The young dancers on American Bandstand were the reality stars of the 1950s and '60skids nationwide rushed home to watch their every move and chatter about their relationships and exploits. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. When I first met Kenny Rossi he was sitting way up in the stands I noticed his curly black hair, blue suit, beautiful brown eyes. 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.. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In the late 1950s and early '60s, everyone knew Bob and Justine, Kenny and Arlene, and Ed and Bunny. Hints. . Then Dick Clark died in 2012. But Molittieri eventually returned to her Philadelphia roots, where she married and had two daughters before dying at age 32 of either a heart attack or a stroke. He introduced her to his sister and neighbors, who remembered her from Bandstand.. They won the first jitterbug contest when the show went . Justine Carrelli-Miller wasnt even a teenager in 1956 when she used her sisters birth certificate to get on American Bandstand. The show was live five days a week from Philadelphia, Dick Clark had yet to become the host and it had yet to go national. "[40] WFIL defended these local associations in order to maintain support. Kenny and Arlene met up again in the late 70s and to this day remain close friends. This is a video I created of one of my favorite dance pa. CD (Digipak) with 36-page booklet, 23 tracks. Of all the regulars, Carole Scaldeferri Spada may have realized the longest lasting effect. I got stopped at the door and said to the cop, but Lucille and Diane got in and theyre in my class, she said. (1957), Kenny Rogers and Arlene Sullivan were my favorites on American Bandstand. Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. Carmen Jimenez, a regular from 1957 to 1961 who now works as a social worker, remembered the strange sensation of having fans, including one who started sobbing at the sight of the dancers in a hamburger joint. They split their time between Dolan Springs and Venice. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. He would dance on the show until early 1960. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. . 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. [42] American Bandstand was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation. Who was the first black dancer on American Bandstand? There were occasional shows that were not hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.[6]. I was smitten by her. Reporters and bloggers, alike, Can the Democratic Party regain strength in Florida? The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. 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. As a teenager in the late 1970s I always enjoyed watching American Bandstand on Saturday afternoons. July 9th, 1988", "Retro Request: Sat 10/31 & 11/7 and Sun 11/1, 1987", "AB now in syndication: Jody Watley, Dan Hill, David Spade", "Clark ends long-playing spin on bandstand", "On 'Bandstand,' Dick Clark Says Goodbye", "AGELESS CLARK STILL STANDS FOR THE 'AMERICAN' BAND", "Hits Prove Hard to Find at Dick Clark Productions: Entertainment: Performance has been mediocre since the company went public in 1987. Arlene and Kenny first danced to "Why Don't You Understand" by George Hamilton IV. Themselves - Dancers 1 episode, 1962 Tony Brady . [The knowledge about the dancers] would have destroyed himand the . American Bandstand was where lip-synching became an artform. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. Tuesday, Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton took another spin in the same studio, where they joined more than two dozen other middle-aged teen dancers from ``American Bandstand. Host Dick Clark and former teen idols such as Chubby Checker and Connie Francis also made it to the 40th anniversary celebration. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. American Bandstand/Music composed by. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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.. We'll see you then. 1960s. Her sister, Ivette Jimenez, recalled the thrill of having an admirer from Seattle send her a check for a car. They werent playing baseball they were DANCING. sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers. Who was justine's dance partner on american bandstand? We use cookies to give you the best experience. They were some of the most famous kids in America, dancing every day on "American Bandstand." "We were like miniature rock 'n' roll stars. Im sorry young lady, you dont look 14 to me, was his answer. On their drive to lunch, Jim asked what was on her bucket list. He kept his distance, she says. The whole thing was like a grand party, she said. And now we have computers. The rule was you had to be 14 to get on the show. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? WFIL reverted to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show lost perspective without the extra cameras. Hosted by local radio personality Bob Horn, the original Bandstand nevertheless established much of the basic format of its later incarnation. [36] Clark remained as executive producer. 7 Who are the couples on Bandstand in real life? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. Jim Miller was in junior high, living on Long Island, New York, when Bandstand became a national hit. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. Today. Bandstand Diaries co-author Arlene Sullivan wrote about meeting Kenny in script. Here are some of the most popular Regulars who danced on Dick Clarks American Bandstand beginning in 1957. The Saturday show would run until 1960. He died Jan. 19, 2009, at age 64. They were hurting him. She was in that category.. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. 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. 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.. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. 5 Who wrote the theme song to American Bandstand? JUST TO WATCH AMERICAN BANDSTAND. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. She thought he was a great singer. We didnt say anything about meeting again, Justine said. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. 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. Due to the size of the studio, the need to have as much dance space as possible, and the size of the cumbersome color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one RCA TK-41 where three RCA TK-10s[4] had been used before. Featured artists typically performed their current hits by lip-syncing to the released version of the song. With its new young host, Dick Clark, the show aired every day at 3 p.m. for an hour-and-a-half. 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. Copyright 2022 WGCU. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. INSIDE EDITION caught up with a man and woman who met on Dick Clark's show American Bandstand 50 years ago, and have remained friends ever since. Themselves 1 episode, 1962 The Surfsiders . Personal life. ``It was like having a New Years party every day, and when it was over I missed it _ the camaraderie, the dancing _ there was a void.. 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. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. Millions of kids from Brooklyn to Beverly Hills ran home from school every weekday to watch them dance, imitate their styles and fantasize about their lives. Kenny Rossi became a pop star in his own right, with hits such as But I Do and Open Your Heart. Pat Molittieri also had a few hit singles before pursuing acting; she died in 1975. "When I first met Kenny Rossi he was sitting way up in the stands I noticed his curly black hair, blue suit, beautiful brown eyes. Jim didnt know that Justine lied about her age when introduced for the spotlight dances. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. Lers. But I would still be his girl.. Who were the most popular dancers on American Bandstand? She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. Remember the audience's common response "I Like the beat". They will always be my favorite couple. This couple was one of the top 2 couples who danced as Regulars on American Bandstand late 50s/very early 60s. She was in that category.. How old is Arlene Sullivan from American Bandstand? This 45 rpm of "Drive-In Movie" by Bob and Justine on Fransil records is autographed by Justine in red ink, "To Howard Best Wishes Justine Carelli" and Bob has written in blue ink, "To Howard . 2 comments Bob Clayton and Justine Carrelli. Self - Harlem Globetrotter 1 episode, 1961 John Laws . In particular, Arlene remembers him singing Because of You by Tony Bennett. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. Bandstand Dairies has made my golden years even better to remember the SOLID GOLD DAYS. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. She blurted out count me in., So, I guess that was the part when I knew that it wasnt going to be a one-time meeting., She visited Jim in Venice that Thanksgiving. During the segment, two audience members each ranked two records on a scale of 35 to 98, after which their two opinions were averaged by Clark, who then asked the chosen members to justify their scores. 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. Justine was the one who caught my eye, he said. Courtesy American Bandstand. 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. Like nostalgia? Arlene heard that Kenny got married and had a daughter named Nicki. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Justine Carelli and Bob Clayton were the dream couple of the show, the star struck lovers. 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. 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].