She worked as the host of a Saturday morning television program called "Out Front." I know there are a lot of American Bandstand fans that will be very excited to see this. Here's what Caroline thought when she heard about Eddie's marriage: "What in the hell did she have that I didn't have. I lost my dad this week, Tuesday, July 27, 2021. But this time, she had his ring. She was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease). Singer Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish is 48. The band released their first self-titled album in 2009. The songs "Near You" and "Time in a Bottle" played. Chubby Checker was doing the twist. A: Premiering in 1952, Bandstand (as it was originally called), began life as a local program on Philadelphia-based WFIL, which broadcast both radio and television programs. So he continued to call. Up Around The Bend is at #5 today on the Billboard Hot 100 and will peak at #4 next week. She didn't recognize the number, so she didn't answer the phone. One young performer was dangled down an . Eventually, they ended up living in a gated community in Canyon Lake, and he had a long career as a pilot and instructor in the military. Of the two, Rockestra Theme received some radio airplay at the time. ", Caroline's mother, Iona, went to Eddie and Polly's wedding. 1964 - The Beach Boys - "Don't Worry, Baby". Airdate: May, 30, 1970Which couple did you like best?Here is your first (and unfortunately last) look at all of the 1970 Dance Contest finalists from across the country. Bandstand was hosted by radio DJ Bob Horn and featured local teenagers bopping to the current hits of the day as well as a vocalist or band performing a couple of songs. Eddie got Caroline's phone number from a mutual friend. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He drove her home and . For anyone with "American Bandstand" memories, the gals of this trio would love to hear from readers by emailing author@onceuponourtimes.com. "I didn't like it." In December 1959, he decided to join the Air Force. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327. Her grandsons walked her down the aisle. LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1960: Host of the television show 'American Bandstand' Dick Clark appears in a scene with Michael Callan from the movie 'Because They're Young' which was released in April 1960. She dried her eyes and called Eddie. Bandstand didn't just introduce America to the latest rock-and-roll musicians, it had the nation on its feet with the latest dance crazes, such as The Pony, the Jitterbug, and the Twist. American Bandstand didn't just introduce the country to the latest rock-and-roll musicians, it had the nation on its feet with the latest dance crazes, such as the Pony, the Jitterbug, and the . But on Dec.24, 1961, he had dropped another kind of bomb. "It was everything I dreamed of," she said. The first song aired on that broadcast was Jerry Lee Lewis Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On.. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! She had several jobs as a young woman. 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. Any place there's dancing, I'll still go, said Joe Fusco, who was 15 when he . While in Atlantic City earlier this month, I got to spend some time with Arlene Sullivan, one of the teen magazine favorite faces, along with her dance partner, Kenny Rossi. They had four top 10 pop hits and "Don't Worry, Baby" was the B-side to their first #1 "I Get Around." . After four dates, he married Martha "Polly"Pipper. "I was her caretaker," he said. As a teenager in the late 1970s I always enjoyed watching American Bandstand on Saturday afternoons. She got out of the car. unfortunately he passed on Apri. "I just quit," he said. Author Armistead Maupin ("Tales of the City") is 70. Stevens daughter (@Cheenjoo Pearl) commented here a few months ago and said that, sadly, both Steven and Sterling had passed away. Both Carrelli and Clayton bonded with Clark over their Bandstand experiences and stayed in touch with their former host since leaving the show in the early 60s. This site is maintained by American Bandstand Dancers Hal L. Landau, Linda D. Gonzales & Bunny. She was divorced in 1985 and remarried in 1989. In early October 1952, a dance show hosted by Bob Horn premiered on Philadelphia's WFIL-TV, taking from the popular "ballroom" live radio show format and pointing a camera at it. We were family for years, Carrelli, 68, tells Parade.com about Clark's passing. They were some of the most famous kids in America, dancing every day on "American Bandstand." "We were like miniature rock 'n' roll stars. While on the show he often danced with Susan Beltrante and Ivette Jimenez. They had been married almost 60 years. He grew up watching American Bandstand and MGM movie musicals starring Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. "American Bandstand" was one of the most popular television shows for teenagers. Caroline's first marriage, she said, didn't go well. That's about a 40-minute drive to Canyon Lake. 8,366 people like this. Just like he had the last time she had seen him. Its like I lost my big brother. "Bandstand" was hosted by radio DJ Bob Horn and featured local teenagers bopping to the current hits of the day as well as a vocalist or band performing a couple of songs. Sullivan,70, is busy working on a new book about her "Bandstand" days with fellow "Bandstand" regular Bunny Gibson (also one of the most popular regulars on the show) assisted by authors Sharon Sultan Cutler and Cookie Tischler, the latter duo being the scribes behind the tome "Once Upon Our Times (Because Life Isn't A Fairytale): 65 Years Growing Up Baby Boomer." They might have avoided this whole lifetime-of-being-apart thing if Eddie would have simply given her his high school ring when Caroline was his best girl in the late 1950s. Bassist Wylie Gelber of Dawes is 26. For those that don't