When Dick Clark died it came to mind what happened to Justine, again, Jim said. He found her selling real estate in Dolan Springs, Arizona, population 1,989. Justine was the one who caught my eye, he said. Particularly during the show's prime Philadelphia years (1952-63), Philadelphia youth culture became American culture through American Bandstand. 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. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. 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". They wrote thousands of letters. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? 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. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. CD1<br><br>01 - Snap! That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. To this day, oh so many years have passed, and yet I still feel the magic of Arlene and Kenny!!! The original "Bandstand," as it was called in 1952, was first hosted by deejay Bob Horn, who later was fired due to a drunk-driving conviction.. . PublishedJanuary 1, 2023 at 10:00 AM EST. He would dance on the show until early 1960. 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 . He had no idea if she was married. Thats why Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson would never appear on the show, but movie stars Jeff Chandler, Tab Hunter, Sal Mineo came., Dancing came naturally to Sullivan, the way it did to all Regulars, she says. I did get to know Annette Funicello [a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club], who came to the show. Self - Harlem Globetrotter 1 episode, 1961 John Laws . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Arlene learned that Kenny had a particular fondness for parties as he liked the attention when he was dancing. Famous Americans. Karen Hardie. But . He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. The whole country watched those lively teens tear . They won the first jitterbug contest when the show went nationwide in 1957. Dick Clark took it over in 1956, and it first aired as "American Bandstand" on the ABC on August 5 . Self - Singer 1 episode, 1962 The Boopers . We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We regret any confusion this caused.] We use cookies to give you the best experience. They dont look at middle school kids or junior high kids, he said. Well, there's a proper place for "American Bandstand" in the American scheme of things, too. They were some of the most famous kids in America, dancing every day on "American Bandstand." "We were like miniature rock 'n' roll stars. You are bidding on a Lot of 8 American Bandstand Trading Cards 283952355685 Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi danced together n American Bandstand for a little more than a year. That was the start of our romance, Jim said. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. This prompted him to attempt to appear on the show; soon thereafter Justine and Bob became arguably the most popular couple on the American Bandstand. 1960s. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. To recognize the anniversary, Gov. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Ross Media Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Movies Showing. 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. Your email address will not be published. Dick Clark was a wonderful man who enjoyed his work. The lunch was a success. 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. Sometimes, he would come home from school and turn on the show. This couple was one of the top 2 couples who danced as Regulars on American Bandstand late 50s/very early 60s. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. 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. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. PublishedDecember 28, 2022 at 7:00 AM EST, See stories by Sheldon Zoldan/Special to WGCU, Some California mountain residents could be snowed in for another week, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' actor, has died at 61, He visited Disneyland 2,995 days in a row. Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking, Sullivan recalls. by Sharon Sultan Cutler | Jan 7, 2019 | American Bandstand, Philadelphia, Regulars | 8 comments. And while Smith knew he was gay, he was shocked to learn that most of the guys on Bandstand, so many of them, were gay, he told The Post. Dick Clark as host was that perennial television star who seemed to have found the fountain of youth and just never seemed to age. American Bandstand Dancers Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton. It was shot live from Studio B at Forty-Sixth and and Market Streets, where the two . It got me out of my shell, but I learned I was a regular teenager who happened to dance on a show that unexpectedly became very popular. The rule was you had to be 14 to get on the show. 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. I was surprised how short she was, he said. The Beach Boys were already the kings of surf pop by their first appearance on American Bandstand in 1964. Labeled by Justine: "Dick and Kari at my home in Las Vegas". Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He called her but when he received a recording he hung up without leaving a message. He debuted in Studio 3B at WFIL-TV, near the El train stop in West Philadelphia, in 1956 when he was a 13-year-old junior high school student. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Clark was "determined" to keep the homosexuality of popular "Bandstand" regulars a secret, Smith said. 5 Who wrote the theme song to American Bandstand? [Editor's note: Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton were misidentified in a photo that ran in the May 13 issue of PARADE. Tony Mammarella was the original producer with Ed Yates as director. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. 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. 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. 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. We only had three channels in those days. The afternoon soon turned into the cocktail-hour, so they went out for drinks. JUST TO WATCH AMERICAN BANDSTAND. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. 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 . 1 Who were the most popular dancers on American Bandstand? It turns out she was only 10 months older. ``This is like I died and went straight to heaven, he said. Kenny went on tour and was away a lot. The county's total year-end fund balance at the end of the . Justine turns 80 next year and Jim 79. Then Dick Clark died in 2012. They won the first jitterbug contest when the show went nationwide in 1957. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The series also reached into its vaults for a highly rated twentieth-anniversary late night special. Upset, but knowing what he wanted to do, Kenny told Arlene he would miss me and the show. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). My friends went to church dances every Friday and Saturday night. In another format shift, it was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. They got married in 2014, something both said they would never do again. Or sign up for our monthly Nostalgia e-newsletter or other e-newsletters tailored for boomers! [3] Horn was temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job went to Dick Clark permanently. ``Bandstand first aired for a national audience on ABC on Aug. 5, 1957. Artists would sing naturally to the studio audience over a background of their own disc, while viewers at home would hear only the original recording. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Watch. 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. Who wrote the theme song to American Bandstand? ``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. Bandstand & Race. Required fields are marked *, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years 1956 - 1963. I still really didnt know who I was. This is a video I created of one of my favorite dance pa. Clark continued as host of the series, which was restored to its former hour length,[22] and aired on stations including KYW-TV in Philadelphia; WWOR-TV in New York City[23] (WWOR's superstation status also gave the program further national exposure); KTLA in Los Angeles; WMAQ-TV in Chicago; WDIV in Detroit; WEWS in Cleveland; WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee;[24] and WCIX in Miami.