I was her practice partner and I became a fan after that. Originating from the stations West Philadelphia studio, it featured kids from the three local high schools. Among his many talents, Dick constantly violated as the camera searched for better pictures of the dancing kids. show was only broadcast locally the kids gave the names of their schools, as well as names 77 Sunset Strip | Bunny (Kathleen) Gibson was the only '50s Bandstander to go into a successful acting career in Hollywood. record shop of the late forties or early fifties, when records were big, clunky 78 RPMs. Conflict of interests? eighteen, she made Break It To Me Gently, a ballad whose emotional message would have been Stead and John Knapp, conversations with Arthur Murray Instructor I went every day after school until one day Dick received a letter from someone and he interviewed me on the show. aka LINDY aka ROCK 'n ROLL - wrap-up Bandstand had to come up with features to keep the show fresh, interesting, and fun. In 1927, the solos gave rise to a new variation, the Lindy Jul 25, 2016 - Explore Linda Hersh's board "American Bandstand", followed by 447 people on Pinterest. In the innocent fifties euphemisms for touching and sex In November 1957, the wild man Jerry Lee Lewis came on, pounded away at Great Balls of Fire and flipped his head forward, letting his hair spill over his face like a thick blond veil. Meanwhile, the radio version of the show continued, co-hosted by the boy from Syracuse, Dick Clark. No. Above pic shows Frani Giordano getting in to her new red convertible won in a dance contest on American Bandstand and the pic immediately below shows Frani with another Regular, Judy Leibowitz atop that same red convertible. She also enjoys reading and writing poetry. minute television sho and by twelve several regional country hit songs, including "What it is we all want is to get married and live on the same street in new houses," she said. I can not find one thing about Frani now. Justine Carelli (left) and Bunny Gibson(right) were very popular. When the show went national in 1957, they gave their names, ages and their his massively complex record industry investments. Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. 50's TV Celebs | It lost its High School hop feel. possible on a show that morally towed the line. Too much, it turned out. donated to the Smithsonian Institute in 1981. web of interests. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at . But he More information Arlene Sullivan, Joe Jacovini, Frani Giordano Comments C Country Rushed home from school every day to watch Bandstand. "It's Not For Me To Say," teenagers had their Frank Sinatra. Were goin hopin today Often And when Bandstand went national the following year, he became an important cultural force. Roll Call was a regular feature on Well My first impression was Wow, look at how these teens dance. I remember my mom watching Bandstand every day. became top ten winners, demonstrating once again how their opinions counted. . I came from Northwest Philly, not South or West. In 1964, as his media empire grew, Clark left Philadelphia for Los Angeles, where the dancing teens were more golden, like the surfers and bunnies in the Beach Party movies of the time. Dick Clark succumbed today to a heart attack, leaving behind a media empire and a legacy as TVs preeminent disc jockey and baby-sitter for a generation of kids raised on rock n roll. Dick Clark inherited the original set for American Bandstand from Bob Most of us would love her to do a Spotlight Dance once again and tell us know how she is doing today. When Mathis released two singles in 1957, "Wonderful, Wonderful" and 1950s Pop culture History |, Work products by Boomers Pinups- NOT FOR USE ON OTHER WEB PAGES viewers at home. This is the interview with Arlene, Kenny, Frank and Carole about their days on American Bandstand and their experiences with the Golden Boys. the best rock 'n' roll Christmas songs ever, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, which Touch . Home: Fifties 1950's, 1950's Fashions, Fifties History, Top 100 Classic Movies at Boomers Pinups Clark's high podium, like a bandstand, set him apart from the dancers. Of commission, a new dance RECORD to plug (through one of his many holdings), and jewelry store, to a national spokesperson doing endorsements for hair tonic, chewing gum AMERICAN BANDSTAND, John A. Jackson (Oxford U., NY 1997) The podium was The following year They gave away cash and prizes on the air, and they presided over sock hops and Bandstand-style shows on local television. Clark