News Shows He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. Gerry (Rocky) Seader, drummer and founder of Rocky and the Rollers started the group in the 1980s, after 20 years touring with the best rock ‘n rollers around. “But . I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear well wishes and from Bandstand friends and fans and donations would help her a lot. (7/21/2011) I just received this from Bunny Gibson and certainly thought it was appropriate to mention here: Anna Russo, formerly Anna Banani, went to American Bandstand 1963 until AB left Philly for Los Angeles, lost both of her legs to diabetes and is in need. Arlene Sullivan, a star on “Bandstand,” is now 74. . Black & White/Color (9/9/1967), Dick Clark’s first day as host: 7/9/1956 The Hand Jive. The 50 record albums are packed away for safekeeping.”, Norman’s passing… Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi on the cover of Teen magazine in 1959. They were hurting him. Where things are poppin'(Pop!) Arlene Sullivan, a star on “Bandstand,” is now 74. Norman was born on January 18, 1944. Known for her perky personality, Pat Moliterri is credited with inventing the dance, the Hop, by combining elements of the Slop and the Bop.Sadly, Pat died in in the mid-seventies of a heart attack. On December 27 Bunny Gibson, American Bandstand Regular from 1959-1962, married Duke Tirschel in Chattanooga , Tennessee. 43,528, This story has been shared 36,838 times. This story has been shared 53,155 times. Dancing was a major feature of Bandstand. “Some of the stories I heard are heartbreaking,” Sullivan recalls. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing it’s first national show on August 5, 1957. 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.”. The kids who showed up every day (Bandstand aired every weekday afternoon for the first six years) knew all the most popular steps. These experienced Regulars considered an infrequent participant or a first time visitor “an amateur.” I wonder what they would have thought about a kid in TV Land, practicing the new steps in front of her bedroom mirror and praying to God her little brother didn’t catch her at it. 10/7/1957 – 9/5/1987 ABC 60 minutes Thanks for contacting us. 36,838, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved 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. Anna Russo, 2800 North 7th Street, Apt. Ray Smith was one of the show’s secretly gay dancers. Don and Bunny had two daughters: Angel and Maria and four grandchildren: Lea & Christopher Di Vello, Alexis Karanzalis & Nicole Weiss. “My husband and I met on a blind date and six months later on April 12, 1964 we were married. “Parents across America would never, NEVER have allowed their kids to put ‘Bandstand’ on,” she writes. From that dance on we became steady dance partners until I had to leave the show on my 18th birthday, which was in August of 1961.”, The Pony Contest… From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. Every evening at Royal Ascot, the Bandstand plays host to an unmissable sing-a-long of British classics which is enjoyed by thousands of racegoers. Copyright 1996-2021. We’d stay up all night talking about boys,” she said. //-->. Fundraiser for the renovation of the original American Bandstand Studio Floor But this one was different. The couple first honeymooned on the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the famed railway that was immortalized by Glenn Miller and was the first to run South to North. Norman had a very, very unique sense of humor, which made him so popular with all that knew him. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. The Slop. The rest is American Bandstand history. But I didn’t have any crushes on any of the straight girls. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. His latest book, “The Kardashians: An American Drama,” will be published in September. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. WWW.FIFTIESWEB.COM is a creation of RichWeb and is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products, services, programs, celebrities or entities mentioned herein. In its first season (1957), ABC presented a nighttime version of American Bandstand (1952). and they put a drinking cup in front of him and said, ‘This is your cup, and you’re the only one who will use this cup.’ One friend of mine was kicked out of the house.”. On all the music they play On the Bandstand.! “My parents were always there for me. The "party" may have died over a decade ago there, but the legend certainly lives on. Sitemap I was sitting at a bar having a drink in Grand Rapids, MI and happened to start chatting with a guy sitting next to me. Sullivan’s co-author, Ray Smith, recently retired after 40 years as an Emmy-winning “Today” show producer. Music by Charles Albertine . “I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. The Regulars, also known as “The Committee” were only a part of the Bandstand story. They joined Arlene’s and Kenny’s fan clubs. A Philadelphia, PA 19133, BONUS PAGE They wrote thousands of letters. Click here to see some of your favorites back in action. It takes an English sentence and breaks it into words to determine if it is a phrase or a clause. They are extending the honeymoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where Duke has called home. They were the 700 men of the 2nd Battalion, 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment. The tradition was … To the left you’ll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. They weren’t playing football. We would roar, roll over with pain from laughing so hard. I can honestly say that I was the most blessed person in the world the day I met Norman and he and I became steady dance partners.”, Meeting Norman… 'A-Train Ripper' busted, still covered in blood, in knife attacks on NYC subway, Janet Jackson’s 1986 album ‘Control’ tops charts after Justin Timberlake apology, Madison LeCroy shows some skin in Instagram post praising plastic surgery, Claudia Conway ‘felt nervous and sick’ during ‘American Idol’ audition, Gina Carano Hits Back After ‘The Mandalorian’ Firing: “They Can’t Cancel Us If We Don’t Let Them”, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Daughter of Lombardi Trophy designer wants apology from Tom Brady, 'Gorilla Glue girl' seen sporting new post-surgery look, 'Bridgerton' star Regé-Jean Page snapped embracing mystery woman before flight. We’re goin’ hopin’ today It was horrible.”, Smith says he was lucky to have escaped a beating. ”, Puppy love… 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. I started going out to straight clubs.’