Thanks for contacting us. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. You eventually get cancelled.. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. Forget that. 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. We were like sisters. Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram, Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Philadelphia, the Place that Loves You Back, (Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. PAT MOLITTIERI GALLERY IN LOVING MEMORY OF PAT MOLITTIERI - passed away at much too young an age Pat kissing her mother You can see her with her Dad in the thumbnail gallery. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. 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. 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. The History of "American Bandstand" - LiveAbout Elmhurst Blotter: Man charged with battery for allegedly punching a security guard at a bar, Hinsdale police blotter: multiple thefts reported by patients at Hinsdale Hospital, Glenview police blotter: Harwood Heights woman charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The Secret Gay Lives Of The "American Bandstand" Dancers "He was the commander," Colanero said. The two sides were "Drive in Movie " and "Dream Girl." Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. . 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. "When he saw me, he said, 'I knew I'd see you again,' with a smile on his face," Gibson recalled. The show epitomized many important aspects of ever-evolving American popular culture: mass communication, popular music, youth culture, dance and fashion trends, as well as race and gender relationships. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. A few, burned by previously unsuccessful attempts by some to write books about the program, were reluctant to share their memories with her. 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. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. Asked By : Francisco Allen Dick Clark, affectionately known as the "world's oldest teenager," has died. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963 shares the fascinating story of how Dick Clark's American Bandstand and its millions of viewers catapulted its teenage dancers (called "the Regulars") to fame. New York: Ballantine, 1985. 8-9; quote from unpaginated photo section. The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Clark "was a good man, but he wasn't as friendly with us as people may think," Colanero said. As she puts it, being a Regular entailed holding a WFIL-TV Bandstand Club membership card and dancing every day on the show. Over the decades, American Bandstands location, air days, duration, and content changed. "What ever happened to those dancers on American Bandstand By Larry Koon That might have had something to do with the scandal that surrounded the departure of his predecessor, Bob Horn, who faced a drunken-driving arrest and morals charges. First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. My favorite dance was the Jitterbug the last dance where people danced together. One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, she said. Famously, Buddy Holly made his last television appearance on the program, miming "It's So Easy" and "Heartbeat" on August 7, 1958, just months before the . My friends went to church dances every Friday and Saturday night. They knew what was going on, but they never asked the question., Sullivan says there were at least four other popular girl dancers on Bandstand who she quickly learned were lesbians and we all started hanging out together. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's handled with sensitive delicacy. They were on the cover of "Dick Clark's American Bandstand " and have done many Documentaries R.I.P. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. 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. 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. "That really annoyed me," said Smith, "Because quite a few of. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. Yes, yes, I know. . Bob Clayton died November 6, 2016. The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. 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. 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. My parents were always there for me. Many other Bandstand alumni from the show's Philadelphia era were overcome with a rush of memories Wednesday. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. 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. But this one was different. http://dickclark.com "American Bandstand" goes national - History Of course we didn't realize it at the time but these kids were really the first reality stars.". . 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. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. 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. . 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. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. About Us - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where American Bandstand aired five days a week in live national broadcast until 1963, when the show moved west to Los Angeles and began a 24-year run as a taped weekly program with Dick Clark as host . Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. you could do in half time - the hop, the bop, and the stomp," she wrote. 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. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune). I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. JUSTINE AND BOB. Variety Shows 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. Then it was hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horns Bandstand.On July 9 of 1956 the show got a new host, a clean-cut 26 year old named Dick Clark. American Bandstand only allowed dancers from 14 to 18. I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. I think after several decades he actually believed the myth. REGULARS Gallery 3. . Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. California residents do not sell my data request. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. They werent playing football. 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. It got me out of my shell, but I learned I was a regular teenager who happened to dance on a show that unexpectedly became very popular. The followed the trend of solo ("open") dancing started by Chubby Checker and "The Twist.". Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy, TheEncyclopedia . Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. . I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. . I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. In August 1963, ABC reassignedAmerican Bandstandto Saturday afternoon. TV Ratings - US & UK, Quiz Shows 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. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. The big teenybopper magazines of the era Sixteen and Teen plastered Bandstand dancers on their covers and wrote glowing, gossipy stories about their lives in Philadelphia, where Dick Clark produced the show. during those wonderful days. But . [Clark] was a cool professional with an agenda from the beginning, an agenda for success that made him rich; he was a millionaire by the end of the 1950s. He would dance on the show until early 1960. Nicholas Fiorentino, 67, a South Philly native now living in Cherry Hill, said it was clear even to Bandstand teenagers that Clark was going places. New book keeps memories of 'American Bandstand' alive I purchased this from Historic Photos. 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. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. Shore, Michael, with Dick Clark. Music by Charles Albertine american bandstand regulars who have died - mazoutdft.com Ripley W.va, Great article Larry love your antiques blog . Clark claimed that the affiliates got greedy and took the time back to put their own material on where they got 100 percent of the revenue. I was saddened to hear about Norman. They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? It was horrible., Smith says he was lucky to have escaped a beating. The Regulars - American Bandstand Diaries The Philly Years Where American Bandstand Dancer Dottie Horner died yesterday. After working in insurance in Philadelphia, and studying acting and dance, Ray moved to New York City . On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. Brian Henderson The Executives Bill & Boyd But most have fond memories of their short time in the spotlight and of its lingering effect. In an interview with the New York Post, Sullivan says that she and many of the gay male dancers would congregate in the Gayborhood, Rittenhouse Square, and there were rumors that Clark sent producers to spy on them. . Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. The news hit hard. "When I walked through those doors, that was the only place I wanted to be," said Gibson, 66, an actress who now lives in Los Angeles. I started going out to straight clubs.. . The Hand Jive. Were goin hopin today That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. It originally aired as simply "Bandstand" in 1952, shot at WFIL-TV's studios in Philadelphia and airing locally. Brancaccio says thats what attracted him to it. Colanero danced from 1959 to 1961. Goes from a daily to a weekly Saturday show in Philadelphia: 9/7/1963, Broadcast from Los Angeles: Begins 2/8/1964, Produced by Anthony Tony Mammarella and Dick Clark, Dick Clark Host Broadcast only on Saturdays after 1963, American Bandstand lost the homegrown vitality of the daily program in West Philadelphia. Dick Clark, host of the influential "American Bandstand,' dies | CNN 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. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. You want to know about the guy! I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. Cutler will be appearing Monday to talk about her book atMax and Benny's restaurant in Northbrook. [7] The Diary of Arlene Sullivan, in Sullivan, Smith, and Cutler,Bandstand Diaries, 43-63. In 1960, he attended Penn State as an English major. Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor 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. Fabian and Bobby Rydell Hang With American Bandstand Regulars By Rick SiegelFabian, the teenagers heart throb from the 50's, hob knobs along with the America. In 1962, ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 to 60 minutes. . He needed a group to show up every day, she says, and nobody got paid. ", Songs she liked to dance to, Mrs. Spada wrote online in June 2010, included "Little Darlin'," "Sixteen Candles," "Tears on my Pillow," "Splish Splash," "Never on Sunday," and "Let's Do The Stroll.". Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. Meet the Regulars of American Bandstand In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip," according. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. News Shows The show stayed on the air until 1989. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. "He made me feel that if you want something in life, you have to be serious about it.". Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. She is a Marco Polo member of the Society of American Travel Writers, a past president of Virginia Professional Communicators and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. Id see these kids dancing and instinctively I knew I could fit in with them. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? But . The American Bandstand Regulars tell us what Studio B means to them today and yesterday, with special guest appearance by the American Bandstand Fan Club pre. So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. We only had three channels in those days. Menu. 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. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. It was horrible.. As the music historian John Jackson observes, from the 1970s on American Bandstandno longer served as Clarks primary video outlet. For the next several decades, Clark would achieve high national visibility as a popular gameshow host and as the impresario of periodic primetimeAmerican Bandstandhit-song reunions (not to mention a spate of video cassettes and books) that fed on white Americas nostalgia forAmericanBandstandsdays in West Philadelphia, evoked in Barry Manilows Bandstand song with Manilows homage to The Philadelphia Way.. Rare photo above is a 1959 Press photo of Pat when she was writing for Teen Magazine. "If you got in front of the camera too much, he'd call you back and tell you to circulate. Photo taken on October 27, 1981. She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello.
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