Arlene and Kenny first danced to "Why Don't You Understand" by George Hamilton IV. Bill Before Florida Senate Would Put Local Ordinances on Hold if Challenged, Legislation would make it illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to transgender youths, Florida Republicans are taking on the media. I'm David Hirsch and, on behalf of American Bandstand, I bid you, for the last time, goodbye. When WFIL-TV moved to a new facility on City Line Avenue (one that did not have a studio that could accommodate the show), ABC moved production of Bandstand to the ABC Television Center (stage 5) in Los Angeles (now known as The Prospect Studios) on February 8, 1964, which coincidentally was the day before the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? I was smitten by her. [2] Freddy Cannon holds the record for most appearances, at 110. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie",[7] which he originally recorded for his 1975 album Tryin' to Get the Feeling. My friends went to church dances every Friday and Saturday night. Bandstand Diaries co-author Arlene Sullivan wrote about meeting Kenny in script. They were some of the most famous kids in America, dancing every day on "American Bandstand." "We were like miniature rock 'n' roll stars. They had four top 10 pop hits and "Don't Worry, Baby" was the B-side to their first #1 "I Get Around." You are bidding on a Lot of 8 American Bandstand Trading Cards 283952355685 It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show American Idol. Justine was 12. The rule was you had to be 14 to get on the show. 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, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the program's producer.It featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical actover the decades . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. There were occasional shows that were not hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.[6]. She saw the hang up and returned the call, thinking it might be an interested buyer. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. 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. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. This is a love story 55 years in the making, and you can thank the teen dance program American Bandstand for it. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. A look ahead at the legislative session, Barbara Bryant, the first woman to head the U.S. census, has died at 96, Scientists find signs of horse riding in ancient human remains, A man dies of a brain-eating amoeba, possibly from rinsing his sinuses with tap water, Garland supports effort to hold Russia accountable for war crimes, Harlem, Hopper and Dreams. . That was the start of our romance, Jim said. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. Called the "First Lady of Rock & Roll" in one headline of a marginal publication, [3] she is estimated to have sold more . I think [the shows success] even surprised Dick Clark.. I hope more people of the past can enjoy their past by checking Bandstand Dairies,looking things up on the computer and contact your old fiends. He sometimes wondered what happened to Justine, especially around New Years Eve when he would watch Dick Clark host his special. After being told by Dick Clark that as a recording artist a professional he could no longer dance on American Bandstand. American Bandstand was where lip-synching became an artform. Thank you. Courtesy American Bandstand. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. They were some of the most famous kids in America, dancing every day on "American Bandstand." "We were like miniature rock 'n' roll stars. Blanche Keastead, N.J.Bob and Justine share their memories of the late Dick Clark and moreA: Though they split in 1960 after three-plus years of jitterbugging on the Dick Clarkhosted show, they were happy to see each other at the 40th reunion in 1992. From the late 1950s and most of the 1960s, Clark's on-camera sidekick was announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who later went on to announce Wheel of Fortune and other programs hosted or produced by Clark, such as The $100,000 Pyramid. Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. It became a staple in homes and heavily influenced American society culturally, musically, and socially. They accepted me. Mam. 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. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. In fact, it was dangerous. Today. from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program as Who Do You Trust? We've received your submission. He would dance on the show until early 1960. Themselves 1 episode, 1962 The Surfsiders . I still really didnt know who I was. I figured I had no chance in hell, but I was smitten by her the same way I was smitten by Marilyn Monroe and actresses like that. He had no idea if she was married. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. 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! Sullivans co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning Today show producer. Justines friends, who were the same age, got into the show one day, but she was turned away. I met Arlene in 1961 she was very sweet.Unfortunely I never got to meet Kenny. By what name was American Bandstand (1952) officially released in Canada in English? American Bandstand/Music composed by. Other pairs were regular dance partners, but didnt become romantically involved. American Bandstand will be back someday, I assure you. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. Togethera certain magic radiated from them when they were dancing!!! We were like sisters. LOVED JUSTINE AND BOB AND ARLENE AND KENNY!!!! Justine went home humiliated, but her mother suggested she take her older sisters birth certificate to the show the next day. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? That was the start of our romance, Jim said. If this is what 50 is like, who cares?, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. If she was on I watched it, if not I would do something else.. Kenny and Arlene met up again in the late 70s and to this day remain close friends. Other performers including Brandy, members of KISS, Dennis Quaid and his band The Sharks, Cher, and Stevie Wonder also performed to remember the iconic program.[41]. Clark decided to pitch the show to ABC president Thomas W. Moore, and after some negotiations the show was picked up nationally, becoming American Bandstand on August 5, 1957. That was funny, Jim said, because in April its my brother-in-law and sisters anniversary and we are planning to go to Hawaii. Who wrote the theme song to American Bandstand? The show's popularity helped Dick Clark become an American media mogul and inspired similar long-running music programs, such as Soul Train and British series Top of the Pops. He introduced her to his sister and neighbors, who remembered her from Bandstand.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. On their drive to lunch, Jim asked what was on her bucket list. 