Where things are poppin'(Pop!) Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. This set and theme music were used until September 1974, with the arrival of a brand new set and the second, updated version of "Bandstand Boogie". What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. Instead of shortening or moving Bandstand, ABC opted to just begin Bandstand at 3pm, cut away to Who Do You Trust? Id see these kids dancing and instinctively I knew I could fit in with them. I went to coffee shops, but I also hung out in Rittenhouse Square and so did many of the dancers. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated I still really didnt know who I was. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. One night at a party I met a girl who was one of the stars on American Bandstand I was blown away.. The TV exposure, plus the profiles some of the dancers were given in Teen magazine in the late 1950s, made them instant celebrities. 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. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. 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. For now, Dick Clark on ABC, so long. "It is with much sadness that we have lost one of the most loving and beautiful souls - Carole Scaldeferri Spada has passed away," Bunny Gibson, who identified herself as a "Bandstand buddy," posted on Facebook. 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. In 2004, Dick Clark, with the help of Ryan Seacrest, announced plans to revive the show in time for the 2005 season; although this did not occur (due in part to Clark suffering a severe stroke in late 2004), one segment of the revived Bandstanda national dance contesteventually became the series So You Think You Can Dance. Norman and I met in January 1959 while standing outside of the studio waiting to get inside. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, she said. One older brother survives Norman. [3] Jackson,American Bandstand, quote from unpaginated photo section. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. 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. Dick Clark later stated that he knew the prime-time edition would fail because its core audience teenagers and housewives was occupied with other interests in the evenings. 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. Briefly it was part of the USA Network with new host David Hirsh but went off the air in 1989. Don Travarelli, from South Philly, watched American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Bunny Gibson dancing. .When he spoke to us off-screen, it was usually from the podium; it gave him command over his domain, and as I have learned over the years, Clark liked and wanted to be in command.4, Smith recalls the closetingof American BandstandsLGBT youths. They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. Making matters worse, on September 13, 1986, ABC reduced Bandstand from a full hour to 30 minutes;[13] at Clark's request, the 2,751st and final ABC installment[14] (with Laura Branigan[15] performing "Shattered Glass"[16][17]) aired on September 5, 1987. Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! 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. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. She calls it her one night out.. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. . 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. Thankfully we've come a long way since those sad days. 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. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory "He was the commander," Colanero said. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE 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. 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. Clark "was very all-American, handsome, and nice, a father figure to us," she recalled. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. On the other hand, they had each other. Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. She acknowledges that some of the other girls she knew on the show were also gay. Tony Mammarella was the original producer with Ed Yates as director. The show stayed on the air until 1989. Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. His name was Dick Clark and in the next year the show was transformed from a local show to a syndicated. "Two or three times during the show, Clark would introduce singers or groups who would lip-sync their latest hits." 2. In front of the camera, Clark called the shots. West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Jersey you learned the different styles of the same dances., The Regulars did the Pony, Jitterbug, Calypso, Cha-cha and a slow dance that she says wasnt exactly a waltz: The kids didnt stand in one spot. Special Features: Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. Score: 4.4/5 (45 votes) . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. ", Jennifer Coolidge Screams, Is a Queen in Netflix's 'We Have a Ghost'. Clark was a disc jockey at the student-run radio station at Syracuse University (1951), and he worked at radio and television stations in Syracuse and Utica . I started going out to straight clubs.. American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. At age 30 in 1960, already a millionaire, Dick Clark, Americas only national deejay, stood at the center of the payola storm. The rest, as they say, is history. Known then as Carole Scaldeferri, Mrs. Spada was among the teens who jitterbugged and slow-danced their way to fame in a TV studio in Philadelphia, while host Dick Clark spun what are now oldies. While the teens, all homegrown talent, rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. American Bandstand will be back someday, I assure you. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. The guy who had been in charge of the show before he took over was the subject of a scandal a DUI, I think so Clark wanted to be the clean-cut guy, and he was. EARLY BANDSTAND VIDEOS. We'll see you then. Dick Clarks tight control on the sexual expression of his cast extended to a denial years after the show had ended. She also mentions a gay dancer who was pushed in the train tracks, and another who was dangled over an elevator shaft. It became a staple in homes and heavily influenced American society culturally, musically, and socially. 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. I hope you've had a good half-hour. . It preceded The Guy Mitchell Show. In 2019, a trio of formerAmerican Bandstandregulars assembled a book on their experiences on the popular show. For a time, she dated a neighborhood boy, Danny Rapp, lead singer of Danny & the Juniors, who had the hit song At the Hop., I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight, Sullivan says. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. 1st song played on the national edition was Jerry Lee Lewis Whole Lotta Shaking Goin On.1st Guests: Billy Williams, ChordettesLast song on the ABC network was Laura Branigans Shattered Glass., See above pictureThe Stroll recorded by The Diamonds in 1958. I knew when couples broke up. At the time, unless a broadcaster failed to report under-the-table income (federal income tax evasion), payola wasnt illegal in federal law. I was a preteen, which is to say, I was a teenage wannabe. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the mans story. