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. 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. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. The Buddy Deane Show aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964. 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. The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. On the other hand, they had each other. Clark regularly asked teenagers their opinions of the songs being played, through the "Rate-a-Record" segment. [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. The other reason was that American Bandstand was pre-empted on many occasions by televised college football games (which expanded greatly in number in the wake of a court-ordered deregulation in 1984) which were becoming huge ratings successes, as well as occasional special presentations (i.e. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Special Features: I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. 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 says. I can honestly say that I was the most blessed person in the world the day I met Norman and he and I became steady dance partners., Meeting Norman Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. A show where well-dressed teens gently bop around to the big hits while maintaining an appropriate distance apart hardly seems like it would be a hot bed of sexual experimentation, but American Bandstand apparently featured a crew of Philadelphia kids who had more than dancing in common. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. 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. 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. While Bandstand fans across the country imagined a true romantic relationship between Sullivan, who secretly liked girls, and her on-screen companion, Rossi, who was straight, she says it was little more than made-for-TV puppy love. We were the first reality show, she adds. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. 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. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. The young dancers on American Bandstand were the reality stars of the 1950s and '60skids nationwide rushed home to watch their every move and chatter about their relationships and exploits. I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. As the books highlight, Ray Smith and Arlene Sullivan provided two thoughtful and unadornedBandstandmemoirs. "With Bandstand, WFIL resolved this tension by drawing on Philadelphia's interracial music scene to create an entertaining and profitable television show, while refusing to allow the city's black teenagers into the studio audience for fear of alienating viewers and advertisers. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. Clark joined Bandstand in 1956 and moved with the show to Hollywood in 1964. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers. The news hit hard. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. California residents do not sell my data request. 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. during those wonderful days. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. My friends went to church dances every Friday and Saturday night. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. One older brother survives Norman. 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 previous theme was retained as bumper music. . 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.. At 74, Sullivan still dances once a week at a party thrown by another Bandstand dancer. Of Clarks behind-the-scenes behavior at Studio B, Ray Smith writes unsparingly: The irony about Clark is that he was not the goody-two-shoes he projected: he smoked, cursed, and for a while teetered on the edge of alcoholism. Variety Shows 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. I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. OnAmerican Bandstandsdance floor, Sullivan was first partnered famously with Kenny Rossi (1957-58), a multitalented Italian-American student at West Catholic Boys High School, and such was her national popularity that her fan mail eventually totaled some 500 letters weekly. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. Once when Sullivan and Rossi visited another show regular in North Philadelphia, "we were leaving her apartment and were headed to the El, and I heard car doors slamming, and I looked back, and all these guys were coming up the steps, and they started beating up on Kenny, she recalls. They even invented a few the Stroll, the Circle and the Chalypso. "I kissed a girl, and I liked it!. Clark was out for Clark, says Brancaccio. In another format shift, it was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. When ABC picked up the game show Do You Trust Your Wife? Browse 1,010 american bandstand dancers stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. "Dick Clark introduced records, and the camera followed teenagers as they selected partners to dance," writes historian Matthew Delmont. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. 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. 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. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. American Bandstand Regulars -- Justine Carrelli, Joe Fusco, Myrna Horowitz - The 3rd Degree - 1989 Bandstands Best 3.54K subscribers Subscribe 343 127K views 10 years ago THE USE OF ANY. As two or three stations grab it off, you get less clearance, therefore you get less rating, and its an endless cycle. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. Mickey Mouse Club "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. I hope you've had a good half-hour. He would dance on the show until early 1960. EARLY BANDSTAND FASHIONS. "Two or three times during the show, Clark would introduce singers or groups who would lip-sync their latest hits." 2. In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. The Regulars, also known as The Committee were only a part of the Bandstand story. This site does not collect any information from you. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. He said funeral services are pending. Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. Teenagers dance on an episode of Dick Clark's television program, 'American Bandstand,' 1950s. She calls it her one night out.. They accepted me. Wagon Train Website,