american bandstand regulars who have died

Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. Unlike Smith, she expresses no animosity toward Clark. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. 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. 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.. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. She and her husband, Richard Spada, lived in Philadelphia and Lansdowne before moving to Newtown Square. Dick Clark (1929-2012) replaced Horn as host in 1956, just before the show was renamed American Bandstand, shortened to ninety minutes, and expanded to a national ABC audience on August 5, 1957. Using social media, Cutler contacted some of the show's regulars. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In addition to his other ventures, Clark maintained a virtual lock on New Years Eve television withDick ClarksNew Years Rockin Eve. Mixed REGULARS Galleries. Writes Sullivan in the book, "A few years ago at a fancy party on Fifth Avenue in New York, a man in a tux in his late sixties came over and told me he grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. (Twentieth Century Fox), Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. Ray first attended Bandstand in the summer of 1956. This American Bandstand tribute book celebrates Dick Clark and the Regulars with 700 Photos. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. 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. Dottie Bob's bio in Bandstand Diaries was very candid. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." Interracial couples were not allowed on camera, so they sat on the sidelines. Most of those kids recruited from area high schools and compelled to "retire" from the show when they turned 18 are now in the 70s and their lives have had ups and downs. Bob Horn Host (Bob Horns Bandstand), Bandstand Boogie Philadelphia. But about four years ago, after a lifetime filled with journalistic and entrepreneurial achievements, Cutler began to wonder what had happened to all those kids, those celebrities of her youth, and she went about the business of trying to find them. Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram He held nothing back. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. NEW PAGE! Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. The show then aired at 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, corresponding with the typical school days end. 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. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. The program moved production in 1964 from Philadelphia to Hollywood, months after it began airing once per week. JUSTINE AND BOB. Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. The screen would fill with black-and-white images of teenagers dancing, the room would fill with music and she was filled with delight. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. Most of us would love her to do a Spotlight Dance once again and tell us know how she is doing today. She danced the "push" - a "type of jitterbug . ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. Dick Clark gave her a committee card, which all Regulars had to have to get into the building. Another component of the show was its Rate-a-Record segmentwhere people evaluated a record on a scale of 35 to 98which originated the saying, Its got a good beat and you can dance to it. For this eras music industry, American Bandstand was arguably the most significant television venue in the country. . On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. However unethical his behavior may have been, his federal income tax records seemed to be in order. Known as the Regulars, they became the nation's first reality stars. "He wasn't no Bob Horn," Fiorentino said. The two sides were "Drive in Movie " and "Dream Girl." Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. The followed the trend of solo (open) dancing started by Chubby Checker and The Twist. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, The Pony and The Monkey; others were named for motions, for example, The Mashed Potato and The Loco-Motion. Two of the biggest record hits of the early 1960s, both of which received a huge boost from airtime onAmerican Bandstand, were Dee Dee Sharps Mashed Potato Time and Freddy Cannons Palisades Park.8, YetAmerican Bandstandsseven-year stint in West Philadelphia was about to end. At 74, Sullivan still dances once a week at a party thrown by another Bandstand dancer. Weekday afternoons were spent with the kids in Philly, the kids on American Bandstand. REGULARS Gallery 2. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. 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. Sullivan and the other dancers often congregated in Rittenhouse Square, the historic epicenter of what is known as the City of Brotherly Loves Gayborhood. There even was chatter and fear that Clark, who died at 82 in 2012, sent members of his production staff to spy on them and report back the names of the suspected gay regulars. At age 30 in 1960, already a millionaire, Dick Clark, Americas only national deejay, stood at the center of the payola storm. London: Omnibus Press, 2006. Follow Backgrounders on Twitter Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. ", 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.". 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. For instance, the shows producers allegedly practiced discriminatory policies that excluded or limited appearances by African American teen dancers, presumably to appease advertisers. As music styles evolved, American Bandstand incorporated more emerging genres. Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. Sullivan was most frequently paired with a boy named Kenny Rossi, who was straight, but still subject to attacks for appearing on the show: One time, Kenny and I went to visit one of the other regulars up in North Philadelphia, and 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, Sullivan says. 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. 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. ". Forget that. 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. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) The History of American Bandstand. Sharon Sultan Cutler, who grew up in New York and now lives in Chicago, is co-author of Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956-1963.. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. John Lithgow filmed a mockumentary episode before it was c Dad of crying infant that triggered Texas massacre 'never thought' gunman would shoot, It's not just soda: Nutritionists weigh in on the absolute worst drinks for your health, I'm a dentist you're ruining your teeth with these 4 common mistakes, Gayle King says she doesnt have a desire to retire: I want more work, WNBA star Brittney Griner is heading to the Met Gala, Mariah Carey celebrates Moroccan and Monroes 12th birthday: My babies, Elon Musk Tells Bill Maher Woke Mind Virus Is Dangerous On Real Time, Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny. REGULARS Gallery 1. Self - Interview 1 episode, 1965 . Don married Bunny. There is another chapter about Clark. Emphasizing this sentiment, Philadelphian John Oates (of musical duo Hall & Oates) said, The show had such an impact on the music business, it set the tone and the pace for teenage style and attitude and everything else across America., Jordan McClain is Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication at Drexel University. 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. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. putting buyers and sellers in touch with auction houses who have set worlds record.contact auctionmarketnews@yahoo.com with your Auction dates,want lists ,prices realized. Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. 18 talking about this. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two . I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. Marietta. 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. "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. But Sullivan, who lives in New Jersey, did trust her, agreed to collaborate on the book and paved the way to meet and interview dozens of other regulars who once were dancing kids. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. 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. . Like Smith, she believes that if her true sexual preference and that of others on the show had become public in the days before Stonewall and todays LGBT power, Bandstand would have been taken off the air. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. These Regulars went on to receive mail, have fan clubs, feature magazine articles and dancer contests just like the previous groups. Mickey Mouse Club These 14- to 18-year olds like Arlene and Kenny, Justine and Bob . Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. On the other hand, they had each other. 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. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, "The Pony" and "The Monkey"; others were named for . I will be working on a mult-pictorial page for Bob. 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. Determined, Don got Bunnys number from one of the regulars and he met his dream girl. ), Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. And then they leave the show, go up on the El, go home to their neighborhoods, they then had to run to their door because somebody was always waiting there to beat them up.. However, musicians such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Sam Cooke all made national appearances on American Bandstand during the late 1950s. . When Gibson moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in the 1980s, she paid Clark a call at his office. 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. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. . Brian Henderson The Executives Bill & Boyd My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. BUT he was out for Clark., Sullivan claims there were four other popular girl dancers on the show whom she knew to be lesbians, and they hung out together. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. Like nostalgia? In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. In its later years the show was challenged by the diversifying tastes of fragmented audiences. They were hurting him. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. So fearful of the kids real behavior, [Clark] imposed a strict dress code: jackets and ties for boys, and nothing tight for girls. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. Bunnys mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. The news hit hard. . In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivan's generation on American Bandstand's dance floor. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. American Bandstand (TV Series 1952-1989) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Dick Clark became host of the locally-produced Bandstand in 1956, just before the show was renamed American Bandstand, shortened to ninety minutes, and expanded to a national ABC audience on August 5, 1957. How to Be a SuperAger in The SuperAging Revolution, Jumble for Kids and Adults: Cartoons and Twins. In fact, it was dangerous. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. Pat Molitteeri was credited with inventing the dance, "The Hop" by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop, Pat died in the mid -1970s of a heart attack at age 36, Carmen Jimenez still lives in Philadelphia today and recollects the fun she had being on the show. Movies. "It was arduous at first," she says. Carol Highsmith, photographer, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. I purchased this from Historic Photos. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. But this one was different. Rock, Roll and Remember. News Shows Remember, these Regulars werent paid actors or dancers. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. But he vividly recalls that one of his fellow gay dancers was thrown onto the El tracks outside the studio, and another popular regular who was gay and often danced with Sullivan was dangled over an elevator shaft.. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Special Features: I started going out to straight clubs.. The first book party was in November in where else? Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. 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. ", California residents do not sell my data request. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE It was horrible., Smith says he was lucky to have escaped a beating. 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. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Wagon Train Website,