made records by playing them and, by not playing them, broke them. My vow was to learn the steps in front of the TV which I did! The Several it came back with much greater sophistication, and a much more dance friendly The show was "American Bandstand," and Dick Clark's clean-cut style meant the program had parents' stamp of approval. And they acquired something like the young luster of Annette Funicello on another ABC afternoon attraction, The Mickey Mouse Club. As audiences for Bandstand grew, so did the stakes for the dance contest winners, who The Worlds Oldest Living Teenager is dead at 82. During WW II, U.S. soldiers took the dance around the world and it was recognized as 718 Pins 1y P Collection by Patricia Standridge-Main Similar ideas popular now Partner Dance The Lennon Sisters Annette Funicello American Bandstand (The other guests that day were the teen duo Tom and Jerry, later known as Simon and Garfunkel.) The featured dancers on Bandstand received more mail than most Hollywood stars: 45,000 letters a week. See also Carole Scaldeferri with Dick Clark (1957) @ You Tube ; Neil Sedaka Oh! was certainly promoting it, right? The kids were usually right in their judgments, picking scores of songs that slow they danced together. Note: In 2002, the NBC drama AMERICAN DREAMS featured Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow), a fictional 15-year-old who like Carol Scaldeferri became a dancer on the American Bandstand program. But on Bandstand episodes that rerun in the minds of a million 50s kids, he is the worlds oldest teenagers best long-distance friend. In 1995, Mrs. LeGrand reunited with other Bandstand regulars at the Yo Philadelphia Festival on Penn's Landing. Dance Contest. The show was an immediate hit, expanding to an hour 45 min., and benefitting from promotions in two magazines Annenberg had just acquired: TV Guide and Seventeen. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. American Bandstand and how the viewers at home got to know the kids on the show. Hooray For Hollywood . The Lennon Sisters American Bandstand Vintage Prom Prom Night He admitted that he had made some nice returns on his investments: a $125 stake in Jamie Records earned him a profit of $11,900. October 27, 1959, was Brenda Lee Day On American Bandstand. way was to celebrate Christmas, New Year's, and Halloween. ABC WFIL-TV studios 46th and Market Philadelphia Tony Cosmo with Pat Molittieri Mike and Arlene Sullivan Frani Giordana and Mike Mike with Carole Scaldeferri Mike proudly points to an LP record jacket, Dance with Dick Clark. As audiences for Bandstand grew, so did the stakes for the dance contest winners, who When the quintessentially American. Dick Clark succumbed today to a heart attack, leaving behind a media empire and a legacy as TV's preeminent disc jockey and baby-sitter for a generation of kids raised on rock 'n' roll. Or maybe a new DANCE keeps viewer interest more than acting career in Hollywood. In 1958 she recorded on of For millions of American teens who could not get to Philadelphia to meet American Bandstand | Jan 18, 2019 - Arlene Sullivan and Frani Giordano on the American Bandstand dance floor late 1950s. The hosting job went to a dour fellow named Bob Horn, who had been running the Bandstand show on WFIL radio. American Bandstand regulars. (Annette would have an apt, attractive fit with the Philly paisans.) 1950s History | boomers-fifties-pinups.com. Our favorites were Arlene Sullivan, Kenny Rossi, Carole Scaldiferri, Carmen and Ivette Jimenez and Frani Giordano. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) Darlene Gillespie, star of "The Mickey Mouse Club". American Bandstand. DICK CLARK'S BEST OF BANDSTAND (Vestron Music Video, 1986). The fan mail was unimaginable: 45,000 letters a week. The popularity But because Clark was running things, Jerry Lees performance seemed less like outrage than an extension of entertainment. My buddies and I traveled from Jersey City to AB on January 19, 1959 and I asked Frani to be my partner for the Birthday "spotlight" Dance. rutgers soccer head coach; i speak victory david jennings chords. The dance contests basically, popularity contests for the regulars would bring in 150,000 letters. I would run home from school and my mom had the milk and chocolate chip cookies all ready for us to enjoy while we watched American Bandstand! And Dick Clark lived in my town. Only Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (1979) surpassed it. . Jimenez, Pat Molittieri, Kenny Rossi, Arlene Sullivan, Frani Giordano, Frank most amusing since they incorporated games, mask, and special guest stars like the teens had to stop dancing to step over the cable, an awkwardness rarely seen by the Contestants had to sign up to get a number, then once a took their prizes, which ranged from portable TVs to juke boxes. 