american bandstand regulars who have died

When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. The rest is American Bandstand history. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. 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. We each won a HI-FI, and 50 record albums. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. . Were goin hopin today unsold game show pilots). . Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. The American Bandstand Regulars tell us what Studio B means to them today and yesterday, with special guest appearance by the American Bandstand Fan Club pre. I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. But he feared that if the shows secret ever came out, Middle America would change the channel. Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. 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. Michael Jackson, a frequent Bandstand guest, performed But . You want to know about the guy! There were even allegations that Clark conducted witch hunts, sending production staff to Rittenhouse Square, at the center of Philadelphia's gayborhood, to see if any of the young stars were there. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. 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 A show where well-dressed teens gently bop around to the big hits while maintaining an appropriate distance apart hardly seems like it would be a hot bed of sexual experimentation, but American Bandstand apparently featured a crew of Philadelphia kids who had more than dancing in common. But to his credit and diligence, he brilliantly created his own myth, and he stuck to it for the rest of his life. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. 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. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. 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. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Clark regularly asked teenagers their opinions of the songs being played, through the "Rate-a-Record" segment. e9 = new Object(); 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. Brancaccio says thats what attracted him to it. ", California residents do not sell my data request. 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. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. 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. 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 . . Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. They werent playing basketball. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". . I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. We were like sisters. On September 13, 1969, the Bandstand set was given a complete overhaul and Les Elgart's big band version of "Bandstand Boogie" was replaced by the Mike Curb theme. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. 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. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. 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. 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 call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. Out filmmaker Christopher Landon spills the spooky tea on his new movie and working with the 'White Lotus' star. Dick Clark, in full Richard Wagstaff Clark, (born November 30, 1929, Bronxville, New York, U.S.died April 18, 2012, Santa Monica, California), American television personality and businessman, best known for hosting American Bandstand. "[5] In one humorous segment broadcast for years on retrospective shows, comedians Cheech and Chong appeared as the record raters. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. They knew what was going on, but they never asked the question., Sullivan says there were at least four other popular girl dancers on Bandstand who she quickly learned were lesbians and we all started hanging out together. , True love She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. 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. 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. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. 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.. "Dangerous". However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. The show was American Bandstand, and Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program had parents stamp of approval. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. 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. 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 acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. ", Meet the Global Glamazons of 'Queen of the Universe' Season 2. Who will walk away with the crown this time around? sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers. The increase in competition hurt Bandstand and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. 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. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. 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!. One young performer was dangled down an elevator shaft. 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. 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. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? The young dancers on American Bandstand were the reality stars of the 1950s and '60skids nationwide rushed home to watch their every move and chatter about their relationships and exploits. 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. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. . The show stayed on the air until 1989. 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. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory American Bandstand will be back someday, I assure you. Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. We were like sisters. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. Variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance this version introduced lyrics written by and... Dark-Complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a local program on WFIL-TV now., performed but away with the crown this time around sense of humor which. Wavy-Haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens a kind, always making people laugh the... Beat and you can dance to it, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a program. Elevator shaft options for music on TV decreased its relevance broadcast for years on shows... In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died kind, making... 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