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. Throughout its run the show featured various types of popular music, such as rock-and-roll, R&B, Motown, British rock, psychedelic rock, disco, new wave, and more. Interracial couples were not allowed on camera, so they sat on the sidelines. 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. Menu. Special Features: Norman and I met in January 1959 while standing outside of the studio waiting to get inside. The marker stands opposite 4548 Market Street (not shown here), which once housed WFIL-TVand its Studio B, the original home of American Bandstand. The first book party was in November in where else? While occasionally black teens were allowed into the studio, they were generally boys. A Tribute to Bob Clayton | American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Henderson remained the chief newsreader for Australia's Channel 9 until finally announcing his retirement in 2002. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune). Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. //-->. 1st song played on the national edition was Jerry Lee Lewis Whole Lotta Shaking Goin On.1st Guests: Billy Williams, ChordettesLast song on the ABC network was Laura Branigans Shattered Glass., See above pictureThe Stroll recorded by The Diamonds in 1958. Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. e9 = new Object(); you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. Sharon Sultan Cutler, who grew up in New York and now lives in Chicago, is co-author of Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune). Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. Clark suffered a heart attack while at St. John's. 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. Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clarks first day as host: 7/9/1956 When she was 10 years old, the woman now known as Sharon Sultan Cutler would rush home from school in the town of East Meadow on Long Island in New York. Who died from American Bandstand? Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. The Bop. In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. JUSTINE AND BOB. American Bandstand - Home - Facebook But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. . Throughout its Philadelphia years, the show was so popular that it transformed average local-area teens into national celebrities. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. About Us - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. 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. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. . "After that, it was history.". In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivan's generation on American Bandstand's dance floor. "We all did. The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. Don married Bunny. Happy tears. Jerry Lee Lewis was the first guest on the national show and it would over the decades feature the TV debuts of such stars as Prince, the Jackson 5, Aerosmith, Sonny and Cher and dozens of other performers. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. "For all those who knew her throughout her life and for those who watched her dance on American Bandstand, Carole was full of love and full of God. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. 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? The two sides were "Drive in Movie " and "Dream Girl." Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. 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 . They werent playing baseball they were DANCING. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". 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. We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. Known as the Regulars, they became the nation's first reality stars. 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. He was 82. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. during those wonderful days. I knew when couples broke up. 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. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory 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 West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Jersey you learned the different styles of the same dances., The Regulars did the Pony, Jitterbug, Calypso, Cha-cha and a slow dance that she says wasnt exactly a waltz: The kids didnt stand in one spot. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. 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. For a time, she dated a neighborhood boy, Danny Rapp, lead singer of Danny & the Juniors, who had the hit song At the Hop., I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight, Sullivan says. Like nostalgia? Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. Lowell. My husband and I met on a blind date and six months later on April 12, 1964 we were married. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. In the wake of the quiz show scandal, however, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives set up hearings to determine if the practice should be made illegal. Marietta. They wrote. Support+971+2+5530548 Email: sales@mazoutdft.com. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. You want to know about the guy! The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. He is a man of God and over the years has established both karate and prison ministeries. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. Rock Obituaries: Knocking on Heavens Door. Ohio, great article, in the late 1950s i wouldnt miss watching the show for anything , I still have some of those records that bring back a lot of memories, my boyfriend and i won a lot of dance contests at Marietta high dancing to the "Mashed Potatoe" by Dee Dee Sharp and the Twist by Chubby Checker: really love your column in the Marietta Times every Monday , keep up the great articles. As music styles evolved, American Bandstand incorporated more emerging genres. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. The news hit hard. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) In February 2020, it was announced that Henderson had contracted kidney cancer and opted not to receive treatment. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. On a sociological front, the show helped popularize rock and roll and make it acceptable to many adults (i.e., parents). At least three factors are important to note regarding the last three years ofAmerican Bandstandin West Philadelphia: the 1960 payola scandal, the reality behind the shows happy faces, and developments in the pop music industry that affected the show and compelled its relocation in 1964 to Los Angeles in a reduced version. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 - Facebook Rachel Fuda and Dolores Catania Get Honest About What It Takes to Look Like a Housewife, JoJo Says Theres Definitely Parallels Between Her and, Mica Burton's Rebellion Against Her Dad, LeVar Burton, Was Being a 'Star Wars' Fan, 50% Off Pet Items for Amazon Pet Day - Starting Now, Rachel Fuda and Dolores Catania Get Honest About What It Takes to Look Like a 'Real Housewife'. The A,B,C,'s of American Bandstand: Part 3 I didnt know what I was doing and decided I cant do this, and I called my dad and asked him to come get me, she says. and other collectibiles . These 14- to 18-year olds like Arlene and Kenny, Justine and Bob . . The Regulars - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where 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. 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. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. As Sullivan puts it: The boys danced. 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.. 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. The History of "American Bandstand" - LiveAbout Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. H.E. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! The show epitomized many important aspects of ever-evolving American popular culture: mass communication, popular music, youth culture, dance and fashion trends, as well as race and gender relationships. Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. The American Bandstand Regulars Say. - YouTube Fiorentino was known on the show as "Nicky Blue.". 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. 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. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. But this one was different. Dancing was a major feature of Bandstand. ), Lew Klein papers and Evening Bulletin Photographs Collection, Special Collections Research Center of Temple University Libraries, Charles Library, Eye to Eye: American Bandstand (CBS News, YouTube), Interview with Lew Klein, executive producer of American Bandstand (Temple University Television), Lesson Plan: A New "Twist" on Race Relations (ExplorePaHistory.com). In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://dickclark.com Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. 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. . "He wasn't no Bob Horn," Fiorentino said. 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. For More Bunny click here to go to Bunny Gibson.com, Bunny Gibson discusses the 50th celebration of American Bandstand. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. The show then aired at 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, corresponding with the typical school days end. We were like sisters. I went to Bandstand because I was gay and I was a misfit in my neighborhood. The rest is American Bandstand history. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. Unlike Smith, she expresses no animosity toward Clark. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. [7] The Diary of Arlene Sullivan, in Sullivan, Smith, and Cutler,Bandstand Diaries, 43-63. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. SURPRISING DICK CLARK ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW! | 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. I was saddened to hear about Norman. And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . Bunnys mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. 18 talking about this. A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! 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 most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region. 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. As she puts it, being a Regular entailed holding a WFIL-TV Bandstand Club membership card and dancing every day on the show. You eventually get cancelled.. He died on 5 August 2021 at his home in Sydney. One older brother survives Norman. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. Photo taken on October 27, 1981. He held nothing back. In the early years of American Bandstand, African Americans were rarely seen on television. Sharon Sultan Cutler, who grew up in New York and now lives in Chicago, is co-author of Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963.. He fell in love with her. Forget that. 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. In July 1956, Dick Clark, a commercial pitchman and deejay with an unsullied reputation, inherited WFIL-TV's Bandstand from scandal-tainted Bob Horn and revamped it for a national audience of teenage consumers as ABC's American Bandstand, which first aired in August 1957.Clark's daily afternoon program pioneered in musical television by showcasing a range of black and white pop music . ), Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. 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. 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. ". The Slop. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. 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. He spoke of his youth, of Bandstand and his favorite gal, Bunny. Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram, Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Philadelphia, the Place that Loves You Back, (Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. putting buyers and sellers in touch with auction houses who have set worlds record.contact auctionmarketnews@yahoo.com with your Auction dates,want lists ,prices realized. REGULARS Gallery 1. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. 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. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. (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. He danced on the show until Christmas 1959. I started going out to straight clubs.. Ohio. Handbags - Formal Wear. 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. We elevated them into celebrities. . See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook . Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. The reality behind the scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television. . Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. 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." He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". New York: Ballantine, 1985. Movies. Read the review. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. He said, 'In all my days, I never thought I would ever meet you, and here you are standing right in front of me.' . We each won a HI-FI, and 50 record albums. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. His name was Dick Clark and in the next year the show was transformed from a local show to a syndicated. Using social media, Cutler contacted some of the show's regulars. One chapter in the book, "Tributes to the Regulars," features short sketches of some of those dancers who have died. Clark, known as Americas oldest teenager, knew. 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. "What ever happened to those dancers on American Bandstand By Larry Koon Clark joined Bandstand in 1956 and moved with the show to Hollywood in 1964. 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.. This is the official Facebook of American Bandstand.
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