Reading the book, one easily grasps or is reminded what an impactful cultural phenomenon "American Bandstand" was for a couple of generations of TV-watching kids. Variety Shows He retained his youthful looks through the 1980s, burnishing his reputation as Americas Oldest Living Teenager. Dick Clark died at age 82 in Santa Monica. . Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." This site does not collect any information from you. 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. [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. 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. But . Who died from American Bandstand? But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. Dancing with the American Bandstand Stars Fundraiser, July 15, 2009 His name was Dick Clark and in the next year the show was transformed from a local show to a syndicated. 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 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. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. 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. Mickey Mouse Club In a fine introduction to this book one of those people, singer Bobby Rydell, recalls his first appearance on the show in 1959 and the many that followed, as well as a "short but sweet" romance with one of the teen dancers, writing: "To appear on 'American Bandstand' was everyone's dream.". Marietta. You eventually get cancelled.. ", A musical about the 'Miracle' Cubs? They married during her Thanksgiving vacation from Northeast High School. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. On the other hand, they had each other. 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. The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. Movies. 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. I knew all their names. 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 show, hosted by Dick Clark, sounds like it was both a community of welcome amongst the teens and a repressive construct from higher ups. He said funeral services are pending. EARLY BANDSTAND FASHIONS. That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. And more than 250 fans too, a number of them quite young, who had just heard of the show and were curious. Thanks for contacting us. By then, he was a big-time television producer. 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. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. ". The 50 record albums are packed away for safekeeping., Normans passing http://dickclark.com When American Bandstand became the most popular daytime television program in the late 1950s, a group of ordinary Philadelphia high school students who loved to dance suddenly became a national phenomenon. 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. Bunnys mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. . A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. Early in 1964, the show moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, where it remained through its final season in 1989. AMERICAN BANDSTAND BLOG. 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. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. 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. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. In February 2020, it was announced that Henderson had contracted kidney cancer and opted not to receive treatment. e9.size = "300x250"; She was 36. What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. 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. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. Race and American Bandstand, The Seven-Year Itch: West Philly Loses American Bandstand, Report accessibility issues and request help. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two . One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie 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. The result of her journey is the very worthwhile "Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963," a colorful, charming and evocative book (more at bandstanddiaries.com). They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". When she was 10 years old, the woman now known as Sharon Sultan Cutler would rush home from school in the town of East Meadow on Long Island in New York. New York: Popular Library, 1976. "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. 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 Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. 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? 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. Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. ", "I was shaking like a leaf," Colanero recalled. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. I purchased this from Historic Photos. Ripley W.va, Great article Larry love your antiques blog . "I loved those kids," she says now, living with her husband on the Northwest Side of Chicago. We only had three channels in those days. Wagon Train Website,