. Date Event February 14 Funky 4 + 1 perform "That's the Joint" on NBC's Saturday Night Live.This makes them the first hip hop act to perform on primetime (late night) television. I was SO mixed up.”, Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. I imitated all the dance steps, sometimes with the refrigerator door as a partner. 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.”. Then it was hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horn’s Bandstand.On July 9 of 1956 the show got a … What they didn’t know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. However, the couple will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, which will be their permanent residence. “We were like sisters. I had asked Norman to dance when it was a ladies choice. Your California Privacy Rights So Bandstand really did change her life in many ways. e9.size = "300x250"; She was a senior….and luckily on the Honor Roll. “The most memorable day for Norman and me was April 13, 1961, the day we won second place in the Pony Dance Contest. Briefly it was part of the USA Network with new host David Hirsh but went off the air in 1989. She was 36. Dick Clark 1929 – 2012, Dick Clark with Johnny Crawford. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. We followed their dance steps on TV and their personal lives in Teen magazines. “I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldn’t give up. May, 1961. I still really didn’t know who I was. They weren’t playing basketball. It was later torn down as a sign of "progress." Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. But back in the “Bandstand” days, Smith was one of the show’s secretly gay dancers. “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. He spoke of his youth, of Bandstand and his favorite gal, Bunny. We've received your submission. “I started going out to straight clubs.”. All rights reserved. Remember, these Regulars weren’t paid actors or dancers. . 4/8/1989 – 10/7/1989 Syndicated Current regulars at the Silver Crest can, somewhat veritably, tell you how they used to ride their horses to the Silver Crest in the 1940’s. View Our Classic TV Shows Directory Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he stated that one had, Smith recalled. One older brother survives Norman. I still have my HI-FI sitting against a wall between my living room and dining room. the , . 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.”. On “Bandstand,” she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of “Mickey Mouse Club” and “Beach Party” fame. (note: I have just discovered the complete music library of this old club. They knew what was going on, but they never asked the question.”, Sullivan says there were at least four other popular girl dancers on “Bandstand” who she quickly learned were lesbians “and we all started hanging out together. Don Travarelli, from South Philly, watched American Bandstand in 1961 and spotted Bunny Gibson dancing. Filmed in the cramped quarters of the WFIL Studios at 46th and Market Streets in Philly, Bandstand is such a part of Americana that Dick Clark’s podium now resides in the Smithsonian. He fell in love with her. And in her early 20s, she actually tied the knot with a young man. “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. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. Michael Rich. ”, True love… ‘I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights Most Common Text: Click on the icon to return to www.berro.com and to enjoy and benefit . Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show “American Bandstand” in 1957. The show ran from (1956) - Abe Peck & Jean Marcus Peck 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. Some memories of Miami and Dade County in the 50's, 60's and 70's.You know you grew up in old Miami or Dade County if you remember: The Dade County Courthouse was the tallest building in the county The beautiful marble Miami Public Library was in Bayfront Park east of Biscayne Boulevard. “I didn’t know what I was doing and decided I can’t do this, and I called my dad and asked him to come get me,” she says. They were the squeaky-clean Kardashians of their era, and “Bandstand” could easily claim the title as the first reality show. They were introduced as a result of an email sent to the Fifties Web. 53,155, This story has been shared 43,528 times. And he has the one criteria required to attract Bunny Gibson. Goes from a daily to a weekly Saturday show in Philadelphia: 9/7/1963, Broadcast from Los Angeles: Begins 2/8/1964, Produced by Anthony “Tony” Mammarella and Dick Clark, Dick Clark – Host His name is, “Champion Polar Images Namron ‘O My-Joy“, as recorded with the AKC. He’s a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! Yes, yes, I know. Unsure and fearful about her true sexual identity, Sullivan tried passing as straight. We sent some 15,000 fan letters each week. Normally, I do not forward mail to the Regulars. Not only was it extremely intelligent, but there was something moving about the man’s story. Privacy Notice Everybody knew the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. Terms of Use 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 today’s LGBT power, “Bandstand” would have been taken off the air. Si l’argent change cinq fois, cinq taux de change seront… “Dancing with the American Bandstand Stars” Fundraiser, July 15, 2009 Never, did I ever think that I would be with him, holding his hand when he passed away. Open source password manager with Nextcloud integration - nextcloud/passman Hundreds of kids lined up each day hoping to be one of the few lucky ones who got to dance alongside the Regulars and share part of the magic that was American Bandstand. Forget that. The bashing of “Bandstand” regulars, gay and straight, happened all the time, Sullivan and Smith reveal. “I knew I was different early on, but being with all these [‘Bandstand’] friends, I came to terms with my feelings. Glue as I do: Salon owner admits he’s been using Gorilla Glue on clients... Bam Margera seeking treatment after alarming 'Jackass' boycott videos, Bill Gates' daughter jokes on social media about getting COVID-19 vaccine, A-Train Ripper: Serial killer loose on subway, say cops. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. A dictionary file. The rest, as they say, is history. For More Bunny click here to go to Bunny Gibson.com, Bunny Gibson discusses the 50th celebration of American Bandstand’. American Bandstand – Broadcast History Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. “And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.”. 1st song played on the national edition was Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shaking Goin’ On.”1st Guests: Billy Williams, ChordettesLast song on the ABC network was Laura Branigan’s “Shattered Glass.”, See above pictureThe Stroll recorded by The Diamonds in 1958. They accepted me. Joyce Shafer talks about herself and her dance partner, Norman Kerr, “Norman was one of a kind, always making people laugh. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a “Bandstand” regular suspected of being gay. Words by Barry Manilow and Bruse Sussman, “We’re goin’ hoppin’ (Hop!) Bob Horn – Host (Bob’ Horn’s Bandstand), “Bandstand Boogie” In fact, it was dangerous. Your Ad Choices Come back to a time when rock ‘n roll was king, American Bandstand ruled and groups from Brooklyn or Jersey or Philly could be the next big thing. Don married Bunny. But he feared that if the show’s secret ever came out, Middle America would change the channel. on May 13, along with the 3rd Battalion, which would be manning posts along the Platte Road. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. The Philadelphia way We’re goin’ drop in (Drop!) Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He practiced dancing with his niece, Robin, but when he went down to the show, they wouldn’t let him in because he was over the age of 18. Astor invited students from Maine high schools to be part of the weekly audience and participate along with his troupe of lip-synching regulars. Special Features: “The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . He would dance on the show until early 1960. For a time, she dated a neighborhood boy, Danny Rapp, lead singer of Danny & the Juniors, who had the hit song “At the Hop.”, “I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight,” Sullivan says. I was truly blessed in my life with wonderful family, friends and fans. e9 = new Object(); 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. For Teenagers Only , The Dave Astor Show "The Dave Astor Show, For Teenagers Only was Maine's version of American Bandstand. “Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. 14 août 2017 Mémoire de maîtrise de Henry Stone Cabins Mais si la valeur de l’euro chute à 1 dollar. A storybook ending to a tale that began with American Bandstand, albeit 40 years ago. Bunny’s mom, Betty, made her promise that she would graduate. As Sullivan puts it: “The boys danced. He still had that in him until the evening before he passed away. to of and a in " 's that for on is The was with said as at it by from be have he has his are an ) not ( will who I had their -- were they but been this which more or its would about : after up $ one than also 't out her you year when It two people - all can over last first But into ' He A we In she other new years could there ? He was 21 and she was 16. Five-foot-two, brown-eyed, brown-haired Arlene and handsome Kenny, a year younger, were among the TV music show’s elite, its stars, the vaunted “regulars” along with another couple often on camera — pert, blond Justine Carrelli and suave Bob Clayton. To many of you, it was about the music and the artists. I knew all their names. In March of 1970 we moved to New Jersey. Dick's guests included The Everly Brothers, Mickey & Sylvia and The Billy Williams Quartette.Ironically, the nighttime "American Bandstand", hosted by Clark, would finally end the night before New Year's Eve 1957. Bunny and Duke met several months ago and now are married. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. You want to know about the guy! “. WORDS.TXT - Free ebook download as Text File (.txt), PDF File (.pdf) or read book online for free. dict_files/eng_com.dic This class can parse, analyze words and interprets sentences. I knew when couples broke up. Jerry Oppenheimer is a best-selling author. If it wasn’t assaults from outside haters, some of the “Bandstand” kids suffered in their own homes. It ran for a half-hour for 13 weeks on Monday nights (Oct. 7-Dec. 30). NEW PAGE! Into this sensitive situation marched American soldiers in 1866, with orders to guard the Bozeman Trail. TV Ratings - US & UK, Quiz Shows American Bandstand Fundraiser Pictures, To my knowledge, no VHS tape of American Bandstand is commercially available. . Sullivan and the other dancers often congregated in Rittenhouse Square, the historic epicenter of what is known as the City of Brotherly Love’s “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. Clark, known as America’s oldest teenager, knew. Sadly we also lost: ”. The troops left Fort Kearny (near present-day Kearney, Neb.) And then they leave the show, go up on the El, go home to their neighborhoods, they then had to run to their door because somebody was always waiting there to beat them up.”. Back in July, I received a most endearing email from Duke which told of his experiences in life. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. Variety Shows Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. Weekday afternoons were spent with the kids in Philly, the kids on American Bandstand. The Bop. He is a man of God and over the years has established both karate and prison ministeries. We each won a HI-FI, and 50 record albums. Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry hosts (and performs on) this episode, shortly after the release of "Rapture", which later hits the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart as the first number-one song to feature rap vocals. “That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on ‘Bandstand’ died of AIDS,” Smith said. Wagon Train Website,