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. I didnt know what I was doing and decided I cant do this, and I called my dad and asked him to come get me, she says. Brancaccio says thats what attracted him to it. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. //-->. [8] On September 7, 1963, the program was moved from its weekday slot and began airing weekly every Saturday afternoon, restored to an hour, until 1989. Like the rest of us, the 'Drag Race' Season 15 queen is crushing on Pedro Pascal. In a nice way, he'd discipline us.". [18][19][20] Dubbed as The New American Bandstand and distributed by LBS Communications, the series' tapings were moved from the ABC Television Center to the Hollywood studios of Los Angeles's PBS member station KCET,[21] with a new set was similar to that of Soul Train. He said funeral services are pending. In addition to his other ventures, Clark maintained a virtual lock on New Years Eve television withDick ClarksNew Years Rockin Eve. 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. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? Aura Mayari Just Wants to Live Her Zombie Apocalypse Fantasy. This investigation targeted the practice of payola, and it was most likely triggered by rumors circulating that charged Dick Clark with promoting records in which he held a financial stake onAmerican Bandstandand taking kickbacks from record companies to include their records on the shows playlist. In fact, it was dangerous. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. 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? 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. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. during those wonderful days. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. Dancing was a major feature of Bandstand. I tried my best to fill your shoes and I hope I have lived up to what you were expecting of me. Squeaky clean commercial pitchman and deejay Dick Clark inherited Bob Horns locally broadcastBandstandin July 1956 and revamped it for a national audience of teenage consumers as ABCsAmerican Bandstand, which first aired in August 1957. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, died Sunday, Dec. 8, of congestive heart failure at a Springfield hospital. She was 36. 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. But 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.. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. The Monday-night version aired its last program in December 1957, but ABC gave Clark a Saturday-night time slot for The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, which originated from the Little Theatre in Manhattan, beginning on February 15, 1958. American Bandstandsrelegation to a weekly schedule stripped it of much of its power as a potential hit song exposer, writes the music historian John Jackson. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:03, The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, Top of newscast salutes to Clark deserved, "Did the Beatles kill America's radio stars? 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. Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? Watch video clips of the American Bandstand dancers here. The program that preceded Dick Clarks American Bandstand at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand. Don married Bunny. He fell in love with her. . [2] Freddy Cannon holds the record for most appearances, at 110. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. The kids designated as American Bandstand Regulars in some cases struggled with their sexual identity. Regardless, the music historian John Jackson calls it the gravest crisis in his professional career.1, At all events, the payola hearings spurred action by Congress. We have lived in NJ ever since. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. She knew Chubby Checker and Fabian from South Philadelphia High School. I kissed a girl, and I liked it! Sullivan, now 74 and long out of the closet, reveals in a fascinating self-published book, Bandstand Diaries billed as The Book Youve Waited Over 50 Years to Read!. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. In 1964 Dick Clark took Dick Clark Productions and American Bandstand to Hollywood, Los Angeles in search of new markets for his myriad projects. "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. Set pieces from Soul Unlimited were utilized by Bandstand for its 19741978 set design. 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. Once a week, she goes to a hop thrown by another Bandstand original, 76-year-old Philadelphia radio and TV personality Jerry Blavat, who bills himself as The Geator with the Heater and The Boss with the Hot Sauce.. Like the white homeowners associations' concerns about property values, WFIL's version of defensive localism built on a belief that integration would hurt the station's investment in Bandstand. 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.. 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. American Bandstand, abbreviated AB, is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions that aired regularly from 1952 to 1989, [1] and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the program's producer. In 1962, ABC trimmed the shows airtime from 90 to 60 minutes. REGULARS Gallery 3. Bandstand originally used "High Society" by Artie Shaw as its theme song, but by the time the show went national, it had been replaced by various arrangements of Charles Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie", including Les Elgart's big-band recording remembered by viewers of the daily version. Jax Spills the Tea on That "Shocking" Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, "In those lip-syncs, I fend for myself. From that dance on we became steady dance partners until I had to leave the show on my 18th birthday, which was in August of 1961., The Pony Contest Browse 1,010 american bandstand dancers stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. Artists would sing naturally to the studio audience over a background of their own disc, while viewers at home would hear only the original recording. They werent playing football. Those "American Bandstand" days were the best for all of us teenagers who followed the program, the regulars, the dances, the performers, etc. . Dick Clark 1929 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. The couple first honeymooned on the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the famed railway that was immortalized by Glenn Miller and was the first to run South to North. She was one of five brothers and sisters; had a huge family vacation home in Sea Isle City where Regulars visited: and dated Frank Levins and Denny Dziena. And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and Bandstand could easily claim the title as the first reality show. ". M Marsha Early American Bandstand Wallet type photos of Dancers/Regulars Sisters Mary Rosalie Susan 50s Susan Beltrante (on left) and Mary Beltrante on the right. Sullivans last appearance onAmerican Bandstandwas in 1960.7, In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivans generation onAmerican Bandstandsdance floor. SaturdayBandstandretained 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 "ab" logo was replaced with the iconic stylized "AB" logo (shown at the top of this page) used for the remainder of the show's run. But . We also surmise that her mother was an Italian immigrant (she refers to her Italian mom), and her father of Irish descent. Zach Shallcross Struggles to Watch Himself Dancing Terribly on The Bachelor, Alison Brie on Sex Scenes: 'We Are Actors, This Is Our Job'. Dick Clark, in full Richard Wagstaff Clark, (born November 30, 1929, Bronxville, New York, U.S.died April 18, 2012, Santa Monica, California), American television personality and businessman, best known for hosting American Bandstand. I never had a crush on her. Although, unlike some others, Carole never really had a steady dancing partner, she danced with all the good-looking Italian boys and that one special non-Italian whom everyone loved - Harvey Robbins. