I think [the shows success] even surprised Dick Clark.. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. The Monday-night version aired its last program in December 1957, but ABC gave Clark a Saturday-night time slot for The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, which originated from the Little Theatre in Manhattan, beginning on February 15, 1958. 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. 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. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. Steve Colanero, 66, a West Philadelphia transplant in Palm Beach, Fla., posted on Facebook a picture from the 1980s of himself with Clark. . [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor ". 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. , Puppy love He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. Ray Smith says he was upset when Dick Clark claimed only one of the dancers had died from AIDS when asked about it in an interview. "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. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. ", In a Time.com obituary for Dick Clark, who died April 18, 2012, a reporter wrote: "Lou DeSera, Carmen Jimenez, Carole Scaldeferri, Rosemarie 'Little Roe' DiCristo: they may sound like characters on The Sopranos, but they were just ordinary kids, with extraordinary luck of being in Philadelphia at the moment the old town lit the fuse for the rock explosion.". 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. at 3:30pm, then rejoin Bandstand at 4pm. If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. It was horrible.. I hope you've had a good half-hour. Mickey Mouse Club They were hurting him. Sullivan says Bandstand host Dick Clark knew most of the cast was gay, but was determined to keep it under wraps for the sake of the show. 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. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! Barbara finally came back and said I had to come to the front because the back was only for colored people. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. 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. AB WALLET PHOTOS. In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ray Smith says he was upset when Dick Clark claimed only one of the dancers had died from AIDS when asked about it in an interview. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie 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. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. At the time, being open about their sexuality would have meant the end for these young performers with stars in their eyes. In addition to appearances by big pop stars of the day, Sullivan's on-screen romance with Kenny Rossi was a huge draw for the show. Music by Charles Albertine 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. 1950s/1960s POLLS. Thankfully we've come a long way since those sad days. 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. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. 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. ", Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the Universe' Season 2. Who will walk away with the crown this time around? She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. running a series on drunken driving. you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. NEW PAGE! Dick Clark later stated that he knew the prime-time edition would fail because its core audience teenagers and housewives was occupied with other interests in the evenings. The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. We also surmise that her mother was an Italian immigrant (she refers to her Italian mom), and her father of Irish descent. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. 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. Dancing with the American Bandstand Stars Fundraiser, July 15, 2009 On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! Jax Spills the Tea on That "Shocking" Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, "In those lip-syncs, I fend for myself. . 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. //-->. The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. For now, Dick Clark on ABC, so long. 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. Two of the regulars, Arlene Sullivan and Ray Smith, published the volume asBandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963,with Sharon Sultan Cutler as a non-Bandstand-member co-author. They accepted me. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. Dick Clark was a TV personality known for the shows 'American Bandstand,' '$25,000 Pyramid' and 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,' among others. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. The rest, as they say, is history. 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. But . Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. This story has been shared 115,637 times. Norman and I met in January 1959 while standing outside of the studio waiting to get inside. But to his credit and diligence, he brilliantly created his own myth, and he stuck to it for the rest of his life. The reality behind the scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television. (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. Very sadly, Bob passed away 2 . We'll see you then. "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. 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! Out filmmaker Christopher Landon spills the spooky tea on his new movie and working with the 'White Lotus' star. 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. The news hit 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. We'll see you the next time on American Bandstand. He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. As two or three stations grab it off, you get less clearance, therefore you get less rating, and its an endless cycle. Arlene Sullivan, a star on Bandstand, is now 74. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. . I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. Aura Mayari Just Wants to Live Her Zombie Apocalypse Fantasy. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". 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