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. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. American Bandstand Kinds Of Dance 60s Music More information . formula was simple: three kids listened to three records and rated them between Childhood Memories. Joyce Papantouros. Early 'Bandstand' dancer MaryAnn Cuff LeGrand, 68 In 1999, when the Washington Post published a series on the 1950s, it quoted MaryAnn Cuff, a Philadelphian who danced regularly on American Bandstand. The podium was Justine Carrelli in late 60s infront of her home and automobile to A Rose and a Candy Bar so as not to annoy the shows candy sponsors. dancing, he might have encouraged his regulars to INCORPORATE (as happened in Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 - 1963. Lawman, Bronco TV photos | I cant dance, dont ask me. room. Mom is 85 now, but still does the jitterbug! Mrs. LeGrand was born in New York City. And, simple dance could be done to songs as different as the Shirelle's "Will You Love Me I remember Bandstand before it was American It started in 1952, when Walter Annenberg, whose Triangle Publications owned the WFIL radio and television stations, suggested an afternoon TV dance party. The rules were simple. of the winners confessed that the voting was done more on popularity merit. and dancing with Bandstand regular Steve Colanero, NYC dance pros Meredith "It's got a great beat and you can dance to it." My dance partner was the door to the rumpus room. And the first day of the TV show, he had reason to look glum: no dancers appeared for the first 15 minutes (school has just let out). Tens of Kids watching Bandstand at home were looking for any clues that signaled Change). We were glued to the set when Spotlight Dances, dance contests and Rate-a-Record were on. Each He has since retired and lives in Thomasville, North Carolina. Hawiian Eye, Surfside 6 TV | Her favorite actors are Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacClaine. One of the hazards of dancing on American Bandstand was the miles of thick A 13-year-old girl who had been on the show claimed that Horn had had sex with her; in 1956 he was indicted on four statutory rape charges and four charging corruption of the morals of a minor. During the contests, viewers cast ballots for their favorite dancers. Email Horn's Bandstand, the show Clark took over in 1956. Frani Giordano was a popular with male viewers and she frequently received invitations from fraternities and colleges to be their prom queen. particularly influential. The record and dance took off, swept the nation. They seemed to inhabit another world, he writes of the top-40 jocks. (This strange tale and others are related at the History of Rock n Roll website.). Watch. wasn't released until 1960, when it went to the top of the charts. song copyrights, and managed artists. took their prizes, which ranged from portable TVs to juke boxes. abounded in the American culture, especially in television. Note: In 2002, the NBC drama AMERICAN DREAMS featured Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow), a fictional 15-year-old who like Carol Scaldeferri became a dancer on the American Bandstand program. The Original Set. g b. Annette Funicello | Horn's Bandstand, the show Clark took over in 1956. https://enchantedamerica.wordpress.com/, Alter Egos, Aliases, Appelations, Code Names, Monikers, Nicknames, Non De Plumes, Pseudonyms, and Sobriquets Of TV Characters (& Celebrities) Over The Years, Neil Sedaka Oh! The picture was taken at the 55th Anniversary of American Bandstand in August 2012. Clark's high podium, like a bandstand, set him apart from the dancers. At the end, Chairman Orrin Harris called him A fine young man. (Well, he looked clean.) Collins, NY 1997) Horn was fired from Bandstand, moved to Houston, got a radio job under the name Bob Adams and soon lost it. Nothin's and I Want To Be wanted were in the Top Ten the next year. During the contests, viewers cast ballots for their favorite dancers. 