american bandstand regulars who have died

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 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. 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. In 1964, he joined the National Guard and did basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Throughout its Philadelphia years, the show was so popular that it transformed average local-area teens into national celebrities. The program moved production in 1964 from Philadelphia to Hollywood, months after it began airing once per week. 1 (2012): 89-113. The History of American Bandstand. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. 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. He was 82, and had suffered a heart attack while in a Santa Monica hospital for an outpatient procedure. 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- . Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. ", In a Time.com obituary for Dick Clark, who died April 18, 2012, a reporter wrote: "Lou DeSera, Carmen Jimenez, Carole Scaldeferri, Rosemarie 'Little Roe' DiCristo: they may sound like characters on The Sopranos, but they were just ordinary kids, with extraordinary luck of being in Philadelphia at the moment the old town lit the fuse for the rock explosion.". 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 Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. "So many of the regulars who jitterbugged on the show way, way back were there. 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. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. They were hurting him. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. For instance, the shows producers allegedly practiced discriminatory policies that excluded or limited appearances by African American teen dancers, presumably to appease advertisers. Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. Fabian and Bobby Rydell Hang With American Bandstand Regulars - YouTube We have lived in NJ ever since. REGULARS Gallery 2. REGULARS Gallery 1. [3] Jackson,American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section. 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. His name was Dick Clark and in the next year the show was transformed from a local show to a syndicated. . He practiced dancing with his niece, Robin, but when he went down to the show, they wouldnt let him in because he was over the age of 18. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 They werent playing football. I knew when couples broke up. I met Joyce and Norman at the Steel Pier one summer and found them both to be so nice. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. . 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 screen would fill with black-and-white images of teenagers dancing, the room would fill with music and she was filled with delight. Ohio. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. 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.. Dancing with the American Bandstand Stars Fundraiser, July 15, 2009 Famously, Buddy Holly made his last television appearance on the program, miming "It's So Easy" and "Heartbeat" on August 7, 1958, just months before the . 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.. And more than 250 fans too, a number of them quite young, who had just heard of the show and were curious. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. Arlene Sullivan, a star on Bandstand, is now 74. 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. Particularly during the show's prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. 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. Fiorentino was known on the show as "Nicky Blue.". 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. 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." Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. My husband and I met on a blind date and six months later on April 12, 1964 we were married. American Bandstand aired five days a week in live national broadcast until 1963, when the show moved west to Los Angeles and began a 24-year run as a taped weekly program with Dick Clark as host . 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. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. We've received your submission. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. We moved around the floor the way our parents did in the 40s. The American Bandstand Regulars Say. - YouTube I did notice the studio was not as full, allowing the Regulars much more camera time. ", A musical about the 'Miracle' Cubs? love your blog keep up the great articles , G.R. Variety Shows He was 89 years old. Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. . Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. 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. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. Music by Charles Albertine They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. Unlike Smith, she expresses no animosity toward Clark. The A,B,C,'s of American Bandstand: Part 3 Asked By : Francisco Allen Dick Clark, affectionately known as the "world's oldest teenager," has died. American Bandstand Dancer Dottie Horner died yesterday. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. 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. Sullivan was raised in a rowhouse in a working-class neighborhood; we surmise from her writing that it was somewhere in Southwest Philly (she attended John Bartram High School), although Sullivan doesnt specify a home address. I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram Were goin hopin today BANDSTAND DIARIES is a coffee-table book that offers readers a nostalgic walk through those halcyon, memory-filled days when rock n roll became the soundtrack of a generation, when television was in grainy black and white and when a 45 RPM record cost less than 70 cents. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. Talevski, Nick. 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. Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. American Bandstand: West Philadelphia's Seven-Year Wonder 1957-1964 Pat Molittieri Gallery - Marsha'S Vintage 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. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing its first national show on August 5, 1957. Special Features: 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. The show also incorporated appearances by acts like Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and Connie Francis, who would lip-sync performances. He would dance on the show until early 1960. In the early years of American Bandstand, African Americans were rarely seen on television. 'American Bandstand' kept secret that teen stars were gay But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. 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. 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. 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. She calls it her one night out.. Delmont, Matthew. The Seven-Year Itch: West Philly Loses 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. See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook REGULARS Gallery 3. . Bob Clayton died November 6, 2016. By Jordan McClain and Amanda McClain | Reader-Nominated Topic. Philadelphia. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". On a sociological front, the show helped popularize rock and roll and make it acceptable to many adults (i.e., parents). 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. Clark and producer Tony Mammorella (1924-1977) dubbed this group The Committee, led from 1954 to 1956 by future DJ Jerry Blavat (1940-2023). I was saddened to hear about Norman. As Sullivan puts it: The boys danced. 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. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Henderson remained the chief newsreader for Australia's Channel 9 until finally announcing his retirement in 2002. Ray first attended Bandstand in the summer of 1956. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Bandstand (Australia) - Nostalgia Central Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. He danced on the show until Christmas 1959. Rock Obituaries: Knocking on Heavens Door. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. Brian Henderson The Executives Bill & Boyd 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. Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. Sadly we also lost: Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. "After that, it was history.". He had other irons in the fire. One older brother survives Norman. 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. Broadcast icon Dick Clark, the longtime host of the influential "American Bandstand," has died, publicist Paul Shefrin said. If it wasnt assaults from outside haters, some of the Bandstand kids suffered in their own homes. . The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. The Hand Jive. He was 82. Barbara finally came back and said I had to come to the front because the back was only for colored people. 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. 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. 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. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Clark, Dick, and Richard Robinson. The new legislation effectively ended payola in the music business.2, American Bandstandtoo weathered the payola storm. 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.. 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. The news hit hard. . These Regulars . 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. I never had a crush on her. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. Don married Bunny. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello. 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!. Clark joined Bandstand in 1956 and moved with the show to Hollywood in 1964. Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie "It was arduous at first," she says. A Tribute to Bob Clayton | American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years American Bandstand only allowed dancers from 14 to 18. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. 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. It was no secret. There were quite a few Regulars crossing over at that time. Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. My friends went to church dances every Friday and Saturday night. But most have fond memories of their short time in the spotlight and of its lingering effect. She would gobble down some cookies and milk and turn on the TV. 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. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. and other collectibiles . Many subsequently became celebrities (albeit temporarily), appearing in other media, receiving fan mail, and starting fashion trends. 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." . I started going out to straight clubs.. In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivan's generation on American Bandstand's dance floor. Who died from American Bandstand? I do hope you continuing writing about the bandstanders. 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. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. Wagon Train Website,