Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. 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. THIS & THAT 50s/60s. Like nostalgia? The Regulars, also known as The Committee were only a part of the Bandstand story. Prior to the move, Bandstand had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. . If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. Making matters worse, on September 13, 1986, ABC reduced Bandstand from a full hour to 30 minutes;[13] at Clark's request, the 2,751st and final ABC installment[14] (with Laura Branigan[15] performing "Shattered Glass"[16][17]) aired on September 5, 1987. . Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. Brancaccio says thats what attracted him to it. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . 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. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. Acts debuting on Bandstand appeared on Deane's program, but were asked to not mention their previous appearance with Clark while on the Baltimore show. LogoTV and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. . We moved around the floor the way our parents did in the 40s. Whose Culture? They werent playing baseball they were DANCING. 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. 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 couple first honeymooned on the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the famed railway that was immortalized by Glenn Miller and was the first to run South to North. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. I hope you've had a good half-hour. Known then as Carole Scaldeferri, Mrs. Spada was among the teens who jitterbugged and slow-danced their way to fame in a TV studio in Philadelphia, while host Dick Clark spun what are now oldies. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. But he vividly recalls that one of his fellow gay dancers was thrown onto the El tracks outside the studio, and another popular regular who was gay and often danced with Sullivan was dangled over an elevator shaft.. . On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. . I never had a crush on her. . Cameraman Vince Gasbarro said: "Horn was old-looking. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. 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. In an online page marking her 68th birthday on Nov. 23, 2011, Bandstand "documentarian" Charles W. Amann III posted: "The name Scaldeferri and American Bandstand go hand-in-hand. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963 shares the fascinating story of how Dick Clark's American Bandstand and its millions of viewers catapulted its teenage dancers (called "the Regulars") to fame. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. 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. At 74, Sullivan still dances once a week at a party thrown by another Bandstand dancer. KENNY AND ARLENE. WFIL reverted to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show lost perspective without the extra cameras. Wagon Train Website, . 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. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. This version was canceled after 26 weeks, and its final show (with The Cover Girls performing "My Heart Skips a Beat" and "We Can't Go Wrong") aired on October 7, 1989,[37] thus ending the show's 37-year run.[38][39]. Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) I started going out to straight clubs.. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. . 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. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. The rest, as they say, is history. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. We only had three channels in those days. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. [42], Bandstand "regulars" from the Philadelphia years, Move from ABC to syndication and the USA Network, AMERICAN BANDSTAND (1987 Closing Credits - ABC Finale), Laura Branigan - Shattered Glass & Interview - AB (1987). Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! And while more openly gay performers are comfortable taking the stage these days, it's good to know we've always been thereeven if in silence. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory 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. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. The marker stands opposite 4548 Market Street (not shown here), which once housed WFIL-TVand its Studio B, the original home of American Bandstand. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Where things are poppin'(Pop!) . 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. These experienced Regulars considered an infrequent participant or a first time visitor an amateur. I wonder what they would have thought about a kid in TV Land, practicing the new steps in front of her bedroom mirror and praying to God her little brother didnt catch her at it. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. 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.. 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.. 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. Dick Clark was a TV personality known for the shows 'American Bandstand,' '$25,000 Pyramid' and 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,' among others. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they copied their fashions, fads and dance moves. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. Hosted by Bob Horn as a television adjunct to his radio show of the same name on WFIL radio, Bandstand featured short musical films produced by Snader Telescriptions and Official Films, with occasional studio guests. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. Not only does Bandstand Diaries detail Smith's and Sullivan's personal experiences, it also includes interviews with more than 40 Bandstand regulars, reveals Dick Clark's back story and . When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. They married during her Thanksgiving vacation from Northeast High School. A show where well-dressed teens gently bop around to the big hits while maintaining an appropriate distance apart hardly seems like it would be a hot bed of sexual experimentation, but American Bandstand apparently featured a crew of Philadelphia kids who had more than dancing in common. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. He needed a group to show up every day, she says, and nobody got paid. That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. EARLY BANDSTAND FASHIONS. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. (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. 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. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. Don Cornelius, the creator and host of Soul Train, along with Jesse Jackson, entered into a dispute with Clark over this upstart program, and it was canceled within a few weeks. and 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. One friend of mine was kicked out of the house.. Sullivan, 74, wrote Diaries with Ray Smith, another dancer who was closeted during his Bandstand years. I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21,. Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. I never had a crush on her. American Bandstand will be back someday, I assure you. It was horrible.. He said funeral services are pending. "After that, it was history.". "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. She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. REGULARS Gallery 1. American Bandstand played a crucial role in introducing Americans to such famous artists as Prince, Jackson 5, Sonny and Cher, Aerosmith, and John Lydon's PiLall of whom made their American TV debuts on the show. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. As previously mentioned, during the 1978 season of Bandstand, Donna Summer became the only music artist in Bandstand's history to co-host the program. 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. 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. She was one of five brothers and sisters; had a huge family vacation home in Sea Isle City where Regulars visited: and dated Frank Levins and Denny Dziena. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. They were hurting him. American Bandstand premiered locally in late March 1952 as Bandstand on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 (now WPVI-TV), as a replacement for a weekday movie that had shown predominantly British films. Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. 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 kept his distance, she says. A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. I knew all their names. She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. The increase in competition hurt Bandstand and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. ". I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. The first syndicated episode aired on the weekend of September 19, 1987[26] but this run was short-lived; The New American Bandstand ran until the weekend of June 4, 1988. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. The rest is American Bandstand history. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. In late spring of 1957, the ABC television network asked their O&O's and affiliates for programming suggestions to fill their 3:30p.m. (ET) time slot (WFIL had been pre-empting the ABC programming with Bandstand). They werent playing football. The Village People performed their legendary song, "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. REGULARS Gallery 3. They wrote thousands of letters. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. e9 = new Object(); "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. After school in the late 1950s, millions of American teenagers raced home to watch the gyrations of fellow teens on their parents tiny black-and-white televisions in the living room. Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82. He had other irons in the fire. 1950s/1960s POLLS. 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. We were like sisters. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. 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. My parents were always there for me. [6] Jackson,American Bandstand, 71; Jacksons description of Arlene Sullivan. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. Once a week, she goes to a hop thrown by another Bandstand original, 76-year-old Philadelphia radio and TV personality Jerry Blavat, who bills himself as The Geator with the Heater and The Boss with the Hot Sauce.. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. We'll see you then. While Bandstand fans across the country imagined a true romantic relationship between Sullivan, who secretly liked girls, and her on-screen companion, Rossi, who was straight, she says it was little more than made-for-TV puppy love. We were the first reality show, she adds. 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. From the late 1950s and most of the 1960s, Clark's on-camera sidekick was announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who later went on to announce Wheel of Fortune and other programs hosted or produced by Clark, such as The $100,000 Pyramid. She was 13 but lied about her age. 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. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. BUT he was out for Clark., Sullivan claims there were four other popular girl dancers on the show whom she knew to be lesbians, and they hung out together. We were like sisters. Clark decided to pitch the show to ABC president Thomas W. Moore, and after some negotiations the show was picked up nationally, becoming American Bandstand on August 5, 1957. He was 21 and she was 16. The Hand Jive. Forget that. Charlette Russo danced on American Bandstand from 1955-1959. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. On September 13, 1969, the Bandstand set was given a complete overhaul and Les Elgart's big band version of "Bandstand Boogie" was replaced by the Mike Curb theme. . Music by Charles Albertine My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. The catchphrase `` it 's got a good beat and you can dance to it one-off 50th! A most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life from... This first national broadcast of American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay bob locally..., wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a young boy, '' Gibson on! 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