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. Thank you. I was surprised how short she was, he said. Justine Carelli and Bob Clayton were the dream couple of the show, the star struck lovers. 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]. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. Bob and Justine share their memories of the late Dick Clark and more A: Though they split in 1960 after three-plus years of jitterbugging on the Dick Clark-hosted show, they were happy to see . He found her selling real estate in Dolan Springs, Arizona, population 1,989. Kenny went on tour and was away a lot. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. 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. How old is Arlene Sullivan from American Bandstand? Dick Clark was a wonderful man who enjoyed his work. Teen idol Bobby Rydell, whose music career is still going strong 60 years after American Bandstand, wrote the books introduction; but former Regular Arlene Sullivan, who shares her memories and personal images, is a standout as well as a co-author of the book. Name: Patricia Ann Molittieri [Patricia A Ranieri] [Patricia Ranieri] SSN: 571600669 Gender: Female Race: White Birth Date: 22 Jan 1943 Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Darby, Pennsylvania] Death Date: Jul 1979 Type of Claim: Original SSN. Featured artists typically performed their current hits by lip-syncing to the released version of the song. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. 3. Dick Clark took it over in 1956, and it first aired as "American Bandstand" on the ABC on August 5 . Themselves 1 episode, 1962 The Surfsiders . Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. 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. Who are the couples on Bandstand in real life? Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). Arlene Sullivan and Bunny Gibson went on to write memoirs about their time spent on Bandstand and growing up as members of the Baby Boom generation. And now we have computers. Sometimes, he would come home from school and turn on the show. ``I just hit 50 and I feel like Im 14 today. This started with "'65", then "'66", "'67", "'68" and "'69" when each year arrived. Back In The Day. 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? In September 1964, Bandstand began using a new logo based on the ABC circle logo, reading "ab" in the same typeface followed by a number representing the year the show aired. For now, Dick Clark on ABC, so long. In fact, it was dangerous. Rauw Alejandro Tattoo (Video Oficial) Suscrbete al canal: https://goo.gl/Cqxmma Sigue a Rauw: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rauwalejandro Facebook: https . Arelene, whose mother was a devoted fan, claims she danced on the show "to get my mother's attention." Within three months, Arlene was a regular appearing five days a . Mam. [Editor's note: Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton were misidentified in a photo that ran in the May 13 issue of PARADE. Who wrote the theme song to American Bandstand? Jim didnt know that Justine lied about her age when introduced for the spotlight dances. Clark was "determined" to keep the homosexuality of popular "Bandstand" regulars a secret, Smith said. Many factors were involved in this, particularly the launch and rise of MTV and other music programs on television, and along with that, the number of ABC affiliates opting to pre-empt or delay the program. Bob had his last get-together with Justine at a Christmas party in his Delaware home in 2013. It does not store any personal data. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Bob 'Showboat' Hall . Self - Singer 1 episode, 1962 The Boopers . Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. He was an ace professional with a kind and sincere manner. Hey, our thanks to Laura Branigan for joining us here on American Bandstand today. Who was justine's dance partner on american bandstand? Thank you Arlene for given us a second turn of theGold Yeaysand new meaning of my Old Years. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. He had no idea if she was married. They had four top 10 pop hits and "Don't Worry, Baby" was the B-side to their first #1 "I Get Around." She was in that category.. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. Other pairs were regular dance partners, but didnt become romantically involved. The other couple with such high popularity was Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan. 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 . 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. They will always be my favorite couple. Mike Curb As a teenager in the late 1970s I always enjoyed watching American Bandstand on Saturday afternoons. John Lithgow filmed a mockumentary episode before it was c Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Murdaugh son collapsed outside court after sitting stone-faced through dad's 6-week murder trial: source, Madonna watches new boyfriend Joshua Poppers fight in New York City, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after brain aneurysm, How Ariana Madix discovered Tom Sandoval was cheating on her with Raquel Leviss, Chris Rock Jokes About Watching Emancipation to See Will Smith Getting Whipped In Advance of Netflix Special: Report, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. Pinterest. 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. We were like sisters. Sex sells books and ranks right up there as one of the very best publicity hooks, even if you haven't written erotica or a romance novel.omance novel. unsold game show pilots). The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. Arlene asked him to dance and thus Arlene and Kenny happened. One couple on the show was a couple in real life; Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton dated for three years. The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967. Lers. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. Arlene with singer Frankie Avalon at an American Bandstand event. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless, American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race. [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. The previous theme was retained as bumper music. I hope you've had a good half-hour. He would dance on the show until early 1960. In addition, the show has performances by popular musicians and audience Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. When she was 13, a boy the same age became smitten with her from his living room in Middletown, Conn. Richard Spada drew a picture of Carole and sent it to the show; Dick Clark held it up on the air. . The bashing of Bandstand regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. These teenagers became the nation's first reality-TV stars--they received thousands of fan letters and were mobbed everywhere they went. Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. 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. As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. At just 13 and 16, respectively, the twosome became regulars on the Dick Clark-hosted show, dancing as a couple for almost three years before they . 