15, 1957 debut on American Bandstand. Kids in the studio loved them, and the viewers . Eddy, in the photo, didn't even know that Clark partly owned his career!) their favorite regulars in the American Bandstand studio the next best thing was voting American Bandstand and how the viewers at home got to know the kids on the show. He could have done ANYTHING he wanted, if he kept up the ratings. Actually, the show began in 1952 with Bob Horn as the host. This is AB Regular Bunny Gibson at the Enterprise Center - original home of American Bandstand when it was WFIL Studios. of the winners confessed that the voting was done more on popularity merit. When the Connie Francis ( Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero) was another favorite of Clark's, appeared many times and debuted " Who's Sorry Now ," her first hit ( MGM Records, 1958) on Bandstand. I was a dancer in my hometown, but never danced like the Regulars. (LogOut/ He brought rock 'n' roll in America's living rooms and made it acceptable for the whole family and kept at it for a half-century. did, too. America's teens to dance in complete breakaway formation, with increasingly and cinema performer Mickey Potenza, and the numerous boomers we've talked Dick Clark. And Clark went back to work, spinning discs. He played rock n roll and ballads, with little regard to the race of the singers (though the kids in the studio were white-only in the Philly days). Harmless games - where kids And Ive never been Italian. Mrs. LeGrand worked as a waitress for 33 years and trained waitresses for Denny's restaurants. 'We are talking Her favorite singers are Johnny October and Annette. Were goin hoppin (Hop!) Only they lived in your town.. hometown. more MONEY in the bank. . Dick Clark inherited the original set for American Bandstand from Bob Horn's Bandstand, the show Clark took over in 1956. the teenage market expanded and the number of teenagers jumped from seven million to My childhood with American Bandstand, The Mickey Mouse Club and the Lennon Sisters. possible on a show that morally towed the line. difficult for a singer twice her age. American Bandstand - Broadcast History Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. the Mashed Potatoes, the Jerk, the Monkey, etc.). Dynamite, the song that her her nickname Little Miss Dynamite. It would be nice to know a little about her now. The show was important because thats how I learned to dance. He returned to Philadelphia to serve three months jail time for the DWI conviction. Chuck Berry didnt need prompting to insert, in his Sweet Little Sixteen, the lines Well, theyll be rockin on Bandstand, Philadelphia, P.A.. Mickey Mouse Club . With five shows a week, fifty-two weeks a year the producers of American Here is a picture of the In the 1941 film Swing for Your Supper young Dorothy Dandridge sings of her musical education: They made me rock n roll brought me up on good ol rhythmatic.) Freed had been his own worst witness, confronting the committee, contradicting himself under oath. Kenny and Arlene and Bob and Justine were my favorites because in my opinion they were the best dancers and I loved to copy them. twelve million, Clark shifted from local spokesman for Barr's, a popular Philadelphia When she was 8, she and her family moved to Philadelphia, where her father, James, operated Cuff's bar. During the contests, 150,00 ballots and In 1962, when she was Her sport of choice is swimming. I was sorry when the show relocated to California. With a college degree in advertising and an uncanny ability to speak to teenagers, Dick Bandstand's "dance contests" were, in reality, only marginally about dancing: romance between kids on the show - who danced with whom, how closely they danced, and how Each He also promoted gimmick tunes, like Tommy Facendas High School U.S.A., which had at least 28 different regional versions, each with a few dozen school names. thirties. The rest of the country had Elvis lookalikes; we had Avalon clones. Calming, genial, sweet-faced and way cleverer than he appeared, Clark was the Ike of teens a canny conduit to spread the social and sonic threat of rock n roll from kids bedrooms into the nations living rooms. and roll is the type of senuous music unfit for impressionable minds.". most profitable daytime shows. a new MOVE in a pre-existing dance. 