"I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. 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." REGULARS Gallery 2. 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. The show was American Bandstand, and Dick Clarks clean-cut style meant the program had parents stamp of approval. Pat Molittieri Gallery - Marsha'S Vintage . He will never forget one of his first days on Bandstand. 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 TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. 10/7/1957 9/5/1987 ABC 60 minutes I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. My husband and I met on a blind date and six months later on April 12, 1964 we were married. and they put a drinking cup in front of him and said, This is your cup, and youre the only one who will use this cup. One friend of mine was kicked out of the house.. 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. "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. Rachel Fuda and Dolores Catania Get Honest About What It Takes to Look Like a Housewife, JoJo Says Theres Definitely Parallels Between Her and, Mica Burton's Rebellion Against Her Dad, LeVar Burton, Was Being a 'Star Wars' Fan, 50% Off Pet Items for Amazon Pet Day - Starting Now, Rachel Fuda and Dolores Catania Get Honest About What It Takes to Look Like a 'Real Housewife'. Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? 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. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. Surprise: A Lot of the Teens On American Bandstand Were Gay - Jezebel Dancer - AB65 Regular 1 episode, 1964 Jocelyn Lane . 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. And then they leave the show, go up on the El, go home to their neighborhoods, they then had to run to their door because somebody was always waiting there to beat them up.. 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. She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. ), Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. I purchased this from Historic Photos. Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, Were goin hoppin (Hop!) AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. They wrote thousands of letters. "But more than worth it.". Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. 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. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. 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. Henderson remained the chief newsreader for Australia's Channel 9 until finally announcing his retirement in 2002. Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. The most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. Rock Obituaries: Knocking on Heavens Door. One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, she said. e9 = new Object(); 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. Her partner Frank Spagnuola and her won 1st place in dance Cha Lypso contest and 2nd place in Jitterbug Contest . And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. 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 Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. As music styles evolved, American Bandstand incorporated more emerging genres. Early in 1964, the show moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, where it remained through its final season in 1989. Most of those kids recruited from area high schools and compelled to "retire" from the show when they turned 18 are now in the 70s and their lives have had ups and downs. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. "He was the commander," Colanero said. "What ever happened to those dancers on American Bandstand By Larry Koon This American Bandstand tribute book celebrates Dick Clark and the Regulars with 700 Photos. Rare photo above is a 1959 Press photo of Pat when she was writing for Teen Magazine. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. 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? Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. One older brother survives Norman. The Hand Jive. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963 Barbara finally came back and said I had to come to the front because the back was only for colored people. To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. Unsure and fearful about her true sexual identity, Sullivan tried passing as straight. 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. This included dances the Bop, the Twist, the Jitterbug, and the Stroll. While occasionally black teens were allowed into the studio, they were generally boys. 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.. The news hit hard. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. She is a Marco Polo member of the Society of American Travel Writers, a past president of Virginia Professional Communicators and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. 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. . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) - IMDb He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. He was a brilliant man. 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. Fabian and Bobby Rydell Hang With American Bandstand Regulars By Rick SiegelFabian, the teenagers heart throb from the 50's, hob knobs along with the America. Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram, Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Philadelphia, the Place that Loves You Back, (Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. He said funeral services are pending. Handbags - Formal Wear. The rest is American Bandstand history. One chapter in the book, "Tributes to the Regulars," features short sketches of some of those dancers who have died. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. (Author information current at time of publication. JUSTINE AND BOB. He kept his distance, she says. 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. I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. That was an emotional moment for both of us.". First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). We were like sisters. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. On a sociological front, the show helped popularize rock and roll and make it acceptable to many adults (i.e., parents). Delmont, Matthew. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. American Bandstand Dancers - Legacy.com He said, 'In all my days, I never thought I would ever meet you, and here you are standing right in front of me.' I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. 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. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivan's generation on American Bandstand's dance floor. See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook . I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. Reply. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. "It is with much sadness that we have lost one of the most loving and beautiful souls - Carole Scaldeferri Spada has passed away," Bunny Gibson, who identified herself as a "Bandstand buddy," posted on Facebook. Unlike Smith, she expresses no animosity toward Clark. We only had three channels in those days. NEW PAGE! While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. Clark pulled him within two feet of the camera and told America, "Steve is our newest regular, and he's going to lead us off with a spotlight dance. Talevski, Nick. 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. Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. Dottie In its later years the show was challenged by the diversifying tastes of fragmented audiences. Such white Philadelphia-area teens (many from South Philadelphia or near the shows production site in West Philadelphia), among others, regularly appeared on American Bandstand. Forget that. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they copied their fashions, fads and dance moves. Being featured on the show all but guaranteed a spike in popularity; even before it moved to a national platform American Bandstand offered a remarkably large audience base for musicians, often generating national popular demand for a new group or single. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. The Regulars - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. The Secret Gay Lives Of The "American Bandstand" Dancers Teresa Bowling. 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 I started going out to straight clubs.. Delmont, Matthew F. The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock n Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia. As she puts it, being a Regular entailed holding a WFIL-TV Bandstand Club membership card and dancing every day on the show. 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. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! 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. Asked By : Francisco Allen Dick Clark, affectionately known as the "world's oldest teenager," has died. . I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. 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. For More Bunny click here to go to Bunny Gibson.com, Bunny Gibson discusses the 50th celebration of American Bandstand. Don married Bunny. 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. As the books highlight, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan provided two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs. 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. . I will be working on a mult-pictorial page for Bob. Like nostalgia? Jerry Lee Lewis was the first guest on the national show and it would over the decades feature the TV debuts of such stars as Prince, the Jackson 5, Aerosmith, Sonny and Cher and dozens of other performers. We have lived in NJ ever since. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. From its earliest days, the show featured young people dancing to a rock-and-roll soundtrack or other popular genres of the day. Via this network, which advertised itself as WFIL-adelphia, the show reached almost six million viewers in the Delaware Valley, the nations third-largest market at the time. 1 (2012): 89-113. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! But most have fond memories of their short time in the spotlight and of its lingering effect. 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. 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. She was 13 but lied about her age. We moved around the floor the way our parents did in the 40s. 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. Bob's bio in Bandstand Diaries was very candid. American Bandstand - Home - Facebook We were like sisters. 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. 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. Of course we didn't realize it at the time but these kids were really the first reality stars.". A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE "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. Throughout its run the show featured various types of popular music, such as rock-and-roll, R&B, Motown, British rock, psychedelic rock, disco, new wave, and more. Dick Clark, host of the influential "American Bandstand,' dies | CNN Where things are poppin'(Pop!) They also reported on the careers and whereabouts of many of the other regulars and several of the shows musical guests. 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. Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. Bob Clayton died November 6, 2016. 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. (Test Pattern). Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. He is a man of God and over the years has established both karate and prison ministeries. ", A musical about the 'Miracle' Cubs? 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..
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