2 comments 7 Who are the couples on Bandstand in real life? 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. When we think back on #AmericanBandstand, the #DickClark years usually to mind. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [Bandstand] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. Dick Clark At just 13 and 16, respectively, the twosome became regulars on the Dick Clark-hosted show, dancing as a couple for almost three years before they parted ways. On their drive to lunch, Jim asked what was on her bucket list. Justine Carelli and Bob Clayton . Bob retired after being in the shoe business and the chemical business, where he often worked 18 hour days. They werent playing basketball. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. Clark produced it briefly in syndication and on cable. [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. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Called the "First Lady of Rock & Roll" in one headline of a marginal publication, [3] she is estimated to have sold more . 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. Davey Frees, president of the American Bandstand Fan Club, never got to the studio while the show was on the air. They were a beautiful couple, I named my daughter Arlene in 1958, I enjoyed watching them so much, would hurry up and come home from school to watch AB. They enjoyed walks in the park , and going to the drive-in movies with Barbara Leveick and her boyfriend at the time. 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. Mine too alwYs rushed home fron West Catholic High to watch bandstand. It turns out she was only 10 months older. They were hurting him. Featuring guest artists who lip-synced to their latest tunes, and a teenage audience whose members danced for the cameras, the show launched a conga line of dance crazes, fashion and hair trends, and sent the latest teen . 6 Who are some famous people from American Bandstand? (1957), Kenny Rogers and Arlene Sullivan were my favorites on American Bandstand. Here are some of the most popular Regulars who danced on Dick Clarks American Bandstand beginning in 1957. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million. Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. Browse 1,010 american bandstand dancers stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. 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. When ABC picked up the game show Do You Trust Your Wife? Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he . But just like a lot of today's showmances are concocted, many of the Bandstand boppers were harboring a big secret: They were gay. ``Bandstand first aired for a national audience on ABC on Aug. 5, 1957. He needed a group to show up every day, she says, and nobody got paid. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. . 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. Q: What happened to my favorite American Bandstand couple, Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton? [8] In the fall of 1961, ABC truncated American Bandstand's airtime from 90 to 60 minutes (4:005:00pm ET), then even further as a daily half-hour (4:004:30pm ET) program in September 1962; beginning in early 1963, all five shows for the upcoming week were videotaped the preceding Saturday. Justine said yes. Justine was the one who caught my eye, he said. 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. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Clark was known for integrating his audiences as well as his performers unusual in the late 50s. Bob Clayton and Justine Carrelli. Home Yesteryear Nostalgia Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? American Bandstand was where lip-synching became an artform. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. 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. Im sorry young lady, you dont look 14 to me, was his answer. Loved the show at 15 I learned to dance also copied dress and hair style. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, "The Pony" and "The Monkey"; others were named for . And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. 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. She saw the hang up and returned the call, thinking it might be an interested buyer. She saw the hang up and returned the call, thinking it might be an interested buyer. 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. CD (Digipak) with 36-page booklet, 23 tracks. Who was the first black dancer on American Bandstand? We didnt say anything about meeting again, Justine said. 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. From 1974 to 1977, there was a newer, orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie", arranged and performed by Joe Porter, played during the opening and closing credits. But back in the Bandstand days, Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show American Idol. ``While I was caught up in the magic of it, it was fantastic, said Justine, who at 12 1/2 used her older sisters birth certificate to get onto the show. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two . the use of any copyrighted material is used under the guidelines of "fair use" in title 17 107 of the united states code. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. Taking center stage each week was superstar Bandstand couple Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton, two of the shows most popular dancers. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. In 1972, after a divorced Carole appeared on a reunion show, Spada sent a letter to her and they married later that year. 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]. In particular, Arlene remembers him singing Because of You by Tony Bennett. 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. Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. Dick Clark as host was that perennial television star who seemed to have found the fountain of youth and just never seemed to age. Published Dec 11, 2013. 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. This couple was one of the top 2 couples who danced as Regulars on American Bandstand late 50s/very early 60s. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. April 18, 2012. 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. Stewart was the owner of a TV/Radio business in Philadelphia and even though he was an older gentleman, his advertising account was a large one for WFIL-TV, so he was put on the program to appease the account. Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put Bandstand on, she writes. A 1958 graduate of P. S. DuPont High School, Bob was. Here is a short recap of her recollections. 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. This is a love story 55 years in the making, and you can thank the teen dance program American Bandstand for it. Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), [2] known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s.