Demonstrating the dance on the show, Checker was rewarded with an instant hit, setting off a dance craze that would last the better part of two years. Originally titled "Bandstand," the first episode on October 7 featured New York transplant and former announcer Dick Clark playing records as the first-ever video DJ. TV Shows. He soon had a nice little musical empire in the making. On August 5, 1957, ABC aired the first national broadcast of "American Bandstand," still filmed live in Philadelphia, from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. (EST). Matthew F. Delmont, The America of Bandstand, Washington Post, Sunday, April 22, 2012, p. B-2. He featured musical guests lip-synching their songs and used his teenage audience to rate new records. electric guitar. The Coasters-Searchin' 6. A youngish-looking 26 when he took over,Clark quickly made the show his own. A Comprehensive Guide to Swing Dancing in the USA, The Golden Age of Casino Gambling in Las Vegas, A Glimpse into Casino Gambling in Las Vegas in the 1940s. He fell in love with her. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. They married during her Thanksgiving vacation from Northeast High School. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. Thanks for visiting and if you like what you find here, please make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. One of the important dance shows that became nationally syndicated during the 1950's was: American Bandstand. In August 1957, American Bandstand, a new television show broadcast out of Philadelphia, PA, featured local teenagers dancing to the new rock 'n roll music. I knew when couples broke up. In January, 1980, Prince made his TV debut on Bandstand. 2) country and western. In the 1950s, American Bandstand was the go-to show for teens across America who loved to dance. Still, Clark and American Bandstand held their popularity. But in the fall of that year, it became a once-a-week show run on Saturday afternoons. Sample recording from one of Dick Clark's radio programs, May 1985. In the film, Cruise played Joel Goodsen, a suburban Chicago teen who has a series of misadventures when his parents go out of town and leave him home alone. Teenagers and young adults ran home from school to watch them jitterbug and stroll while they copied their fashions, fads and dance moves. Lets take a trip down memory lane and explore what made American Bandstand special. In addition, the show has performances by popular musicians and audience members rate songs. Four years later on July 9, 1956, Horn was arrested for driving under the influence just as his station was in the middle of an ongoing expos on drunk driving. The show that evolved into American Bandstand began on Philadelphias WFIL-TV in 1952, a few years before the popular ascension of rock and roll. Alex Alvarez, DJ Cousin Brucie Recalls Dick Clarks Commitment To Racial Integration: If We Dont Go All Together, We Go Out, Mediaite.com, April 19th, 2012. 01 of 10 The treaty was hailed as an important first step toward the control of read more, On August 5, 1864, at the Battle of Mobile Bay, Union Admiral David Farragut leads his flotilla through the Confederate defenses at Mobile, Alabama, to seal one of the last major Southern ports. Best Sellers Rank: #554,380 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl) #2,242 in British . Count 6: Replace weight forward, in place. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. Kelly said he avoided Rittenhouse Square, knowing if he were seen there, they'd be banished, but it was an open secret that most of the boys on the show were gay. This site does not collect any information from you. Sharon Sultan Cutler, of Chicago, talks about "Bandstand Diaries," the book she co-authored with Ray Smith and former "American Bandstand" participant Arlene Sullivan . Even if you already know that ABC's American Bandstand was the MTV before MTV (or even the YouTube before YouTube), the extent of its influence, when taken all at once, is still phenomenal. It didnt hurt, of course, that Bandstands WFIL-TV station was owned by the Walter Annenberg empire, which also included, among other media outlets, TV Guide and Seventeen magazine for girls. He was 21 and she was 16. In 1979, Clark developed a series of moves for the audience perform to the Village People's premiere of their hit "YMCA," birthing yet another dance craze (which annoyingly persists in elementary schools across the U.S. even today). Tall, Thats All, Time, Monday, April 14, 1958. You want to know about the guy! Richard Corliss, Philly Fifties: Rock n Radio, Saturday, July 14, 2001. Those who stood on line outside the studio hoping for admission, could be eliminated for dress code reasons. In addition, Snyder is also acquiring other Dick Clark assets, including the New Years Rockin Eve broadcast from Times Square, the Golden Globe Awards show, the American Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Family Television Awards. In early October 1952, a dance show hosted by Bob Horn premiered on Philadelphia's WFIL-TV, taking from the popular "ballroom" live radio show format and pointing a camera at it. In 1989, Clark suffered a stroke that temporarily paralyzed his left hand and forced him to give up hosting duties. 