At the height of its popularity, it was watched daily by 20 million people (by contrast, "Dancing With the Stars" drew 13 million viewers weekly last season), with an estimated half of them adults; its teenage dancers got as many as 45,000 fan letters a week. Id see these kids dancing and instinctively I knew I could fit in with them. Unsure and fearful about her true sexual identity, Sullivan tried passing as straight. 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. I never had a crush on her. I purchased this from Historic Photos. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. When he became a regular in 1959, Clark was only 30. Delmont, Matthew F. The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock n Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. We only had three channels in those days. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . 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.. There are savings on everyday items you already buy, and savings on the things youve been waiting for a sale on to spoil your pet with. The History of "American Bandstand" - LiveAbout Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. You want to know about the guy! It was horrible.. 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. As Sullivan puts it: The boys danced. While occasionally black teens were allowed into the studio, they were generally boys. My mother thought I was nuts. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. A case in point is Arlene Sullivan, a popular Regular who has described her own emerging lesbian sexual orientation, which she says was masked by her dance partnerships with boys. Covering Auction Houses who specialize in Buying and Selling Antiques & Collectibiles from A-Z, Art-Rare Books-Comics-Coins-Records-Postcards-Autographs-Jewelery-Watches-Guns- Glass-Pottery- Toys-Dolls-Cookie jars-Decoys-Fenton glass- . I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. 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. LGBT identities were hidden on the shows dancefloor. , Puppy love I never had a crush on her. 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. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. Mickey Mouse Club About Us - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where 8 Surprising Facts About The Legendary Dance Show American Bandstand Rare photo above is a 1959 Press photo of Pat when she was writing for Teen Magazine. The first book party was in November in where else? 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. 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. . 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. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated I met Joyce and Norman at the Steel Pier one summer and found them both to be so nice. He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. 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. Ripley W.va, Great article Larry love your antiques blog . American Bandstand Day: Dick Clark receives a proclamation designating Market Street as Bandstand Boulevard. This site does not collect any information from you. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. The two sides were "Drive in Movie " and "Dream Girl." Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. Millions of kids from Brooklyn to Beverly Hills ran home from school every weekday to watch them dance, imitate their styles and fantasize about their lives. When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. It was no secret. . Clark and producer Tony Mammorella (1924-1977) dubbed this group The Committee, led from 1954 to 1956 by future DJ Jerry Blavat (1940-2023). Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. Sharon Sultan Cutler, who grew up in New York and now lives in Chicago, is co-author of Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963.. PAT MOLITTIERI GALLERY IN LOVING MEMORY OF PAT MOLITTIERI - passed away at much too young an age Pat kissing her mother You can see her with her Dad in the thumbnail gallery. The American Bandstand Regulars Say. - YouTube I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. 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. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. There is another chapter about Clark. The program moved production in 1964 from Philadelphia to Hollywood, months after it began airing once per week. The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. Sharon Sultan Cutler, who grew up in New York and now lives in Chicago, is co-author of Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune). . They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. Variety Shows putting buyers and sellers in touch with auction houses who have set worlds record.contact auctionmarketnews@yahoo.com with your Auction dates,want lists ,prices realized. Another component of the show was its Rate-a-Record segmentwhere people evaluated a record on a scale of 35 to 98which originated the saying, Its got a good beat and you can dance to it. For this eras music industry, American Bandstand was arguably the most significant television venue in the country. Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. 28 talking about this. But . 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. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. American Bandstand only allowed dancers from 14 to 18. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. The rest is American Bandstand history. She would learn their names but, like all of us and them, she would mature, and those images on the screen and her affection for "those kids" would fade. Reading the book, one easily grasps or is reminded what an impactful cultural phenomenon "American Bandstand" was for a couple of generations of TV-watching kids. The marker stands opposite 4548 Market Street (not shown here), which once housed WFIL-TVand its Studio B, the original home of American Bandstand. Clark felt such conventions helped boost the perception of rock-and-roll, which in the 1950s was a controversial genre often disliked by older generations. "But more than worth it.". I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. SURPRISING DICK CLARK ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW! | American Bandstand The 1960 amendments to the 1934 Federal Communications Act put heavy constraints on payola, requiring full public disclosure when a record company or its agent pays a broadcaster to play records on the air. The 1960 amendments criminalized any action that breached the disclosure rule. