In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. On a sociological front, the show helped popularize rock and roll and make it acceptable to many adults (i.e., parents). 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 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. 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 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. 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? In its later years the show was challenged by the diversifying tastes of fragmented audiences. My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. Sharon Sultan Cutler, of Chicago, talks about "Bandstand Diaries," the book she co-authored with Ray Smith and former American Bandstand participant Arlene Sullivan remembering the shows early days. This is the interview with Arlene, Kenny, Frank and Carole about their days on American Bandstand and their experiences with the Golden Boys. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune). Don married Bunny. Unsure and fearful about her true sexual identity, Sullivan tried passing as straight. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. American Bandstand Dancer Dottie Horner died yesterday. 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. He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. //-->. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? 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 truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. Photo taken on October 27, 1981. I never had a crush on her. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. 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. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE Particularly during the show's prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. Despite changes over the years, the show continued to embody and represent evolutions in American music, fashion, dance, and other sociocultural norms. It was horrible.. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. After that, management at WFIL-TV/Channel 6 (46th & Market) in Philadelphia installed the clean-cut Dick Clark to take over the teen dance party show and renamed it "American Bandstand." It could happen, How Jimmy Stewart's war service affected 'It's a Wonderful Life', Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The Philadelphia way Were goin drop in (Drop!) Titled "The Rise of the Salesman" and written by Smith, it captures the wildly successful and influential career of Clark from "American Bandstand" host to media mogul: "Dick Clark may not have known much about music, but he knew how to cultivate it, spread it, and make it work for the masses.". 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. But . She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. He was a brilliant man. 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. 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. She told me she got so many letters from fans who thought I looked like her and [with our dark hair], we did look alike. Still, American Bandstands Philadelphia years are recalled with particularly impassioned nostalgia. My mother thought I was nuts. 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. 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. Yes, yes, I know. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two-and-a-half-hour show was broadcast regionally on WFIL-TV Channel 6. EARLY BANDSTAND FASHIONS. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! Read the review. As the books highlight, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan provided two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs. 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. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. . For More Bunny click here to go to Bunny Gibson.com, Bunny Gibson discusses the 50th celebration of American Bandstand. Music by Charles Albertine How to Be a SuperAger in The SuperAging Revolution, Jumble for Kids and Adults: Cartoons and Twins. But Sullivan, who lives in New Jersey, did trust her, agreed to collaborate on the book and paved the way to meet and interview dozens of other regulars who once were dancing kids. H.E. 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.. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. The program moved production in 1964 from Philadelphia to Hollywood, months after it began airing once per week. California residents do not sell my data request. 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). He would dance on the show until early 1960. After working in insurance in Philadelphia, and studying acting and dance, Ray moved to New York City . Variety Shows . First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). The guy who had been in charge of the show before he took over was the subject of a scandal a DUI, I think so Clark wanted to be the clean-cut guy, and he was. 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 History of American Bandstand. Dick Clark became host of the locally-produced Bandstand in 1956, just before the show was renamed American Bandstand, shortened to ninety minutes, and expanded to a national ABC audience on August 5, 1957. At age 30 in 1960, already a millionaire, Dick Clark, Americas only national deejay, stood at the center of the payola storm. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. In 2019, a trio of formerAmerican Bandstandregulars assembled a book on their experiences on the popular show. I do hope you continuing writing about the bandstanders. Elmhurst Blotter: Man charged with battery for allegedly punching a security guard at a bar, Hinsdale police blotter: multiple thefts reported by patients at Hinsdale Hospital, Glenview police blotter: Harwood Heights woman charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. He spoke of his youth, of Bandstand and his favorite gal, Bunny. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. 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. As she puts it, being a Regular entailed holding a WFIL-TV Bandstand Club membership card and dancing every day on the show. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. I will be working on a mult-pictorial page for Bob. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. When he became a regular in 1959, Clark was only 30. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. Lowell. She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello. 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 . ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. "After that, it was history.". Self - Interview 1 episode, 1965 . Delmont, Matthew. 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 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. [7] The Diary of Arlene Sullivan, in Sullivan, Smith, and Cutler,Bandstand Diaries, 43-63. Many subsequently became celebrities (albeit temporarily), appearing in other media, receiving fan mail, and starting fashion trends. 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 REGULARS Gallery 3. . They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. (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. Sullivans last appearance onAmerican Bandstandwas in 1960.7, In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivans generation onAmerican Bandstandsdance floor. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. 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. One chapter in the book, "Tributes to the Regulars," features short sketches of some of those dancers who have died. 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. At least three factors are important to note regarding the last three years ofAmerican Bandstandin West Philadelphia: the 1960 payola scandal, the reality behind the shows happy faces, and developments in the pop music industry that affected the show and compelled its relocation in 1964 to Los Angeles in a reduced version. They were hurting him. I met Joyce and Norman at the Steel Pier one summer and found them both to be so nice. "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. I did notice the studio was not as full, allowing the Regulars much more camera time. The followed the trend of solo ("open") dancing started by Chubby Checker and "The Twist.". Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. 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. 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. Fifty years later, Bandstand fan Sharon Sultan Cutler wondered what had become of the "Regulars," the name given to the teens that showed up daily to dance. In 1989, Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica Bandstand, and the show ended that year. But this one was different. He fell in love with her. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. 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. Who died from American Bandstand? Sullivan and the other dancers often congregated in Rittenhouse Square, the historic epicenter of what is known as the City of Brotherly Loves Gayborhood. There even was chatter and fear that Clark, who died at 82 in 2012, sent members of his production staff to spy on them and report back the names of the suspected gay regulars. 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. A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. But he feared that if the shows secret ever came out, Middle America would change the channel. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. It was like a high school reunion and some people even had tears in their eyes. . Once a week, she goes to a hop thrown by another Bandstand original, 76-year-old Philadelphia radio and TV personality Jerry Blavat, who bills himself as The Geator with the Heater and The Boss with the Hot Sauce.. . Don Travarelli, from South Philly, watched American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Bunny Gibson dancing. Read the review. I purchased this from Historic Photos. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. 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. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! I started going out to straight clubs.. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. 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. Fifty years later, Bandstand fan Sharon Sultan Cutler wondered what had become of the Regulars, the name given to the teens that showed up daily to dance. NEW PAGE! ", California residents do not sell my data request. For instance, the shows producers allegedly practiced discriminatory policies that excluded or limited appearances by African American teen dancers, presumably to appease advertisers. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. It originally aired as simply "Bandstand" in 1952, shot at WFIL-TV's studios in Philadelphia and airing locally. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, 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. "We all did. 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. In fact, it was dangerous. Special Features: She calls it her one night out.. 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. West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Jersey you learned the different styles of the same dances., The Regulars did the Pony, Jitterbug, Calypso, Cha-cha and a slow dance that she says wasnt exactly a waltz: The kids didnt stand in one spot. 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. The show also incorporated appearances by acts like Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and Connie Francis, who would lip-sync performances. 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. Clark, known as Americas oldest teenager, knew. "It was in the original TV studio and it was amazing," says Cutler. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. Menu. Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Sharon Sultan Cutler, of Chicago, talks about "Bandstand Diaries," the book she co-authored with Ray Smith and former American Bandstand participant Arlene Sullivan remembering the shows early days. Race and American Bandstand, The Seven-Year Itch: West Philly Loses American Bandstand, Report accessibility issues and request help. Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. 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. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. 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. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. . Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. 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. Thanks for contacting us. Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. They married during her Thanksgiving vacation from Northeast High School. The two sides were "Drive in Movie " and "Dream Girl." Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. 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.

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