[25]. Justine said yes. Kenny left. 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. 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.. "The whole thing was like a grand party," she said. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". With 37 continuous years on the air, this was the longest-running weekly popular music showcase TV program in the world. She wasnt immediately successful, but with the help of a new southwest Philly friend, she eventually got in. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Justine got in, and along with her dance partner and soon-to-be-boyfriend, Bob Clayton, became one of the shows most popular couples. Come and join us two weeks from today for an hour version of American Bandstand on Saturday, September 19. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. For now, Dick Clark on ABC, so long. 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. Like Smith, she believes that if her true sexual preference and that of others on the show had become public in the days before Stonewall and todays LGBT power, Bandstand would have been taken off the air. That was the start of our romance, Jim said. After being told by Dick Clark that as a recording artist a professional he could no longer dance on 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. Back In The Day. Justine Carelli and Bob Clayton were the dream couple of the show, the star struck lovers. Im sorry young lady, you dont look 14 to me, was his answer. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. - Rhythm Is A Dancer (7_ Edit) (3:45)<br>02 - Haddaway - What Is Love (7_ Mix) (4:30)<br>03 - Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee) (Gabry Ponte Ice Pop Radio) (4:43)<br>04 - Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle (Roy Malone Kings Mix Edit) (3:33)<br>05 - Whigfield - Saturday Night (3:43)<br>06 - Mr. President - Coco Jamboo (Radio Edit) (3:39)<br>07 - Gigi D\'agostino - La Passion . 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. 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. Pinterest. Sullivan was almost 14, the required age for the show, when she became a Regular. Im sorry young lady, you dont look 14 to me, was his answer. They had four top 10 pop hits and "Don't Worry, Baby" was the B-side to their first #1 "I Get Around." FOR SALE! For a brief time in 1973, Bandstand alternated its time slot with Soul Unlimited,[10] a show featuring soul music that was hosted by Buster Jones. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, Bandstand featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. I started going out to straight clubs.. What a Beautiful love story..Kenny and Arlene were my favorite couple on Bandstand.. 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. By 1973, the show drew many of the top R&B performers and competed with American Bandstand for viewers on Saturday afternoons. In the early 1960s, a new collection of teen regulars succeeded Arlene Sullivan's generation on American Bandstand's dance floor. As a teenager in the late 1970s I always enjoyed watching American Bandstand on Saturday afternoons. Pop Singers. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. running a series on drunken driving. and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ETalmost in the middle of Bandstand. "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. The first syndicated episode aired on the weekend of September 19, 1987[26] but this run was short-lived; The New American Bandstand ran until the weekend of June 4, 1988. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. Some regulars had a hard time adjusting after leaving the show. I was smitten by her. We were like sisters. We ended up spending weekends together when she came to New York and D.C. to perform We went to lunch together and had fun, but Annette had to rest and perform, so we didnt have time for anything else., Sullivan never felt like a superstar, even when the Regulars averaged 100 to 150 fan letters a day. She saw the hang up and returned the call, thinking it might be an interested buyer. Here are some of the most popular Regulars who danced on Dick Clarks American Bandstand beginning in 1957. . In fact, it was dangerous. 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.. Once the program went national upon its move to Los Angeles, new host Dick Clark decided that integration was the most responsible move. But he arrived Tuesday, beaming in a pink Dick Clark novelty tie. Sometimes, he would come home from school and turn on the show. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. First called Bandstand, the program premiered October 6, 1952, hosted by Philadelphia radio DJ Bob Horn (1916-66). She said to go to Hawaii. Today. It preceded The Guy Mitchell Show. 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. 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The rule was you had to be 14 to get on the show. We didnt say anything about meeting again, Justine said. 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. 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. The Del-Vikings also known as The Dell-Vikings were an American doo-wop group that recorded several hit singles in the 1950s and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. 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. He thought she was at least a couple of years older. 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. Throughout the rest of the 1950s, American Bandstand featured a number of famous acts including the debut of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (November 22, 1957), Jerry Lee Lewis (March 18, 1958), and Dion and the Belmonts (August 7, 1958). We didnt say anything about meeting again, Justine said. The shy Sullivan pushed herself forward with the contact because she wanted to get on TV to impress her mother. The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967. It does not store any personal data. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. That was funny, Jim said, because in April its my brother-in-law and sisters anniversary and we are planning to go to Hawaii. American Bandstand premiered locally in late March 1952 as Bandstand on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 (now WPVI-TV), as a replacement for a weekday movie that had shown predominantly British films. I said, In that case, Im staying. I was shocked. 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 . We'll see you the next time on American Bandstand. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. unsold game show pilots). A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. Arlene heard that Kenny got married and had a daughter named Nicki. They dont look at middle school kids or junior high kids, he said. 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. Philadelphia In the late 1950s and early '60s, everyone knew Bob and Justine, Kenny and Arlene, and Ed and Bunny. It was the late '60s and early '60s when kids across the country would tune in to see Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi slow dance on American Bandstand.Before the reality show craze took America by . 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 . Artie Shaw Jim explained he had been a fan and wanted to have lunch with her on his way to California. He was married to Tahitian dancer Mireille of the Mai-Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. One market not telecasting Bandstand was Baltimore, Maryland, as local affiliate WAAM (now WJZ-TV) elected to produce a local dance show in the same afternoon time slot. Watch American Bandstand 1950s: Justine Carrelli and Bob Cayton highlighted . When did Dick Clark start dancing on American Bandstand? 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. But he vividly recalls that one of his fellow gay dancers was thrown onto the El tracks outside the studio, and another popular regular who was gay and often danced with Sullivan was dangled over an elevator shaft..