When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. Id see these kids dancing and instinctively I knew I could fit in with them. I still really didnt know who I was. They accepted me. REGULARS Gallery 1. The Regulars, also known as The Committee were only a part of the Bandstand story. 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!. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. The rest, as they say, is history. . This story has been shared 115,637 times. Once the program went national upon its move to Los Angeles, new host Dick Clark decided that integration was the most responsible move. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. . Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. But this one was different. [6] Jackson,American Bandstand, 71; Jacksons description of Arlene Sullivan. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. "I put a lot of my mom's makeup on and stuffed my bra," said Gibson. During the segment, two audience members each ranked two records on a scale of 35 to 98, after which their two opinions were averaged by Clark, who then asked the chosen members to justify their scores. The "ab" logo was replaced with the iconic stylized "AB" logo (shown at the top of this page) used for the remainder of the show's run. "After that, it was history.". She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. Clark was a disc jockey at the student-run radio station at Syracuse University (1951), and he worked at radio and television stations in Syracuse and Utica . Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. Forget that. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. They werent playing football. Despite that sense of community, the show's starsgay and straight alikewere targeted in Philadelphia, and even physically attacked in some cases, just for being dancers. It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show American Idol. 1st song played on the national edition was Jerry Lee Lewis Whole Lotta Shaking Goin On.1st Guests: Billy Williams, ChordettesLast song on the ABC network was Laura Branigans Shattered Glass., See above pictureThe Stroll recorded by The Diamonds in 1958. This site does not collect any information from you. unsold game show pilots). American Bandstandsrelegation to a weekly schedule stripped it of much of its power as a potential hit song exposer, writes the music historian John Jackson. Sullivan says Bandstand host Dick Clark knew most of the cast was gay, but was determined to keep it under wraps for the sake of the show. These Regulars . The use of videotape allowed Clark to produce and host a series of concert tours around the success of American Bandstand and to pursue other broadcast interests. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". 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. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. I knew when couples broke up. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? All rock'n roll and most owned by Dick Clark himself. Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. Arlene Sullivan, one of the most popularAmerican Bandstandregulars, presents another perspective on the shows closeted world. While ABC wasnt in the quiz show business, a congressional subcommittee found another reason to investigate the network. "Two or three times during the show, Clark would introduce singers or groups who would lip-sync their latest hits." 2. 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. 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. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. This set and theme music were used until September 1974, with the arrival of a brand new set and the second, updated version of "Bandstand Boogie". American Bandstand first aired 5 August 1957 in the 3-4:30 afternoon slot. 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. American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. 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. 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. I knew all their names. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. . Sullivan, 74, wrote Diaries with Ray Smith, another dancer who was closeted during his Bandstand years. That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Thanks for contacting us. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. "He wasn't no Bob Horn," Fiorentino said. 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. [42] American Bandstand was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. 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. 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. Clark's sunny smile and cuteness masked a strong will and iron determination. Clark continued as host of the series, which was restored to its former hour length,[22] and aired on stations including KYW-TV in Philadelphia; WWOR-TV in New York City[23] (WWOR's superstation status also gave the program further national exposure); KTLA in Los Angeles; WMAQ-TV in Chicago; WDIV in Detroit; WEWS in Cleveland; WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee;[24] and WCIX in Miami.[25]. 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. [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. Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clarks first day as host: 7/9/1956 Clark decided to pitch the show to ABC president Thomas W. Moore, and after some negotiations the show was picked up nationally, becoming American Bandstand on August 5, 1957. In 1960, in an episode that seems incredibly tame by todays standards of greed and corruption, the two major television networks, NBC and CBS were exposed as having rigged their wildly popular primetime quiz shows. The Village People performed their legendary song, "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. Fiorentino, whose mother died when he was 12, said Clark became a role model. It was no secret. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) In Philadelphia, however, WFIL opted to tape-delay the game show for later broadcast in another time slot, and to continue on with Bandstand, though only for the local audience. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. Many factors were involved in this, particularly the launch and rise of MTV and other music programs on television, and along with that, the number of ABC affiliates opting to pre-empt or delay the program. [3] Jackson,American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section. American Bandstand Regulars Interview Frank Spagnuola 280 subscribers Subscribe 746 Share 82K views 5 years ago This is the interview with Arlene, Kenny, Frank and Carole about their days on. One show from this first season (December 18, 1957, identified as the "Second National Telecast") is preserved in the archives of Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications. SWIMSUITS of the regulars. Bandstand Diaries shares some public information and photos about Frani (page 84). This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. "Dick Clark introduced records, and the camera followed teenagers as they selected partners to dance," writes historian Matthew Delmont. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. She was one of five brothers and sisters; had a huge family vacation home in Sea Isle City where Regulars visited: and dated Frank Levins and Denny Dziena. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! In addition to appearances by big pop stars of the day, Sullivan's on-screen romance with Kenny Rossi was a huge draw for the show. She never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. Dick Clark, wherever you are, we miss you. One young performer was dangled down an elevator shaft. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory While the American series has aired sixteen seasons, its format was also replicated worldwide, from Norway (Dansefeber) to Australia (So You Think You Can Dance Australia). But to his credit and diligence, he brilliantly created his own myth, and he stuck to it for the rest of his life. Dick Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH, in 1993 as a non-performer. Numerous black and white performers who appeared on American Bandstand during its seven-year heyday in West Philadelphia are also memorialized in this building. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. Briefly it was part of the USA Network with new host David Hirsh but went off the air in 1989. "Bandstand's Backyard". Wagon Train Website,