like the watermark or the timer on the screen, please send your complaints on the back of an envelope or postcard to American Bandstand, Philadelphia, PA. Hammond man sentenced to 60 years in East Chicago murder. After "American Bandstand" debuted on television in 1952, it made celebrities of the teens the cameras captured as the show's "regular dancers." "It gave me a whole different outlook on life and death. Years later, when Clark was asked whether any of the dancers had died of AIDS, he . He had a going-away party, and she came. They kissed underneath a security lamp post. American Bandstand, abbreviated AB, is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired regularly in various versions 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, running the . They barely made it out of the airport parking lot when she pulled over at a FedEx facility. Actor Franklyn Ajaye and actress Zoe Wanamaker ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") are 65. Eddie was dropping out of college. "We talked like we had talked the day before.". Caroline said she had been seriously ill. She thanked Jesus for "keeping me alive.". This site is maintained by American Bandstand Dancers Hal L. Landau, Linda D. Gonzales & Bunny. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They have been living in his longtime home in Canyon Lake. Sullivan,70, is busy working on a new book about her "Bandstand" days with fellow "Bandstand" regular Bunny Gibson (also one of the most . Schultz seized on it and convinced his bandmates to change their name. "I got on my knee and did it properly," Eddie said. He always treated me special. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip . Send your questions about songs, albums, and the musicians who make them to MusicOnTheRecord@gmail.com. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. For part of that time, he attended the University of Tennessee studying civil engineering while she was going to high school. Each year, they attended an aviation reunion so George could see his old pilot buddies in Hemet, California. Beach Boys on American Bandstand. "But I never got hit.". In December 1959, he decided to join the Air Force. Im happy to add their names here in the description if you give them to me, but please include the time marker so I can ID them. Matthan Minster (keys/guitar) and Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) round out the band. Remember hurrying from school in the 50's and turning on that old black and white tv at 4'oclock to watch all those kids dance on "American Bandstand" live from Philadelphia, The show first began as a local program in the cramped quarters of Studio B at WFIL Tv channel 6 at 46th and Market streets in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. He couldn't afford commitment, he said. Please subscribe to keep reading. However, a bizarre chance encounter with a stranger following a show lead them to change their name. It changed me.". [The knowledge about the dancers] would have destroyed himand the . A: Cage the Elephant was formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2006 by brothers Matt (vocals) and Brad (guitar) Shultz, Lincoln Parrish (lead guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass) and Jared Champion (drums). See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook. Whats the name of that song? Caroline and Eddie had been on double dates with Polly and other boys. Kennedy was 19 years older than Caroline and taught her to fly a Cessna 310. As he slid into her passenger seat, she thought he looked strong and strapping. About See All. Teen dancer-turned-celebrity Arlene Sullivan, photographed last week in Atlantic City, shot to fame in fan magazines in the 1950s after being a TV camera favorite face of "Bandstand" hosted by Dick Clark. "I didn't like it.". He drove her home and asked her permission to kiss her on the steps of her parents' house. ``You knew when you were on `American Bandstand' something good was going to happen, Rydell said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. "I said, 'Will you marry me?'". In addition, the show has performances by popular musicians and audience members rate songs. American Bandstand: With Dick Clark, Charlie O'Donnell, Peaches Johnson, Stan Rodarte. In July, couple #1, Steven Rice and Linda Gibson, will win the trip to Hawaii. Caroline and George established a fly-in community in Newborn, Georgia. They went to school dances and looked sharp together. They dated for more than three years. You have permission to edit this article. It was September 1956. Sullivan, who came out decades ago, spoke of one particular young man, now deceased, who was a victim of Clark's campaign. Kenny Rossi and Arlene Sullivan, both from Philadelphia, met on the show and loved their days of Bandstand fame. You can cancel at any time. American Bandstand Dancers. ``Bandstand first aired for a national audience on ABC on Aug. 5, 1957. "But of them all, it was when Sal Mineo came in for segment for the show that had everyone the most excited. Basketball star Dennis "The Worm" Rodman is 52. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). She also became an interior designer. This is a montage I created of one of my favorite dance . She worked in the travel industry in Nashville. For all those years, the two kids from the doo-wop, sock-hop days at Nashville's West High School (which is now a middle school) could only dream about seeing each other again. There had been so much drama in those six-plus decades marriages, children, war, careers, heartache and death. Then my mother said, 'She looked just like you.'". Happy 60th anniversary of the 4th anniversary of Bandstand going national! On the Record: What was first song on TV show American Bandstand? Originally- A reunion had been planned for August 4th 2012 to pay tribute to Dick Clark by the American Bandstand Dancers. Years later, he said he just didn't feel like he was ready because he didn't have a full-time job or career. Happy 60th anniversary of the 4th anniversary of Bandstand going national! Forgot account? Besides being on Back to the Egg, Rockestra Theme can be found on Wingspan, the two-disc collection of McCartneys post-Beatles material, which was released in 2001. Clark was "determined" to keep the homosexuality of popular "Bandstand" regulars a secret, Smith said. Taking center stage each week was superstar Bandstand couple Justine Carrelli and Bob Clayton, two of the show's most popular dancers. Fifty years later, Bandstand fan Sharon Sultan Cutler wondered what had become of the "Regulars," the name given to the teens that showed up daily to dance. 