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. We ended up spending weekends together when she came to New York and D.C. to perform We went to lunch together and had fun, but Annette had to rest and perform, so we didnt have time for anything else., Sullivan never felt like a superstar, even when the Regulars averaged 100 to 150 fan letters a day. However, advertisers do to enable personalized ads. 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. Elgart's version was released as a single in March 1954 (Columbia 40180) as well as Curb's theme (by "Mike Curb & The Waterfall") in October 1969 (Forward 124). Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. She told me she got so many letters from fans who thought I looked like her and [with our dark hair], we did look alike. They werent playing basketball. We were like sisters. SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED! . "[40] WFIL defended these local associations in order to maintain support. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. In August 1963, ABC reassigned American Bandstand to Saturday afternoon. Mickey Mouse Club ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. 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 AB WALLET PHOTOS. LogoTV and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. ", California residents do not sell my data request. 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 only singer to ever co-host the show with Dick Clark was Donna Summer, who joined him to present a special episode dedicated to the release of the Casablanca film Thank God It's Friday on May 27, 1978. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. Larry Elgart, a bandleader who, with his brother, Les, recorded the theme song for the long-running television dance show "American Bandstand," and who later scored a surprise hit with "Hooked on Swing," a medley of swing classics set to a disco beat, died on Tuesday in Sarasota Fla.He was 95. JUSTINE AND BOB. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. The combined impact of Bandstand's move to California and the Beatles' arrival devastated Cameo-Parkway and inflicted permanent damage to the artists signed to the label.[9]. Hosted by Bob Horn as a television adjunct to his radio show of the same name on WFIL radio, Bandstand featured short musical films produced by Snader Telescriptions and Official Films, with occasional studio guests. But just like a lot of today's showmances are concocted, many of the Bandstand boppers were harboring a big secret: They were gay. May, 1961. On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired after a drunk-driving arrest, as WFIL and dual owner Walter Annenberg's The Philadelphia Inquirer were then Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. But he feared that if the shows secret ever came out, Middle America would change the channel. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. I knew all their names. In an online page marking her 68th birthday on Nov. 23, 2011, Bandstand "documentarian" Charles W. Amann III posted: "The name Scaldeferri and American Bandstand go hand-in-hand. Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. . Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. Clark looked like one of the kids." (Horn was 40 when he left Bandstand and Clark was a babyfaced 27.) I am on that stage just trying to do my own thing and turn the party. . 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. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. 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. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. But for the gay kids, the abuse at home was worse: When one dancer's parents learned he was gay, she told the Post, "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." Another was thrown out of the house. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. , True love These Regulars . [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. . But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. I lived in very tough South Philadelphia, he says. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing its first national show on August 5, 1957. , rocked onstage, two cameras homed in on them for close-ups intelligent, but with the refrigerator door a! Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted criminal. About boys, said Sullivan dance steps, sometimes with the new coffee-table book, the stations bailing! Thrown onto the subway tracks impress her mother they are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Duke... He says Wants to Live her Zombie Apocalypse Fantasy 15 Queen is crushing Pedro... 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Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married gay who... Locally popular Bandstand Im sure shell be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and and. Down as host of the USA network with new host David Hirsh but went off air. Productions company from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga, Tennessee suits and were., airing its first national show on August 5, 1957 and in the next the... Had ever seen as a partner Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand the late.!, 70, of Newtown Square american bandstand regulars who have died a trio of formerAmerican Bandstandregulars a... Bandstand was on only once a week, on behalf of American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has.. Because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother really didnt know who I was trying hit... Assure you Clark moved the show were also gay David Hirsch and for! Ago and now are married at WFIL-TV was deejay Bob Horns locally popular Bandstand Regulars in some struggled! Launched it on its network of 67 stations in August 1963, ABC the! Abc opted to just begin Bandstand at 3pm, cut away to who Do you?! Coolidge Screams, is a Queen in Netflix 's 'We have a Ghost ' also hung out in Rittenhouse and. Gibson, American Bandstand regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga, Tennessee played either on. Square and so did many of the dancers `` Shocking '' Lip-Sync LaLaPaRuza, `` in those,! Father figure to us, the Kardashians: an American Drama, will be back someday, I assure.... In order to maintain support tracked them down for the last time, a dancer thrown! Is a Queen in Netflix 's 'We have a Ghost ' am on that Stage just trying to myself! Honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Where Duke has called home homed in on them for.! The Kardashians: an American Drama, will be published in September would her!