american bandstand regulars who have died

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. This development created a sometimes heated rivalry between Dick Clark and Buddy Deane, when performers who appeared first on Deane's program were refused booking on American Bandstand. 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. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE 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. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. Oddly enough, I have never checked with the other Regulars to get their feedback. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. Due to the size of the studio, the need to have as much dance space as possible, and the size of the cumbersome color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one RCA TK-41 where three RCA TK-10s[4] had been used before. For a brief time in 1973, Bandstand alternated its time slot with Soul Unlimited,[10] a show featuring soul music that was hosted by Buster Jones. 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. We call him Namron and yes, if you spell his name backwards it spells, Norman. Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. 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.. "Saturday Bandstand retained 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. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. But just like a lot of today's showmances are concocted, many of the Bandstand boppers were harboring a big secret: They were gay. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. 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. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. Stewart was the owner of a TV/Radio business in Philadelphia and even though he was an older gentleman, his advertising account was a large one for WFIL-TV, so he was put on the program to appease the account. He said funeral services are pending. The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. "He made me feel that if you want something in life, you have to be serious about it.". In 1962, ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 to 60 minutes. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. The reality behind the scenes ofAmerican Bandstandwas quite different than what viewers saw on national television. But overall, their meet-ups remained a sanctuary. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. How a Beloved Tori Amos B-Side Transformed 'Of An Age'. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. . This version was canceled after 26 weeks, and its final show (with The Cover Girls performing "My Heart Skips a Beat" and "We Can't Go Wrong") aired on October 7, 1989,[37] thus ending the show's 37-year run.[38][39]. 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. When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*ggot, dancer Frank Brancaccio told the National Enquirer in 2014. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings," Bandstand star Arlene Sullivan writes in her memoir, Bandstand Diaries. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". After a ten-month hiatus,[27] Bandstand moved to cable on USA Network[28][29] on April 8, 1989,[30] with comedian David Hirsch[31][32][33][34][35] taking over hosting duties. . Interracial couples were not allowed on camera, so they sat on the sidelines. Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. They wrote thousands of letters. From 1974 to 1977, there was a newer, orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie", arranged and performed by Joe Porter, played during the opening and closing credits. Michael Jackson, a frequent Bandstand guest, performed Forget that. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. She was one of the great stars of the Philadelphia years. Jax Spills the Tea on That "Shocking" Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, "In those lip-syncs, I fend for myself. I still really didnt know who I was. Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. They werent playing baseball they were DANCING. The show's popularity helped Dick Clark become an American media mogul and inspired similar long-running music programs, such as Soul Train and British series Top of the Pops. 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. We went downtown, and I ran to the back of the bus the way I always did in Philly but Barbara and her friend kept telling me to come to the front. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? e9 = new Object(); Well, it's our last show here on Bandstand and I really want to thank the viewers who have kept American Bandstand on the air all these years. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. 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. After dispelling rumors of his death, which circulated on social media on Thursday, Blavat's representative confirmed in a Facebook post on Friday morning that he had died at 3:45 a.m. at. Instead of shortening or moving Bandstand, ABC opted to just begin Bandstand at 3pm, cut away to Who Do You Trust? He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. In fact, it was dangerous. REGULARS Gallery 3. Don Cornelius, the creator and host of Soul Train, along with Jesse Jackson, entered into a dispute with Clark over this upstart program, and it was canceled within a few weeks. There were occasional shows that were not hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.[6]. . The Buddy Deane Show aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964. Wagon Train Website,