It was horrible.. News Shows I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. 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. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. The use of videotape allowed Clark to produce and host a series of concert tours around the success of American Bandstand and to pursue other broadcast interests. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. Like Smith, she believes that if her true sexual preference and that of others on the show had become public in the days before Stonewall and todays LGBT power, Bandstand would have been taken off the air. 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. The increase in competition hurt Bandstand and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. But this one was different. KENNY AND ARLENE. She was 13 but lied about her age. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings," Bandstand star Arlene Sullivan writes in her memoir, Bandstand Diaries. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. Reply. One young performer was dangled down an elevator shaft. 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. 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? At the time, being open about their sexuality would have meant the end for these young performers with stars in their eyes. The kids who showed up every day (Bandstand aired every weekday afternoon for the first six years) knew all the most popular steps. You want to know about the guy! . 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. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. 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. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. Many local Philadelphia teenagers became household names by appearing and dancing on American Bandstand on a regular basis from the '50s to the early '60s: As Bandstand moved towards the 1980s, the ratings began to decline. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. A half-hour evening version of American Bandstand aired on Monday nights from 7:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. (ET), beginning on October 7, 1957. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. 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. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. 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. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. 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. 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. The Slop. 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). It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show American Idol. . I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. The news hit hard. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. It became a national institution and Dick Clark a celebrity. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. Both were ratings disasters. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. 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. It became a staple in homes and heavily influenced American society culturally, musically, and socially. This kit packs $431 worth of premium skincare and haircare into a small packageand it's only $80 with the promo code. 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. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. Special Features: These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. 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! Sullivan and the other dancers often congregated in Rittenhouse Square, the historic epicenter of what is known as the City of Brotherly Loves Gayborhood. There even was chatter and fear that Clark, who died at 82 in 2012, sent members of his production staff to spy on them and report back the names of the suspected gay regulars. 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. But overall, their meet-ups remained a sanctuary. They were hurting him. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. 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. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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.. When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. The new legislation effectively ended payola in the music business.2, American Bandstandtoo weathered the payola storm. He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. And while Smith knew he was gay, he was shocked to learn that most of the guys on Bandstand, so many of them, were gay, he told The Post. 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. Cameraman Vince Gasbarro said: "Horn was old-looking. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. 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. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82. 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. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. He needed a group to show up every day, she says, and nobody got paid. REGULARS Gallery 1. 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. 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 Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. GALLERY 4. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. On the other hand, they had each other. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. 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. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. John Lithgow filmed a mockumentary episode before it was c 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Chaka Khan blasts Rolling Stone, Adele, Mariah Carey in podcast talk, Disgraceful Meghan, Harry provoked King Charles to evict them: royal expert, Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle confirm they were asked to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage. THIS & THAT 50s/60s. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. ", Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the Universe' Season 2. Who will walk away with the crown this time around? Bunnys mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. The Buddy Deane Show aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. 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. American Bandstand will be back someday, I assure you. The show stayed on the air until 1989. Were goin hopin today LogoTV and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. 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. . Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. Determined, Don got Bunnys number from one of the regulars and he met his dream girl. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. 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