american bandstand regulars who have died american bandstand regulars who have died

The followed the trend of solo ("open") dancing started by Chubby Checker and "The Twist.". We only had three channels in those days. Rock, Roll and Remember. . New York: Popular Library, 1976. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. By then, he was a big-time television producer. In 1960, he attended Penn State as an English major. We elevated them into celebrities. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. KENNY AND ARLENE. 10/7/1957 9/5/1987 ABC 60 minutes They wrote thousands of letters. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963 Although the Regulars didnt perform in the South, Sullivans memory of a personal visit to Fort Worth, Texas, stuck with her: My friend Barbara [a fellow Regular] and I were visiting Barbaras friend there. 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. Throughout the rest of the 1950s, "American Bandstand" featured a number of famous acts including the debut of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (November 22, 1957), Jerry Lee Lewis (March 18, 1958), and Dion and the Belmonts (August 7, 1958). And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. The first book party was in November in where else? [3] Jackson,American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section. 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. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. 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. It's handled with sensitive delicacy. I knew when couples broke up. Read the review. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". He fell in love with her. Over the decades, American Bandstands location, air days, duration, and content changed. 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. These Regulars went on to receive mail, have fan clubs, feature magazine articles and dancer contests just like the previous groups. 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. during those wonderful days. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. [1] John A. Jackson,American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), chaps. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. 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.. Remember hurrying from school in the 50's and turning on that old black and white tv at 4'oclock to watch all those kids dance on "American Bandstand" live from Philadelphia, The show first began as a local program in the cramped quarters of Studio B at WFIL Tv channel 6 at 46th and Market streets in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. The Slop. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. The show epitomized many important aspects of ever-evolving American popular culture: mass communication, popular music, youth culture, dance and fashion trends, as well as race and gender relationships. But about four years ago, after a lifetime filled with journalistic and entrepreneurial achievements, Cutler began to wonder what had happened to all those kids, those celebrities of her youth, and she went about the business of trying to find them. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) They wrote. . Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. Reply. It was horrible.. 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. Steve Colanero, 66, a West Philadelphia transplant in Palm Beach, Fla., posted on Facebook a picture from the 1980s of himself with Clark. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. He died on 5 August 2021 at his home in Sydney. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. "After that, it was history.". His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This American Bandstand tribute book celebrates Dick Clark and the Regulars with 700 Photos. 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. One chapter in the book, "Tributes to the Regulars," features short sketches of some of those dancers who have died. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. Barbara finally came back and said I had to come to the front because the back was only for colored people. American Bandstand Dancer Dottie Horner died yesterday. May, 1961. I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. The show then aired at 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, corresponding with the typical school days end. ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they copied their fashions, fads and dance moves. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing its first national show on August 5, 1957. 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.. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. London: Omnibus Press, 2006. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. American Bandstand - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia Brian Henderson The Executives Bill & Boyd And more than 250 fans too, a number of them quite young, who had just heard of the show and were curious. Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. 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. The Secret Gay Lives Of The "American Bandstand" Dancers She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. Photo taken on October 27, 1981. He kept his distance, she says. I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. SaturdayBandstandretained the proven format of the now defunct weekday show, but it sustained a crucial loss of spontaneity as a result of being taped instead of shown live. Follow Backgrounders on Twitter The Hand Jive. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. 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. . Music by Charles Albertine . They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. This included dances the Bop, the Twist, the Jitterbug, and the Stroll. "It was in the original TV studio and it was amazing," says Cutler. "We all did. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. 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. He said, 'In all my days, I never thought I would ever meet you, and here you are standing right in front of me.' Several teens belonged to a select group of taste-making gatekeepers who helped monitor dress code and admission. . He danced on the show until Christmas 1959. ", California residents do not sell my data request. 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. I do hope you continuing writing about the bandstanders. //-->. He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. Dick Clark (1929-2012) replaced Horn as host 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. The show also incorporated appearances by acts like Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and Connie Francis, who would lip-sync performances. Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) - IMDb Ohio. EARLY BANDSTAND FASHIONS. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." I met Joyce and Norman at the Steel Pier one summer and found them both to be so nice. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 - Facebook 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. TV Ratings - US & UK, Quiz Shows 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. Huge DiscountsThere 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. 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. Self - Interview 1 episode, 1965 . Broadcast icon Dick Clark, the longtime host of the influential "American Bandstand," has died, publicist Paul Shefrin said. 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.. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. Goes from a daily to a weekly Saturday show in Philadelphia: 9/7/1963, Broadcast from Los Angeles: Begins 2/8/1964, Produced by Anthony Tony Mammarella and Dick Clark, Dick Clark Host From its earliest days, the show featured young people dancing to a rock-and-roll soundtrack or other popular genres of the day. REGULARS Gallery 2. 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. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy, TheEncyclopedia 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. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". Clark suffered a heart attack while at St. John's. The History of American Bandstand. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. . Read the review. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. I started going out to straight clubs.. What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two . 18 talking about this. After working in insurance in Philadelphia, and studying acting and dance, Ray moved to New York City . 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. He held nothing back. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. 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. American Bandstand Regulars Interview - YouTube Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. About Us; Services; Gallery; Contact Us Facebook I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. 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. First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). When she heard the news of Clark's death Wednesday, Gibson immediately headed to Hollywood to be with other former Bandstand regulars at Clark's star on the Walk of Fame. We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. JUSTINE AND BOB. Happy tears. I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. John Lithgow filmed a mockumentary episode before it was c Dad of crying infant that triggered Texas massacre 'never thought' gunman would shoot, It's not just soda: Nutritionists weigh in on the absolute worst drinks for your health, I'm a dentist you're ruining your teeth with these 4 common mistakes, Gayle King says she doesnt have a desire to retire: I want more work, WNBA star Brittney Griner is heading to the Met Gala, Mariah Carey celebrates Moroccan and Monroes 12th birthday: My babies, Elon Musk Tells Bill Maher Woke Mind Virus Is Dangerous On Real Time, Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny. 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 February 2020, it was announced that Henderson had contracted kidney cancer and opted not to receive treatment. 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.. [Clark] was a cool professional with an agenda from the beginning, an agenda for success that made him rich; he was a millionaire by the end of the 1950s. Clark, Dick, and Richard Robinson. Despite changes over the years, the show continued to embody and represent evolutions in American music, fashion, dance, and other sociocultural norms. My mother thought I was nuts. 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. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. 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. Shore, Michael, with Dick Clark. The Philadelphia high school Regulars who danced on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in the late 1950s and early 1960s became national celebrities and America's first reality stars. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. 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. Sadly we also lost: It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. "For all those who knew her throughout her life and for those who watched her dance on American Bandstand, Carole was full of love and full of God. Known as the Regulars, they became the nation's first reality stars. Dick Clark, host of the influential "American Bandstand,' dies | CNN 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 . 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. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012. Talevski, Nick. We also surmise that her mother was an Italian immigrant (she refers to her Italian mom), and her father of Irish descent. My husband and I met on a blind date and six months later on April 12, 1964 we were married. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. For instance, the shows producers allegedly practiced discriminatory policies that excluded or limited appearances by African American teen dancers, presumably to appease advertisers. For More Bunny click here to go to Bunny Gibson.com, Bunny Gibson discusses the 50th celebration of American Bandstand. 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. They werent playing basketball. I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. Thanks for contacting us. Pat Molitteeri was credited with inventing the dance, "The Hop" by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop, Pat died in the mid -1970s of a heart attack at age 36, Carmen Jimenez still lives in Philadelphia today and recollects the fun she had being on the show. Although, unlike some others, Carole never really had a steady dancing partner, she danced with all the good-looking Italian boys and that one special non-Italian whom everyone loved - Harvey Robbins. 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. The news hit hard. The program moved production in 1964 from Philadelphia to Hollywood, months after it began airing once per week. H.E. He was 82. [2] Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Paylola and Sponsorship Identification, Federal Communications Act, Amendments, 1960. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. In fact, it was dangerous. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated Particularly during the shows prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. For a time, she dated a neighborhood boy, Danny Rapp, lead singer of Danny & the Juniors, who had the hit song At the Hop., I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight, Sullivan says. .When he spoke to us off-screen, it was usually from the podium; it gave him command over his domain, and as I have learned over the years, Clark liked and wanted to be in command.4, Smith recalls the closetingof American BandstandsLGBT youths. Of course we didn't realize it at the time but these kids were really the first reality stars.". 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. He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. But this one was different. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 Teresa Bowling. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. 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. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. 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- . A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 (2012): 89-113. These Regulars . They were hurting him. In their new self-published memoirs Bandstand Diaries, series regulars Arlene Sullivan, Ray Smith, and Sharon Sultan Cutler reveal that though fans loved to gossip and fantasize about the shows heterosexual pairings, many of their favorites were young gay men and women putting on a show for the cameras. 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. REGULARS Gallery 1. 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. Delmont, Matthew F. The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock n Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia. Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. The 50 record albums are packed away for safekeeping., Normans passing 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. Philadelphia. Really enjoyed reading your article Larry , I also grew up in the 50s watching American Bandstand, your article brought back so many memories of the good ole days growing up. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. I purchased this from Historic Photos. We followed their dance steps on TV and their personal lives in Teen magazines. He spoke of his youth, of Bandstand and his favorite gal, Bunny. 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. Clark now eyed California as where the action is. And in February 1964 Clark moved to Los Angeles, where it would continue until 1989, though lacking its West Philadelphia spontaneity. . 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. The dancers, as Teen wrote, were the "most famous unknowns on TV today. 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.