Clark moved the show to California in 1964, but many fans remember it as a Philadelphia phenomenon. "He was the commander," Colanero said. . He molded the image of the American teenager so America would accept rock-and-roll.". 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. Well, it's our last show here on Bandstand and I really want to thank the viewers who have kept American Bandstand on the air all these years. Clark weathered the hearings by not being fully transparent, and he avoided being indicted for criminal behavior. No way I will get in his way! REGULARS Gallery 3. 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. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. Norman passed away on December 6, 1990. Carole Ann Scaldeferri Spada, 70, of Newtown Square, a regular dancer on American Bandstand from 1957 to 1961, has died. The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . I hope you've had a good half-hour. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million. They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. She never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. May, 1961. SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED! The dark-complexioned, wavy-haired Sullivan6bolstered American Bandstands image as a show dominated by Italian-American teens. I am not sure I can post that part of the video as I have no rights to the music they play and is heard in the background of the parade. . 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.. And whereas 135 ABC-affiliated stations carriedAmerican Bandstandon a revenue-sharing basis in 1960, the stations were bailing out of this relationship in 1963. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. She says she never had a crush on a straight dancer, and was close friends with celebrity guest Annette Funicello. Race and American Bandstand, The Seven-Year Itch: West Philly Loses American Bandstand, Report accessibility issues and request help. June Bouche on November 20, 2018 at 9:12 pm . It was horrible.. To the left youll find original pictures of some of the Regulars. At the time, being open about their sexuality would have meant the end for these young performers with stars in their eyes. Wagon Train Website,