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. [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. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. He fell in love with her. California residents do not sell my data request. In July 1956, Dick Clark, a commercial pitchman and deejay with an unsullied reputation, inherited WFIL-TV's Bandstand from scandal-tainted Bob Horn and revamped it for a national audience of teenage consumers as ABC's American Bandstand, which first aired in August 1957.Clark's daily afternoon program pioneered in musical television by showcasing a range of black and white pop music . 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. Marietta. Of course we didn't realize it at the time but these kids were really the first reality stars.". It's handled with sensitive delicacy. About Us; Services; Gallery; Contact Us Facebook 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. Amanda McClain is Assistant Professor of Communications at Holy Family University. "It was in the original TV studio and it was amazing," says Cutler. They were on the cover of "Dick Clark's American Bandstand " and have done many Documentaries R.I.P. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. American Bandstand Dancers - Legacy.com Like nostalgia? This included dances the Bop, the Twist, the Jitterbug, and the Stroll. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. London: Omnibus Press, 2006. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. Classic TV Shows - Dick Clark's American Bandstand| FiftiesWeb [2] Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Paylola and Sponsorship Identification, Federal Communications Act, Amendments, 1960. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! 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. To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. EARLY BANDSTAND VIDEOS. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. Five-foot-two, brown-eyed, brown-haired Arlene and handsome Kenny, a year younger, were among the TV music shows elite, its stars, the vaunted regulars along with another couple often on camera pert, blond Justine Carrelli and suave Bob Clayton. The Slop. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. . [6] Jackson,American Bandstand, 71; Jacksons description of Arlene Sullivan. In order to help establish a clean-cut image for the show, guys were required to wear ties with suit jackets or sweaters, while girls dressed in good taste, for example a high-cut blouse with a dress or skirt. 18 talking about this. This American Bandstand tribute book celebrates Dick Clark and the Regulars with 700 Photos. I went to Bandstand because I was gay and I was a misfit in my neighborhood. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. H.E. 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 We were like sisters. Clark, known as Americas oldest teenager, knew. 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. Bob's bio in Bandstand Diaries was very candid. He discussed his brief stay in Hollywood trying to become an actor after he and Justine Carrelli cut a 45 rpm record together. But this one was different. Sadly we also lost: American Bandstand Regulars Interview - YouTube ", A musical about the 'Miracle' Cubs? . Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie She never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. DICK CLARK AND AMERICAN BANDSTAND: THE EARLY DAYS Random Thoughts OnAmerican Bandstandsdance floor, Sullivan was first partnered famously with Kenny Rossi (1957-58), a multitalented Italian-American student at West Catholic Boys High School, and such was her national popularity that her fan mail eventually totaled some 500 letters weekly. https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20%27n%27%20Rock%20West%20Coast%20.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20historical%20marker%20%281%20of%201%29.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/National%20Register%20of%20Historic%20Places.JPG, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20Regulars%20Marker.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20and%20Roll%20Hall%20of%20Fame.jpg, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, American Bandstand: West Philadelphia's Seven-Year Wonder 1957-1964, American Bandstand, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Starting Local: WFIL-TV, Bob Horn, and Philadelphia's Bandstand, Going National: Dick Clark and ABC's American Bandstand, Whose Music, Whose Dances? But . With his death, she said, it is "important that Dick is honored for what he did for rock-and-roll and for the impact he had on all the lives of his dancers from Philly to L.A.", Clark, Gibson said, led "the first teenage revolution, and we were part of it. 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. Dottie 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. They also reported on the careers and whereabouts of many of the other regulars and several of the shows musical guests. 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. 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. These experienced Regulars considered an infrequent participant or a first time visitor an amateur. I wonder what they would have thought about a kid in TV Land, practicing the new steps in front of her bedroom mirror and praying to God her little brother didnt catch her at it. Several teens belonged to a select group of taste-making gatekeepers who helped monitor dress code and admission. That was an emotional moment for both of us.". On each broadcast day the line of teens hoping to appear on the show snaked around the block; some were granted entry and others denied. As the books highlight, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan provided two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs. . 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. A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. "After that, it was history.". One older brother survives Norman. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. ". (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.