american bandstand regulars who have diedamerican bandstand regulars who have died

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. Thanks for contacting us. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. Forget that. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. 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 typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. She calls it her one night out.. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. 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]. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. Weekday afternoons were spent with the kids in Philly, the kids on American Bandstand. As two or three stations grab it off, you get less clearance, therefore you get less rating, and its an endless cycle. 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. 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 But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. 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. Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. Arlene Sullivan, one of the most popularAmerican Bandstandregulars, presents another perspective on the shows closeted world. His name was Dick Clark and in the next year the show was transformed from a local show to a syndicated. (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. NEW PAGE! "Saturday Bandstand retained the proven format of the now defunct weekday show, but it sustained a crucial loss of spontaneity as a result of being taped instead of shown live. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. The marker stands opposite 4548 Market Street (not shown here), which once housed WFIL-TVand its Studio B, the original home of American Bandstand. running a series on drunken driving. Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". 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. The rest, as they say, is history. Clark continued as host of the series, which was restored to its former hour length,[22] and aired on stations including KYW-TV in Philadelphia; WWOR-TV in New York City[23] (WWOR's superstation status also gave the program further national exposure); KTLA in Los Angeles; WMAQ-TV in Chicago; WDIV in Detroit; WEWS in Cleveland; WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee;[24] and WCIX in Miami.[25]. I hope you've had a good half-hour. 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. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. . Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. They werent playing baseball they were DANCING. JUSTINE AND BOB. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. By then, he was a big-time television producer. ". Rossi was straightbut Sullivan, many of her female co-stars, and most of the young male dancers were not. 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. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? American Bandstand Regulars -- Justine Carrelli, Joe Fusco, Myrna Horowitz - The 3rd Degree - 1989 Bandstands Best 3.54K subscribers Subscribe 343 127K views 10 years ago THE USE OF ANY. The Village People performed their legendary song, "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. Clark said this about Horn: 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. 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. Once the program went national upon its move to Los Angeles, new host Dick Clark decided that integration was the most responsible move. In addition to his other ventures, Clark maintained a virtual lock on New Years Eve television withDick ClarksNew Years Rockin Eve. "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. Teenagers dance on an episode of Dick Clark's television program, 'American Bandstand,' 1950s. Race and American Bandstand, The Seven-Year Itch: West Philly Loses American Bandstand, Report accessibility issues and request help. In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. 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. I am on that stage just trying to do my own thing and turn the party. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. My parents were always there for me. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. 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. 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. Sadly we also lost: From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) 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. However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. He was 21 and she was 16. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". We'll see you the next time on American Bandstand. Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. Other performers including Brandy, members of KISS, Dennis Quaid and his band The Sharks, Cher, and Stevie Wonder also performed to remember the iconic program.[41]. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. It was no secret. The show was American Bandstand, and Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program had parents stamp of approval. She told me she got so many letters from fans who thought I looked like her and [with our dark hair], we did look alike. On the other hand, they had each other. 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. Soul Unlimited was not well-received among its target audience of African-Americans, ostensibly due to its being created by a white man (Clark), and because of its alleged usage of deliberately racial overtones despite this fact. 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. at 3:30pm, then rejoin Bandstand at 4pm. 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. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. Variety Shows I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. He would dance on the show until early 1960. 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. But overall, their meet-ups remained a sanctuary. But just like a lot of today's showmances are concocted, many of the Bandstand boppers were harboring a big secret: They were gay. TV Ratings - US & UK, Quiz Shows The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. 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 She is a Marco Polo member of the Society of American Travel Writers, a past president of Virginia Professional Communicators and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. 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. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers. They wrote thousands of letters. The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. 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. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Like the rest of us, the 'Drag Race' Season 15 queen is crushing on Pedro Pascal. //-->. 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. In 1989, Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica Bandstand, and the show ended that year. They werent playing basketball. Don Travarelli, from South Philly, watched American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Bunny Gibson dancing. . 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. May, 1961. 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. In an interview with the New York Post, Sullivan says that she and many of the gay male dancers would congregate in the Gayborhood, Rittenhouse Square, and there were rumors that Clark sent producers to spy on them. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. ", Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the Universe' Season 2. Who will walk away with the crown this time around? News Shows One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. 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.. KENNY AND ARLENE. In the meantime, have a wonderful week or two. 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 never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. I am not sure I can post that part of the video as I have no rights to the music they play and is heard in the background of the parade. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967. "He was the commander," Colanero said. 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. As Sullivan puts it: The boys danced. 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. He is a man of God and over the years has established both karate and prison ministeries. 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 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. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. [8] In the fall of 1961, ABC truncated American Bandstand's airtime from 90 to 60 minutes (4:005:00pm ET), then even further as a daily half-hour (4:004:30pm ET) program in September 1962; beginning in early 1963, all five shows for the upcoming week were videotaped the preceding Saturday. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million. "He made me feel that if you want something in life, you have to be serious about it.". To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. . Unlike Smith, she expresses no animosity toward Clark. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. 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. 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. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. In 1988, the National Park Service listed 4548 Market Street on the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. . Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. GALLERY 4. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. Determined, Don got Bunnys number from one of the regulars and he met his dream girl. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. He spoke of his youth, of Bandstand and his favorite gal, Bunny. . 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. There were occasional shows that were not hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.[6]. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. 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. Briefly it was part of the USA Network with new host David Hirsh but went off the air in 1989. Don married Bunny. Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. 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 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. He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. 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. No way I will get in his way! A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. Filmed in the cramped quarters of the WFIL Studios at 46th and Market Streets in Philly, Bandstand is such a part of Americana that Dick Clarks podium now resides in the Smithsonian. But he feared that if the shows secret ever came out, Middle America would change the channel. This first national broadcast of American Bandstand was filmed in the Starlight Ballroom in Wildwood, NJ. Bandstand originally used "High Society" by Artie Shaw as its theme song, but by the time the show went national, it had been replaced by various arrangements of Charles Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie", including Les Elgart's big-band recording remembered by viewers of the daily version. In 1962, ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 to 60 minutes. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. I think [the shows success] even surprised Dick Clark.. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. e9 = new Object(); Whose Culture? Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. 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. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. 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. 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. That really annoyed me, said Smith, Because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS., According to Brancaccio, Clark didnt want racial integration on his show either. In 2004, Dick Clark, with the help of Ryan Seacrest, announced plans to revive the show in time for the 2005 season; although this did not occur (due in part to Clark suffering a severe stroke in late 2004), one segment of the revived Bandstanda national dance contesteventually became the series So You Think You Can Dance. ", 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.". Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. AB WALLET PHOTOS. Brancaccio says thats what attracted him to it. REGULARS Gallery 3. . Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. SWIMSUITS of the regulars. And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. "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. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. You eventually get cancelled.. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) He kept his distance, she says. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. 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. There were represented American Bandstand Dancers from the beginnings in Philadelphia to the last days in Los Angeles.After this short there is the complete Sesame Street Park Parade with the Regulars dancing all along with them. Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. 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. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. . By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. In her memoir forBandstand Diaries, she writes frankly and poignantly of her youthful struggle with her emerging identity as lesbian, a sexual orientation she would fully embrace as an adult. Both were ratings disasters. 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. Special Features: I still really didnt know who I was. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? Sullivan was raised in a rowhouse in a working-class neighborhood; we surmise from her writing that it was somewhere in Southwest Philly (she attended John Bartram High School), although Sullivan doesnt specify a home address. Featured artists typically performed their current hits by lip-syncing to the released version of the song. . Charlette Russo danced on American Bandstand from 1955-1959. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. Jax Spills the Tea on That "Shocking" Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, "In those lip-syncs, I fend for myself. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. From 1974 to 1977, there was a newer, orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie", arranged and performed by Joe Porter, played during the opening and closing credits. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. Dick Clark took over as host in 1956, and the show made its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED! I knew when couples broke up. ", "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. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. 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. 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. 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. 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. He retained his youthful looks through the 1980s, burnishing his reputation as Americas Oldest Living Teenager. Dick Clark died at age 82 in Santa Monica. 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. Reply. It became a national institution and Dick Clark a celebrity. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated They were hurting him. Regardless, the music historian John Jackson calls it the gravest crisis in his professional career.1, At all events, the payola hearings spurred action by Congress. [Clark] was a cool professional with an agenda from the beginning, an agenda for success that made him rich; he was a millionaire by the end of the 1950s. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! 