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]. American BandstandAmerican Bandstand became a powerful symbol of American teenage culture with its nearly four-decade look at the ever-changing tastes of the country's youth. The afternoon soon turned into the cocktail-hour, so they went out for drinks. American Bandstand Dancers Justine Carrelli Miller and Bob Clayton Philadelphia. ``This is like I died and went straight to heaven, he said. I started going out to straight clubs.. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. 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. Created by black deejay Don Cornelius as a black dance show, Soul Train started in Chicago in 1970 before being picked up by stations across the country the following year. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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. What a Beautiful love story..Kenny and Arlene were my favorite couple on Bandstand.. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . They joined Arlenes and Kennys fan clubs. They wrote thousands of It turns out she was only 10 months older. 6 Who are some famous people from American Bandstand? It featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical actover the decades, running the gamut from Jerry Lee Lewis to RunD.M.C.usually appeared in person to lip-sync one of their latest singles. They will always be my favorite couple. Kenny went on tour and was away a lot. And now we have computers. Sullivan & Rossi forever!!! Jim, on his ride back to his hotel room, decided he wanted to see her again, so he phoned her, and they arranged to have lunch the next day. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. When we think back on #AmericanBandstand, the #DickClark years usually to mind. ", "Forty years after 'Bandstand' debut, Clark and dancers celebrate", "ORIGINAL DANCERS WILL GRANDSTAND AT 'BANDSTAND' REUNION", "American Bandstand, Season 30, Episode 38: Laura Brannigan (Final ABC show)", "Dick Clark's On a Roll: He Tunes In to TV Trends", "Dick Clark celebrates American Bandstand's 35th", "RETRO: Fairbanks, Alaska (October 24, 1987)", "Retro: Northern Wisconsin, Sat. [Editor's note: Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton were misidentified in a photo that ran in the May 13 issue of PARADE. With 37 continuous years on the air, this was the longest-running weekly popular music showcase TV program in the world. They werent playing basketball. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. Artie Shaw Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he . WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. Justine was the one who caught my eye, he said. I had met other fans along the way, she said, but not that Id had lunch with them.. [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. She was in that category.. The county's total year-end fund balance at the end of the . Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. They won the first jitterbug contest when the show went . Then Dick Clark died in 2012. Jim joined the military, went through several jobs after getting out, got married, had three kids, became a widower at a young age, spent 23 years working in San Diego and moved to Venice, Florida to retire. Besides launching singers, ``Bandstand propelled its regulars from obscure adolescents into trendsetters. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. Arlene heard that Kenny got married and had a daughter named Nicki. They got married in 2014, something both said they would never do again. In particular, Arlene remembers him singing Because of You by Tony Bennett. Wed stay up all night talking about boys, she said. FOR SALE! . Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million. Who was justine's dance partner on american bandstand? They enjoyed walks in the park , and going to the drive-in movies with Barbara Leveick and her boyfriend at the time. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. When did Dick Clark start dancing on American Bandstand? Attempts continue to launch a successful game show or sitcom", "Final American Bandstand: The Cover Girls", http://nicestkids.com/nehvectors/nicest-kids/bandstands-backyard, "Remembering American Bandstand's 50th [Photos]", Son of Svengoolie - 'Good Morning, Sven' (Opening,Show #218) (verse occurs at the 1:35 mark), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Bandstand&oldid=1140855641, American Bandstand's 20th Anniversary (1973), American Bandstand's 25th Anniversary (1977), American Bandstand's 30th Anniversary (1982), American Bandstand's 33 1/3 Celebration (1985), American Bandstand's 40th Anniversary (1992), American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary (2002), The show was featured prominently in the 20022005, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:03. David Raymond Frees, born (June 14, 1947) in (Reading, PA) and also known as "Pop Frosty" is a rock music and contemporary dance lover, best known for his longest-running American Bandstand Fan Club founded in November, 1960 and recognized by Dick Clark as. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Bobby Rydell and Fabian, two other rock n roll celebrities with Philadelphia and ``Bandstand roots, recalled how a gig on the nationally broadcast show meant enormous exposure that led to movie contracts and other TV appearances. Here are some of the most popular Regulars who danced on Dick Clarks American Bandstand beginning in 1957. Justine became a singer, moved to Las Vegas, married her bandleader, had two sons, divorced 15 years later, became a real estate agent and moved to a small town in northwest Arizona. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. Justine said yes. Remember the audience's common response "I Like the beat". By 1973, the show drew many of the top R&B performers and competed with American Bandstand for viewers on Saturday afternoons. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. The series also reached into its vaults for a highly rated twentieth-anniversary late night special. Clark was determined to keep the homosexuality of popular Bandstand regulars a secret, Smith said. Set pieces from Soul Unlimited were utilized by Bandstand for its 19741978 set design. Movies Showing. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. at 3:30pm, then rejoin Bandstand at 4pm. Picture indicates this was in the 1970s. God bless friendships !!! Local radio disc jockey Buddy Deane was chosen as the host of The Buddy Deane Show on Channel 13, and began a daily two hour broadcast on September 9, 1957. In Philadelphia, however, WFIL opted to tape-delay the game show for later broadcast in another time slot, and to continue on with Bandstand, though only for the local audience. In the meantime, have a wonderful week or two. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. From September 13, 1986, to September 5, 1987, Manilow's version was replaced at the close of the show by a new closing theme arranged by David Russo, who also performed an updated instrumental arrangement of "Bandstand Boogie" when Bandstand went into syndication. They went back to her office to look at old photos on the computer. 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". ``Bandstand first aired for a national audience on ABC on Aug. 5, 1957. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Then it was hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horn's Bandstand.On July 9 of 1956 the show got a new host, a clean-cut 26 year old named Dick Clark.