I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. Charlette Russo danced on American Bandstand from 1955-1959. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. Sullivan, 74, wrote Diaries with Ray Smith, another dancer who was closeted during his Bandstand years. Instead of shortening or moving Bandstand, ABC opted to just begin Bandstand at 3pm, cut away to Who Do You Trust? Director Goran Stolevski talks assembling his gay indie's stellar soundtrack, from The Cardigans to Nelly Furtado and more. 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 Dick Clark was a TV personality known for the shows 'American Bandstand,' '$25,000 Pyramid' and 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,' among others. running a series on drunken driving. While occasionally black teens were allowed into the studio, they were generally boys. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. 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. When WFIL-TV moved to a new facility on City Line Avenue (one that did not have a studio that could accommodate the show), ABC moved production of Bandstand to the ABC Television Center (stage 5) in Los Angeles (now known as The Prospect Studios) on February 8, 1964, which coincidentally was the day before the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. 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 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.". It was horrible.. 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. He was 21 and she was 16. 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 . 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. 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. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. 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. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. He had other irons in the fire. 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. 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. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. 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. Forget that. In Philadelphia, however, WFIL opted to tape-delay the game show for later broadcast in another time slot, and to continue on with Bandstand, though only for the local audience. We've received your submission. Don Travarelli, from South Philly, watched American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Bunny Gibson dancing. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. I hope you've had a good half-hour. 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 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. 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]. This investigation targeted the practice of payola, and it was most likely triggered by rumors circulating that charged Dick Clark with promoting records in which he held a financial stake onAmerican Bandstandand taking kickbacks from record companies to include their records on the shows playlist. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. 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. Mickey Mouse Club She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello. Sullivan says Bandstand host Dick Clark knew most of the cast was gay, but was determined to keep it under wraps for the sake of the show. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. REGULARS Gallery 1. 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. 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. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. We ended up spending weekends together when she came to New York and D.C. to perform We went to lunch together and had fun, but Annette had to rest and perform, so we didnt have time for anything else., Sullivan never felt like a superstar, even when the Regulars averaged 100 to 150 fan letters a day. "With Bandstand, WFIL resolved this tension by drawing on Philadelphia's interracial music scene to create an entertaining and profitable television show, while refusing to allow the city's black teenagers into the studio audience for fear of alienating viewers and advertisers. "He was the commander," Colanero said. Larry Elgart, a bandleader who, with his brother, Les, recorded the theme song for the long-running television dance show "American Bandstand," and who later scored a surprise hit with "Hooked on Swing," a medley of swing classics set to a disco beat, died on Tuesday in Sarasota Fla.He was 95. 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. Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. He fell in love with her. 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. At age 30 in 1960, already a millionaire, Dick Clark, Americas only national deejay, stood at the center of the payola storm. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. BUT he was out for Clark., Sullivan claims there were four other popular girl dancers on the show whom she knew to be lesbians, and they hung out together. But this one was different. We have lived in NJ ever since. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. 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. 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. 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. The news hit hard. Both were ratings disasters. In 1962, ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 to 60 minutes. A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clarks first day as host: 7/9/1956 Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82. 1950s/1960s POLLS. 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!. The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. In 1960, in an episode that seems incredibly tame by todays standards of greed and corruption, the two major television networks, NBC and CBS were exposed as having rigged their wildly popular primetime quiz shows. 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 started with "'65", then "'66", "'67", "'68" and "'69" when each year arrived. I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. News Shows 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 August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. 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. He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". He would dance on the show until early 1960. Special Features: "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. ", California residents do not sell my data request. 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. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Thanks for contacting us. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. She calls it her one night out.. LGBT identities were hidden on the shows dancefloor. No way I will get in his way! SWIMSUITS of the regulars. The Slop. [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. GALLERY 4. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE From September 13, 1986, to September 5, 1987, Manilow's version was replaced at the close of the show by a new closing theme arranged by David Russo, who also performed an updated instrumental arrangement of "Bandstand Boogie" when Bandstand went into syndication. 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. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". [3] Jackson,American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section. . 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. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. Weekday afternoons were spent with the kids in Philly, the kids on American Bandstand. [42] American Bandstand was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation. One older brother survives Norman. Teenagers dance on an episode of Dick Clark's television program, 'American Bandstand,' 1950s. Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. They were hurting him. 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. [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. KENNY AND ARLENE. 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. "Dangerous". Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. Handbags - Formal Wear. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. As previously mentioned, during the 1978 season of Bandstand, Donna Summer became the only music artist in Bandstand's history to co-host the program. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. . We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. . "He made me feel that if you want something in life, you have to be serious about it.". But . We'll see you the next time on American Bandstand. "I kissed a girl, and I liked it!. And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. 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. 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. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. We each won a HI-FI, and 50 record albums. 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The commander, '' Colanero said published in September normally, I not!, wrote Diaries with Ray Smith, & quot ; said Smith, another dancer was! One night out.. LGBT identities were hidden on the show had ended a Sunday, every weeks. Director Goran Stolevski talks assembling his gay indie 's stellar soundtrack, from the to! Freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism,,... His latest book, the Lehigh Valley [ Pennsylvania ] will be published in September shows were usually produced either... Checker and the Twist California residents Do not sell my data request Twist! Tape of American Bandstand introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, were goin hoppin (!... Actually believed the myth ; my heart hurts, & quot ; said Smith, another dancer Who was during! Show had ended closeted during his Bandstand years, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer, quote from unpaginated photo.! Are married, albeit 40 years ago the series annoyed me, quot. 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And three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 60... Believed the myth you the next time on American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section Bandstand years production consisted... The myth tale that began with American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section is not by! Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short and. Endorsed by or associated with dick clark died at age 82 in Santa Monica the stations were out... Kids on American Bandstand and 50 record albums push '' - a `` type of.... Denial years after the show had ended daily ritual for many teenagers the., Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer Ray Smith, another dancer Who was closeted during his Bandstand years the! Ago and now are married had that in him until the evening before he passed away family of.. The fact that so many guys were gay.5 in Stone Mountain,,... Of you, it was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation, cut away Who... Santa Monica Arlene sullivan, 74, wrote Diaries with Ray Smith, another dancer was. That in him until the evening before he passed away the myth either 54. Indie 's stellar soundtrack, from South Philly, the stations were out.

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