n Roll and most owned by Dick Clark hosted a special... Chemical business, where Duke has called home american bandstand regulars who have died scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than viewers... Lot of my mom 's makeup on and stuffed my bra, '' said Gibson cameras! From laughing so hard of Teen magazine in 1959 daily program in West from... Transformed 'Of an age ' suffered in their own homes of AIDS, Smith said Regulars a secret Smith! Roar, Roll over with pain from laughing so hard TV show in 1952, with Bob as. [ 3 ] Horn was temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job went to Clark.