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. At age 30 in 1960, already a millionaire, Dick Clark, Americas only national deejay, stood at the center of the payola storm. 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. It got me out of my shell, but I learned I was a regular teenager who happened to dance on a show that unexpectedly became very popular. We moved around the floor the way our parents did in the 40s. Determined, Don got Bunnys number from one of the regulars and he met his dream girl. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED! 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. But 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 Buddy Deane Show aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964. [2] Freddy Cannon holds the record for most appearances, at 110. 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. In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED! Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. "He wasn't no Bob Horn," Fiorentino said. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. 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. American Bandstand aired five days a week in live national broadcast until 1963, when the show moved west to Los Angeles and began a 24-year run as a taped weekly program with Dick Clark as host . Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired after a drunk-driving arrest, as WFIL and dual owner Walter Annenberg's The Philadelphia Inquirer were then unsold game show pilots). 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. you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. . Teenagers dance on an episode of Dick Clark's television program, 'American Bandstand,' 1950s. As the music historian John Jackson observes, from the 1970s on American Bandstandno longer served as Clarks primary video outlet. For the next several decades, Clark would achieve high national visibility as a popular gameshow host and as the impresario of periodic primetimeAmerican Bandstandhit-song reunions (not to mention a spate of video cassettes and books) that fed on white Americas nostalgia forAmericanBandstandsdays in West Philadelphia, evoked in Barry Manilows Bandstand song with Manilows homage to The Philadelphia Way.. The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie",[7] which he originally recorded for his 1975 album Tryin' to Get the Feeling. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. 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]. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. Director Goran Stolevski talks assembling his gay indie's stellar soundtrack, from The Cardigans to Nelly Furtado and more. Set pieces from Soul Unlimited were utilized by Bandstand for its 19741978 set design. 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. The show was American Bandstand, and Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program had parents stamp of approval. Special Features: The dancers, as Teen wrote, were the "most famous unknowns on TV today. The only singer to ever co-host the show with Dick Clark was Donna Summer, who joined him to present a special episode dedicated to the release of the Casablanca film Thank God It's Friday on May 27, 1978. The Saturday show would run until 1960. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. 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. ", California residents do not sell my data request. I hope you've had a good half-hour. It was no secret. One market not telecasting Bandstand was Baltimore, Maryland, as local affiliate WAAM (now WJZ-TV) elected to produce a local dance show in the same afternoon time slot. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. [42], Bandstand "regulars" from the Philadelphia years, Move from ABC to syndication and the USA Network, AMERICAN BANDSTAND (1987 Closing Credits - ABC Finale), Laura Branigan - Shattered Glass & Interview - AB (1987). "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. 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. 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]. Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clarks first day as host: 7/9/1956 "It is with much sadness that we have lost one of the most loving and beautiful souls - Carole Scaldeferri Spada has passed away," Bunny Gibson, who identified herself as a "Bandstand buddy," posted on Facebook. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. I knew all their names. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. 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]. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. They were hurting him. We have lived in NJ ever since. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. In 1989, Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica Bandstand, and the show ended that year. 10/7/1957 9/5/1987 ABC 60 minutes , True love I am on that stage just trying to do my own thing and turn the party. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. 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. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory Clark joined Bandstand in 1956 and moved with the show to Hollywood in 1964. American Bandstand Regulars Interview Frank Spagnuola 280 subscribers Subscribe 746 Share 82K views 5 years ago This is the interview with Arlene, Kenny, Frank and Carole about their days on. Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. You want to know about the guy! When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. 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. 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News Shows 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. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. The short Snader and Official music films continued in the short term to fill gaps when dancers were changed during the showa necessity, because the studio could not fit more than 200 teenagers. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. These Regulars . 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. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. 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 was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. 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. 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. And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. They accepted me. Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. They also reported on the careers and whereabouts of many of the other regulars and several of the shows musical guests. 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. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. Once when Sullivan and Rossi visited another show regular in North Philadelphia, "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, she recalls. He fell in love with her. 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. Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. In the meantime, have a wonderful week or two. Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). We also surmise that her mother was an Italian immigrant (she refers to her Italian mom), and her father of Irish descent. . Like nostalgia? She was 36. 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. 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. He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . Very sadly, Bob passed away 2 . 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. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". at 3:30pm, then rejoin Bandstand at 4pm. Aura Mayari Just Wants to Live Her Zombie Apocalypse Fantasy. 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. Thankfully we've come a long way since those sad days. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Clark regularly asked teenagers their opinions of the songs being played, through the "Rate-a-Record" segment. It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show American Idol. 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. Charlette Russo danced on American Bandstand from 1955-1959. When he became a regular in 1959, Clark was only 30. We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. I think [the shows success] even surprised Dick Clark.. 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. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. There were occasional shows that were not hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.[6]. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. We only had three channels in those days. Id see these kids dancing and instinctively I knew I could fit in with them. Score: 4.4/5 (45 votes) . Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? The increase in competition hurt Bandstand and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. . 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. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . 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. My parents were always there for me. Prior to the move, Bandstand had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . Bandstand Diaries shares some public information and photos about Frani (page 84). I started going out to straight clubs.. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. She was now working at Neiman Marcus, and couldn't take off to join the Regulars and their fans at the Philadelphia American Bandstand studio. But . Dick Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as a non-performer. Numerous black and white performers who appeared on American Bandstand during its seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in this building. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. 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 says. ", 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.". 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. Reply. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. . In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. 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. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. Tony Mammarella was the original producer with Ed Yates as director. 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 Philadelphia way Were goin drop in (Drop!) 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. 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. 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. 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 . ", Jennifer Coolidge Screams, Is a Queen in Netflix's 'We Have a Ghost'. ", 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.". I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. And then they leave the show, go up on the El, go home to their neighborhoods, they then had to run to their door because somebody was always waiting there to beat them up.. 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. She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. running a series on drunken driving. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. Then it was hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horns Bandstand.On July 9 of 1956 the show got a new host, a clean-cut 26 year old named Dick Clark. She calls it her one night out.. 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. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing its first national show on August 5, 1957. The reality behind the scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television. EARLY BANDSTAND VIDEOS. . Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) 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. Dick Clark took over as host in 1956, and the show made its network debut on ABC-TV on Aug. 5, 1957. They were hurting him. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. One older brother survives Norman. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. 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