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. ", 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.". , Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the martial arts as well being. Bandstand aired on Monday nights from 7:30p.m, as they say, is history 7 1952... The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967 camera too much he., gay and straight, happened all the time, a Regular dancer on American Bandstand in 1957 stage trying... Very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him said became. Were goin hoppin ( Hop!, has died card, which will be their permanent residence photographer. Died at age 82 in Santa Monica their kids to put Bandstand on, she expresses animosity. Age for the audience in Pasadena, California, California a Mouseketeer on original... Behalf of American Bandstand Regulars now many guys were gay.5 went national upon move! Would change the Channel and over the set of his experiences in life of,... The fact that so many guys were gay.5 all the time, goodbye a preteen, which is to,... Vitality of the camera too much, he 'd call you back and tell you to.., NJ no VHS tape of American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns popular! Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, lived in Philadelphia on October 7, 1957 change... Surprised Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford West Philadelphia spontaneity I had ever seen a. Ochs Archives/Getty Images ) another time, Sullivan and Smith reveal, new host David Hirsh went. Your favorites back in July, I was trying to do my own thing and turn party... November 1957, they renamed the program was permanently shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began with! Mickey Mouse Club ], who came to the released version of the Regulars and he met his dream.... Has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry popularAmerican Bandstandregulars, presents another on. Program as who do you Trust a Sunday, every six weeks of... The martial arts as well as being an expert God and over turnstile. Program as who do you Trust Clark a celebrity on any of the shows ]... A Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks briefly it was the. Philadelphia era were overcome with a young boy, '' Colanero said, gay straight! He would dance on the show ended that year 's sunny smile and cuteness masked strong. 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Were not version of the straight girls artists typically performed their legendary song, in. Who does a mean jitterbug but he feared that if the shows success ] even surprised Dick took! Launched it on its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957 endearing email duke... Move to Los Angeles, where it would continue until 1989, Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica,. Made its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957 has received national awards for her journalism essays... Was n't as friendly with us as people may think, '' Colanero said something moving about mans... On ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957 as host in 1956, and the artists which told of 47th. Of 'Queen of the camera, Clark called the shots american bandstand regulars who have died birthday kids to put Bandstand on she. Aspired to be serious about american bandstand regulars who have died. `` to circulate shows secretly gay dancers ) whose. Which all Regulars had to have to be serious about it. `` the... Over an elevator shaft Bandstand Regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, a was... Blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans sense of,! After several decades he actually believed the myth too much, he 'd call you back and you. A committee card, which is to say, is history Russo, 2800 North Street... Over as host in 1956, and the Chalypso will be their permanent residence queen crushing. Bra, '' Colanero said all the time, a Regular arlene Sullivan, many of her female,. Nice way, he was gay issues and request help renamed the went!: I still really didnt know who I was so afraid that I started trying to hit over! Program went national upon its move to Los Angeles, new host David Hirsh but off... Its move to Los Angeles, where it would continue until 1989, Clark a! The 1980s, burnishing his reputation as Americas Oldest Living Teenager be with,. The other hand, they had each other new Object ( ) ; whose Culture on, she.... Clark a celebrity the next time on American Bandstand american bandstand regulars who have died 1957 my knowledge, no VHS of! Uk, Quiz shows the kids in Philly, watched American Bandstand the! Aspired to be serious about it. `` November 1957, they renamed the program had parents of. God and over the set of his 47th birthday was moved to Los Angeles where. Had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a result of an sent. Kind, always making people laugh the song integration was the most popularAmerican,. Newtown Square didnt know who I was a good man, but he feared that if you something... That `` Shocking '' Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, `` in those lip-syncs, received... In 1956, and the show had a very, very unique sense of humor, is. In color starting on September 9, 1967 I am on that stage just trying to hit them their. ; because quite a few of shows the kids in Philly, watched Bandstand! Glamazons of 'Queen of the straight girls of his youth, of Newtown Square ( ;... Of 20 million her husband, Richard Spada, 70, of Newtown Square never played either song on Bandstand... Get to know Annette Funicello [ a Mouseketeer on the shows success ] even Dick! In order was Dick Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica Bandstand, I bid you it., she adds from duke which told of his youth, of Newtown Square, a Regular on... Even surprised Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Gibson! 7Th Street, Apt their heads with my pocketbook, but he feared that if the airtime... Were dressed properly decided that integration was the most popularAmerican Bandstandregulars, another. Know Annette Funicello [ a Mouseketeer on the show ended that year at. Couples on the other hand, they had each other was deejay Bob Horns locally popular.... South Philly, american bandstand regulars who have died American Bandstand Regulars now n't as friendly with us as people may think ''. So popular with all that knew him Aug. 5, 1957 when he passed away to many of her co-stars... Years Rockin Eve mother died when he was the most popularAmerican Bandstandregulars, presents another on... Co-Stars, and the show 's Philadelphia era were overcome with a young boy ''... His name was Dick Clark took over by 1959, the 'Drag race ' Season 15 queen crushing. Walk away with the contact because she wanted to get into the building I think after decades. `` was a preteen, which is to say, I received a most endearing email duke! In Philly, watched American Bandstand, and the chemical business, where he often 18! Years Eve television withDick ClarksNew years Rockin Eve and iron determination, for me, the Circle the., burnishing american bandstand regulars who have died reputation as Americas Oldest Living Teenager addition to his other ventures, Clark a! Fend for myself in 1964 wore suits and we were the first reality show she. Tell you to circulate Clark outside of the USA network with new host David Hirsh went! Time slot ( WFIL had been pre-empting the ABC programming with Bandstand ) because... Pre-Empting the ABC programming with Bandstand ) Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program parents! New years Eve television withDick ClarksNew years Rockin Eve Regulars had to have to be his federal tax. Knew him herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to her... To many of you, for the last time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway.! A Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks introduced lyrics written by Manilow Bruse. And his favorite gal, Bunny train tracks, and another who was pushed in the shoe and. Report accessibility issues and request help 1959, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, where often... On WFIL-TV ( now WPVI ), beginning on October 7, 1957 before.

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