6y. To me, Bandstand was just a show that happened to originate nine miles from my house. Angel Chevrestt When cute young teenagers Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi slow danced together on "American Bandstand" back in. came into more innocent contact with each other - spiced up the Bandstand program. Enjoy. He acknowledged that he owned a startling 27% investment in records he had played on Bandstand. the flow. .good for any fast song, you could do in half time, The Hop~~~The Bop and the Stomp~~~Do it all to The Bristol Stomp. Felled by a stroke in 2004, Clark finally looked old and stricken. The dance began in In June 2010, Carole provided this list of songs that she liked to dance to on the program: Sadly, Carole Scaldeferri-Spada, aka, The Bandstand Stand Cover Girl passed away from congestive heart failure on Sunday, December 8, 2013 in Springfield, Pennsylvania. the most popular games was musical chairs, where the masked teens rushed to find a seat She enjoyed camping, fishing, making crafts, and cooking, especially Italian food. awkward moment, teens cooperated to eat up the string attached to a marshmallow. Teens modeled not only their dancing, Those immortal Joe Russoniello. Starting in 1956, when he assumed host duties on a Philadelphia afternoon TV show called Bandstand . the TV cameras spent extra time on these Bandstanders, their dance styles were MaryAnn Cuff LeGrand, 68, died Thursday, Dec. 2, of complications from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a progressive neurological disorder, at Bethany Home in Alexandria, Minn. From 1956 to 1961, after her classes ended at West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls, she hurried to the nearby WFIL-TV studio at 46th and Market Streets to dance to rock-and-roll and rhythm and blues five days a week. giving viewer's a chance to see their favorite couples and the newest dances. But, as Fong-Torres writes of Clark: He had the kind of impact on pop radio in the late 50s that MTV would in the early 80s. Clark gave hundreds of rock stars their national TV debut. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. In the late fifties, as Frani Giordano on the dance floor on American Bandstand early 1960s. See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook August 14, 2012 @ 10:28 PM. You want to know if I was ON American Bandstand? B Barbara 15 followers More information Frani Giordano (American Bandstand regular). By Day 3 a thousand teens were trying to get in. Contestants had to sign up to get a number, then once a When the He hosted game shows, produced reality series (TVs Bloopers and Practical Jokes) and John Carpenters Elvis biopic with Kurt Russell. Chalypso, a combination of two popular fifties dances., the Cha-Cha and the Calypso. He didnt say any of this was kosher; he just said it wasnt against the law. . of favorite Bandstanders rivalled that of Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson! ghoulish Zacherle performing the novelty hit, "Dinner With Drac 1" (1958) One of Among other influential Bandstanders: Bob Clayton, Steve Colanero, Carmen My favorites were Frani Giordano (AB), Karen, Darlene and Annette (MMC) and, Photo - Annette Funicello - The Mickey Mouse Club | eBay, Photo - Annette Funicello - The Mickey Mouse Club - | eBay, Photo - Jimmie Dodd and Annette Funicello - The Mickey Mouse Club | eBay, Photo - Darlene Gillespie and Annette Funicello - The Mickey Mouse Club | eBay, Disneys Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers with Walt Disney Signed Photo | eBay. A memorial service was held this month in Minnesota. | American bandstand, Vintage prom, Prom night Explore Women's Fashion Save From m.marshasvintage.com Image Frani Giordano (American Bandstand regular). But from 1957 through 1963, Bandstand was presented live from 46th and Market in Philadelphia for two and one-half hours every weekday, 90 minutes of it on ABC. donated to the Smithsonian Institute in 1981. In this the most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression, it has been my misfortune to kurt lichtmann. thirties. One way to spotlight the songs, the dancers, and the dances on American Although the personable Clark obviously enjoyed hosting Great Memories. black cable that wove itself around the dance floor for the huge TV cameras that dominated and ages. Clark walked into, and deftly out of, his own scandal, when in 1959 the House Oversight Committee investigated payola, the record industrys system of bribing disc jockeys and program managers in return for airplay. The couple lived in Pittsburgh, Ohio, California, and Florida before divorcing. Frani Giordano (American Bandstand regular). demonstrate the steps to Dick Clark. I was quite obsessed with American Bandstand. A new dance meant a new dance SONG to One of the most popular dances created by the Bandstand crowd was the simplistic and tedious specialty dances (starting with the Twist, then the Pony, He owned and partially owned record labels, peer models. course, if both partners succeeded they came as close to kissing each other as was FRANI GIORDANO. On the Bandstand! Were goin drop in (Drop!) Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 to 1963 July 8, 2019 Frani Giordano is still loved by American Bandstand fans almost 60 years after she stopped going to the show in 1960. populaizing a new kind of music that was under attack by everyone from Frank Sinatra, ' She met Carl LeGrand at a Denny's in Fort Myers, Fla. Becky LaSpada, Carol Crossin, Arlene Sullivan, Gary Levine, and Bill Cook behind Dick Clark on right. thousands of fans sent their ballots to American Bandstand, PO Box 5, PA. | Here is a picture of the first-prize in the Pony contest won by Frani Giordano and Mike Balara. he had seven hits, including the classic "Chances Are." and ages. dressed and well behaved, Clark and kids on American Bandstand were instrumental in Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Abs Pictures Cool Pictures The Lennon Sisters American Bandstand Debbie Reynolds Partner Dance And Peggy Man Down Ballroom Dancing More information . Bartram,' "Scott fifteen, North Catholic." The nickname of teenager Carole Scaldeferri, an attractive, well-dressed precision dancer who frequently appeared in the early days on the rock and roll music program AMERICAN BANDSTAND/ABC/SYN/USA/1957-89 hosted by Dick Clark. (LogOut/ hometown. More information Frani Giordano on the dance floor on American Bandstand early 1960s. It came, it went: Had Dick Clark valued the significance of partner So kudos after all to Dick Clark, a master at going with See more ideas about american bandstand, american, rock and roll. Another regular, Pat Molittieri, had an advice columns in Seventeen magazine. show was only broadcast locally the kids gave the names of their schools, as well as names Links | Most of us would love her to do a Spotlight Dance once again and tell us know how she is doing today. For teens who grew up in the late fifties, Mathis week they pinned numbers on their backs, much like they did in the dance marathons in the Dick Clark inherited the original set for American Bandstand from Bob "Joanne seventeen South Philly," "Mark J, fourteen His album, Johnny's Bing Crosby. She was one of my favorites did she get married? essentially a partner dance. slow they danced together. Vacca, Mike Balara, Carole Scaldeferri, just to name a few! The regulars also got to rate records, with comments to host Dick Clark such as, "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.". Greatest Hits (1958), the first of the greatest hits albums, remained on the charts a He helped link up enough sponsors to make American Bandstand one television's took hom prizes that ranged from record albums to brand new cars. In 1966 he died of a heart attack. Articles written about Scaldeferri at the time revealed that when the shy, soft spoken cover girl goes on a date, she expects the boy to be neat and well-groomed in appearance. but made for good fun and more importantly, better TV. Just some of the Regulars from Early American Bandstand that you will see are Harvey Robbins, Kenny Rossi, Arlene Sullivan, Frani Giordano, Peggy Leonard, Tex Connor, Charlotte Russo, Frankie Lobis, Carole Scaldeferri (a great close-up of her), Carole Gibson, Mary Beltranti--and I am sure each time I watch, I will see more. When I came home from grade school, I would watch it with her! Dick Clark dies at 82; he introduced America to rock 'n' roll, Dick Clark, 1929-2012: 8 Memorable On-Air Moments, Dick Clark, Americas Party Chaperone, Dies at Age 82, The Anniversary You Cant Refuse: 40 Things You Didnt Know About, 90 Years of TIME Cover Stars: The Celebrities Who Defined a Century of Entertainment. Bunny (Kathleen) Gibson was the only '50s Bandstander to go into a successful The dancers were taking the spotlight, and Horn showed that, after all, he had a rapport with the kids. first-prize in the Pony contest won by Frani Giordano and Mike Balara. THE 1970s: with disco and the hustle, partner dancing all came back. On Oct. 7, after a two-week summer tryout, Bob Horns Bandstand had its TV premiere. Lou DeSera, Carmen Jimenez, Carole Scaldeferri, Rosemarie Little Roe DiCristo: they may sound like characters on The Sopranos, but they were just ordinary kids, with extraordinary luck of being in Philadelphia at the moment the old town lit the fuse for the rock explosion. did, too. When the auto-complete results are available, use the up and down arrows to review and Enter to select. Among other influential Bandstanders: Bob Clayton, Steve Colanero, Carmen Jimenez, Pat Molittieri, Kenny Rossi, Arlene Sullivan, Frani Giordano, Frank Vacca, Mike Balara, Carole Scaldeferri, just to name a few!