32 talking about this. Sept 1956: Philadelphia Tribune headline about the lack of African American teens on the Bandstand TV show. The show was also receiving 20,000 to 45,000 fan letters a week. Counts 3-4: Take another step, to finish the swing move. Bandstand at first was a regional show from Philadelphia. Clark took Bandstand national in 1957 and built it into America's most popular and influential outlet for teen music and dancing. The fall of Mobile Bay was a huge blow to the Confederacy, and the victory was the read more, The worlds first electric traffic signal is put into place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 5, 1914. But this one was different. But for other blacks who wanted to be on the program, admission was nearly impossible. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; 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. Mike and Arlene Sullivan. By the mid-1980s, with the rise of MTV and other music channels. By February 1964, American Bandstand moved to Los Angeles, in part to facilitate Clarks expansion into other TV ventures and film production. It even brought movements to the U.S. like featuring pop-soul vocal group The 5th Dimension in June 1966 and British legends The Doors in July 1967. Don Rondo-White Silver Sands 10. Film studios created ideal pop stars (Frankie Avalon, Fabian Forte, Bobby Vee, and Leslie Gore). In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. However, he soon recovered and enjoyed a long and successful career in television and radio. However, there are reports that when Clark took these tours into towns where segregation was still practiced he insisted on equal treatment of his performers at those venues, otherwise he would threaten to pull the show. 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 Music by Charles Albertine Who did Bob Clayton marry? Yet over its three decades, American Bandstand played a key role in the music business. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE However, the station screened those requests, some by area of the city, and others on the basis of the last names submitted on the requests with Polish, Itallian, and Irish sounding last names receiving preference. The ironclad warship was raised from the floor of the Atlantic, where it had rested since it went down in a storm off Cape Hatteras, read more, On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan begins firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers striking in violation of his order for them to return to work. . Dick Clark Comes to Bandstand The duo would later become known as Simon & Garfunkel. On December 17, 2015, in response to losses across Guggenheim Partners, the company announced that it would spin out its media properties, including Dick Clark Productions, to a group led by its former president Todd Boehly. Newest Music for a New Generation: Rock n Roll Rolls On n On, Life, December 22, 1958, pp. Label : Time Life Records. Every afternoon after school, kids would tune in to watch their favorite celebrities and everyday people bust a move to the latest hits. 1981: Los Angeles Times photo of Dick Clark seated among show attendees in Bandstand bleachers as he introduces a guest act. The 50 record albums are packed away for safekeeping., Normans passing (7/21/2011) I just received this from Bunny Gibson and certainly thought it was appropriate to mention here: Anna Russo, formerly Anna Banani, went to American Bandstand 1963 until AB left Philly for Los Angeles, lost both of her legs to diabetes and is in need. Hank Bordowitz, Turning Points in Rock and Roll, Citadel Press, 2004. In the late 1960s he did various television series, talent shows, and also hosted TV game shows, culminating in the late 1970s with The $25,000 Pyramid. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; American Bandstand's 25th Anniversary Special aired on February 4, 1977, featuringChuck Berry,Seals and Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker,Johnny Rivers,the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione, most ofBooker T. and the MGs,and his first now-famous "all-star" rock jam where all of the night's musical stars got together to jam on Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven.". The funky organ based music of the 1950s was fading. The Philadelphia high school Regulars who danced on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in the late 1950s and early 1960s became national celebrities and America's first reality stars. LIFE in 'American Greasers: A 50s Bandstand Celebration'! But it soon became the highest rated local daytime TV show in the nation, and that got the attention of network executives in New York. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In the late 1950s and early '60s, everyone knew Bob and Justine, Kenny and Arlene, and Ed and Bunny. Even in the late Fifties, Clark and his show were inspiring teenagers and housewives to dance, but it wasn't until August 6, 1960 that the show scored its first "dance craze." Elvis Presley- (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear 2. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. ., Dick Clark Covers Hundreds of kids lined up each day hoping to be one of the few lucky ones who got to dance alongside the Regulars and share part of the magic that was American Bandstand. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! There was a protest in the early 60's, Eventually Black teens were allowed. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. We will pull the show out, explained Morrow. His name is, Champion Polar Images Namron O My-Joy, as recorded with the AKC. TV Bandstand: Teenagers Favorite, Look, vol. Then you cant serve any of us, Clark told the owner, according to Barbee-McNeal, signaling the group to leave the restaurant and get back on the bus. Although he recovered partially from his stroke, his public appearances thereafter were limited. If you choose to Accept all, we will also use cookies and data to. Twenty million viewers were now tuning in, half of whom were adult. Clark was immediately asked to assume full-time hosting duties. However, integration of the studio audience at American Bandstand the audience of dancers seen on TV screens across the country was quite another matter. Some specific changes made to swing by 1950s teens As a reference point, the most common style of swing at the beginning of the 1950s was: Counts 1-2: Take a step, to walk through a swing move. 3) mainstream popular music. It was also easier in L.A. to tap into the recording industry. Two months later, "American Bandstand" broadcast in color for the first time, ushering in a new era of television that would continue into the Seventies. Research by John A. Jackson in his 1997 book. Cover of Dick Clark's autobiography covering early days of 'Bandstand' and the music industry (with photos, 276 pp). Becky Krystal, Dick Clark, Host of American Bandstand, Dies at 82, Washington Post, April 18, 2012. In the deal, Snyder became the owner of, In 2007, Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, acquired Dick Clark Productions for $175 million including. Ken Emerson, The Spin on Bandstand Music, TV and Popular Culture Learned to Swing to the Beat of a Different Drummer: Big Bucks, Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2007. Dick Clark at his DJ post in the 1950s. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. The Hully Gully - "Shake your shoulders and wiggle your knees.". Fred Goodman, Roll Over, Beethoven: How Dick Clark Taught American Parents not to be Afraid of Rock-and-Roll and Made a Fortune in the Process, Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock n Roll Empire, Book Review, New York Times, October 26, 1997. The teen dancers on "American Bandstand" became the equivalent of "reality TV stars" with their own fan bases. In the late 1950s, when television and rock and roll were new and when the biggest generation in American history was just about to enter its teens, it took a bit of originality to see the potential power in this now-obvious combination. The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. Not only did it become the place where major record labels sought to showcase their songs and artists, it also generated millions in record sales each year, plus millions in advertising revenue for ABC. . And it remained a segregated program from 57 until it left for Hollywood in 1964.. By February of the following year, Clark moved the show from Philadelphia to ABC Studios in Los Angeles. Larry Williams-Short Fat Fannie 9. True. No discussion of American Bandstand would be complete without mentioning its iconic host, Dick Clark. 10/7/1957 9/5/1987 ABC 60 minutes amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; Norman was born on January 18, 1944. John Liberty, Dick Clark Remembered: the Velvelettes Say Icon Defended Them in Segregated South, Share Memories of 1964 Tour, Mlive.com, April 20, 2012. Billy Williams-Date with the Blues 8. Article Citation: January 1993: Dick Clark with Michael Jackson paging through American Music Awards booklet. Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor They feared the backlash that might happen if Black boys danced close to white girls. The Caravan road shows ran for several years, through the early 1960s. We built a horizontal and vertical music situation, explained Clark of his various businesses. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. Prince (1980), The Talking Heads (1979), Public Image Ltd. (1980), Janet Jackson (1982), and Wham! Dick Clark's American Bandstand was the offspring of deejay Bob Horn's Bandstand, which WFIL-TV broadcast daily from 1952-56 from a WFIL studio at 4548 Market St.The program's signature features were Philadelphia teens dancing to popular music and the portly Horn interviewing musical guests who lip-synced their latest hits on the show. In the book Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Clark mentions that his show was the first to showcase African American music stars performing their songs, and it showed African American and White teens dancing together and sitting together during the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s. By 1951, when he landed a job at ABCs WFIL station in Philadelphia,heworked in radio, regarded as too youthful looking to be a credible TV newscaster. Known for her perky personality, Pat Moliterri is credited with inventing the dance, the Hop, by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop.Sadly, Pat died in in the mid-seventies of a heart attack. Clarks income was soon approaching $500,000 a year. American Bandstand and Dick Clark, The Museum of American Broadcast Commu-nications. Clark also became involved in managing the artists, formed a radio offshoot, and conducted live productions. Forget that. Wagon Train Website,