Local radio disc jockey Buddy Deane was chosen as the host of The Buddy Deane Show on Channel 13, and began a daily two hour broadcast on September 9, 1957. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. Dick Clark was a TV personality known for the shows 'American Bandstand,' '$25,000 Pyramid' and 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,' among others. Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. We were like sisters. .When he spoke to us off-screen, it was usually from the podium; it gave him command over his domain, and as I have learned over the years, Clark liked and wanted to be in command.4, Smith recalls the closetingof American BandstandsLGBT youths. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Spice on Her Favorite 'Drag Race' Season 15 Moment and Her Sweet Reunion With Sugar, "I did win the hearts of these girls somehow and the love was just so felt. This started with "'65", then "'66", "'67", "'68" and "'69" when each year arrived. 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. How a Beloved Tori Amos B-Side Transformed 'Of An Age'. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. 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. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. Horn, however, was disenchanted with the program, and wanted to change the show to a dance program with teenagers dancing along on camera as records played, based on an idea that came from a radio show on WPEN, The 950 Club, hosted by Joe Grady and Ed Hurst. Well, it's our last show here on Bandstand and I really want to thank the viewers who have kept American Bandstand on the air all these years. KENNY AND ARLENE. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. We moved around the floor the way our parents did in the 40s. He would dance on the show until early 1960. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". "Dick Clark introduced records, and the camera followed teenagers as they selected partners to dance," writes historian Matthew Delmont. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. He debuted in Studio 3B at WFIL-TV, near the El train stop in West Philadelphia, in 1956 when he was a 13-year-old junior high school student. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. 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 . ", Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the Universe' Season 2. Who will walk away with the crown this time around? Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. Forget that. Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. 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. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. Bandstand Diaries shares some public information and photos about Frani (page 84). Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. 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. We only had three channels in those days. 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. Thankfully we've come a long way since those sad days. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. I kissed a girl, and I liked it! Sullivan, now 74 and long out of the closet, reveals in a fascinating self-published book, Bandstand Diaries billed as The Book Youve Waited Over 50 Years to Read!. She was 13 but lied about her age. I still really didnt know who I was. While occasionally black teens were allowed into the studio, they were generally boys. . Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. REGULARS Gallery 1. In fact, it was dangerous. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. It was no secret. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. 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. "[5] In one humorous segment broadcast for years on retrospective shows, comedians Cheech and Chong appeared as the record raters. After dispelling rumors of his death, which circulated on social media on Thursday, Blavat's representative confirmed in a Facebook post on Friday morning that he had died at 3:45 a.m. at. Like nostalgia? He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. One young performer was dangled down an elevator shaft. American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21, 1997 as recorded by OnlineTV.com and Rick Siegel.The Regulars were there to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of American Bandstand and the parties were relentless as were the memories. 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. On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. My mother thought I was nuts. Mickey Mouse Club Clark was a disc jockey at the student-run radio station at Syracuse University (1951), and he worked at radio and television stations in Syracuse and Utica . Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. Clark claimed that the affiliates got greedy and took the time back to put their own material on where they got 100 percent of the revenue. They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. The combined impact of Bandstand's move to California and the Beatles' arrival devastated Cameo-Parkway and inflicted permanent damage to the artists signed to the label.[9]. 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. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. The followed the trend of solo (open) dancing started by Chubby Checker and The Twist. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, The Pony and The Monkey; others were named for motions, for example, The Mashed Potato and The Loco-Motion. Two of the biggest record hits of the early 1960s, both of which received a huge boost from airtime onAmerican Bandstand, were Dee Dee Sharps Mashed Potato Time and Freddy Cannons Palisades Park.8, YetAmerican Bandstandsseven-year stint in West Philadelphia was about to end. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967. I started going out to straight clubs.. REGULARS Gallery 3. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Sullivan was most frequently paired with a boy named Kenny Rossi, who was straight, but still subject to attacks for appearing on the show: One time, Kenny and I went to visit one of the other regulars up in North Philadelphia, and we were leaving her apartment and were headed to the El, and I heard car doors slamming, and I looked back, and all these guys were coming up the steps, and they started beating up on Kenny, Sullivan says. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. Dick Clark took over as host in 1956, and the show made its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957. [4] Ray Smith, Dancing on Air, in Arlene Sullivan, Ray Smith, and Sharon Sultan Cutler, eds.,Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963(Chicago: Cony Island Press, 2019), 35. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. . Reply. ", 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.". (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. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. He had other irons in the fire. Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. Like the white homeowners associations' concerns about property values, WFIL's version of defensive localism built on a belief that integration would hurt the station's investment in Bandstand. Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. 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. They also reported on the careers and whereabouts of many of the other regulars and several of the shows musical guests. These Regulars . I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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. My parents were always there for me. The new legislation effectively ended payola in the music business.2, American Bandstandtoo weathered the payola storm. M Marsha Early American Bandstand Wallet type photos of Dancers/Regulars Sisters Mary Rosalie Susan 50s Susan Beltrante (on left) and Mary Beltrante on the right. 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. . History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. 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. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. //-->. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. This development created a sometimes heated rivalry between Dick Clark and Buddy Deane, when performers who appeared first on Deane's program were refused booking on American Bandstand. Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clarks first day as host: 7/9/1956 Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. The previous theme was retained as bumper music. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! Norman and I met in January 1959 while standing outside of the studio waiting to get inside. 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 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. I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. They wrote. Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. They wrote thousands of letters. As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. 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. I tried my best to fill your shoes and I hope I have lived up to what you were expecting of me. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. 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.. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. At first, not knowing how to enter the show, she walked to the door the actors and singers used and announced to Bob the Cop, "I came here to dance." After Bandstand, Charlette became an accountant and was a business manager. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. Kelly said he avoided Rittenhouse Square, knowing if he were seen there, theyd be banished, but it was an open secret that most of the boys on the show were gay. Financially and the show made its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5 1957! ( page 84 ) Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club ], who came to the Fifties.... This time around began as a result of an email sent to the show he would dance the! Became less important, Stewart was n't needed and was eventually dropped the! N'T needed and was eventually dropped from the program the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at office. Quite a few of Clark gave her a committee card, which all REGULARS had to have get. And photos about Frani ( page 84 ) [ 5 ] in one humorous broadcast... 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