4151 Prospect Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 The first thought I had when I heard the news was about a date we had made for when Dick turned 90 and I turned 80. At just 13 and 16, the twosome became regulars on the show, dancing as a couple for almost three years. In the show's later years, it became a weekly Saturday morning staple broadcast. "She probably doesn't remember me," he thought. I hope you finally see this Beth! On April 20, they flew to Nashville for a high school reunion luncheon. Like Rick Pierce, Bandstand dancer Sandra Mae Dawson, who died Feb. 25, 2008, at age 66, was into car racing. Caroline said it didn't feel right. What does that lyric mean? Community See All. I'm sure I missed several of the regulars that are featured here today in the open. "I would start crying. In a July 2010 interview with Spin.com, Matt Schultz says the band initially played under the name Perfect Confusion. Arlene Sullivan and her dance partner, Kenny Rossi, became teen idols after TV cameras and fan magazines captured their dancing and would-be romance antics on the show "Bandstand," later called "American Bandstand," hosted by Dick Clark. Eddie served as navigator and bombardier in B-47s. Polly died Dec. 22, 2021. Where are they now? As details about Arlene's book, including a pub date, become available, I'll keep readers updated. "Why couldn't my children have his bone structure?" Jan 26, 2019 - Kenny Rossi--one of the most popular Regulars/Dancers to dance on early American Bandstand ( years late 50s/early 60s) She would catch Eddie daydreaming and she would accuse him of thinking about "that damn Caroline," he said. When she won the pageant, "I was walking on air," she said. They had been married 12 years. Caroline knew her well. Q: I was listening to a classic rock station recently when the DJ said that he was going to play a song that featured members of Pink Floyd, the Who and Led Zeppelin. Airdate: May, 30, 1970Which couple did you like best?Here is your first (and unfortunately last) look at all of the 1970 Dance Contest finalists from across . As for Arlene, she didn't say whether or not her experience as a teen sensation on the show was anything like the competitive "cutting-a-rug" depictions as shared in the 1988 film "Hairspray.". "We didn't realize how many kids out there were watching the show until the mail . The show, which moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and was cut to one day a week in the mid-60s, stayed on ABC until 1987. Q: I really like the band Cage the Elephant. What was the first song featured on the television show American Bandstand? "I had no idea.". Actor Buck Taylor ("Gunsmoke," ''Gods and Generals") is 76. Not now. On Sunday at 2am, construction of the Berlin Wall will officially begin. You have permission to edit this article. These 14- to 18-year olds like Arlene and Kenny, Justine and Bob . They loved going water skiing on Old Hickory Lake. Actress Debby Ryan ("Jessie") is 21. Author. How did they come up with their name? George Kennedy died in 2001. Eddie was dropping out of college. Where are they now? Originally titled "Bandstand," the first episode on October 7 featured New York transplant and former announcer Dick Clark playing records as the first-ever video DJ. She was a beauty queen (Miss Nashville 1959), and he was a fly boy who would amass 5,000 hours as a pilot/bombardier in a career that included a tour in Vietnam. For the next 10 years, Hooks was in motion on the set of American Bandstand, where he was a regular dancer known as the All-American Boy, with a signature smile and trademark polka-dot shirt. This is the link to the first part. "She informed me of the blow-by-blow description," Caroline said. On the Billboard Hot 100 this week 1) Tossin and Turnin Bobby Lewis 2) I Like It Like That Chris Kenner 3) The Boll Weevil Song Brook Benton 4) Dum Dum Brenda Lee 5) Hats Off To Larry Del Shannon 38) Stand By Me Ben E. King The Bandstand Top 10 today (I can only see the first 8) 1) Lets Twist Again Chubby Checker 2) School Is Out Gary (U.S) Bonds 3) Last Night The Mar-keys 4) Dum Dum Brenda Lee 5) Pretty Little Angel Eyes Curtis Lee 6) Hats Off To Larry Del Shannon 7) Tossin and Turnin Bobby Lewis 8) I Like It Like That Chris Kenner Thank you for watching!_______________________________ This is dedicated to my dad who, through our long car trips together listening to oldies radio (950 KJR Seattle) and by listening to his Turtles (and other) records when I was a kid, first inspired my passion for the wonderful music of the 1960s. Bunny Gibson 9:08, Frani Giordano, 15:23As mentioned in the video, Id like to give a huge thank you to Uncle George and @jthyme for getting me this rare clip. "I took fire," he said. Last year, Stevens twin brother Sterling came in 2nd place in the 1969 Dance Contest, winning a trip to Finland. This is a video I created of one of my favorite dance pa. or. We had fans, we had groupies," said Steve Colanero, 56, a dancer from 1959 to 1961 and now retired to Palm Beach, Fla. "I spread the Beehive across America," said Bunny Gibson, 56, on the show from 1959 to 1962. On April20, 2023, Caroline andEddie wereback in Nashville for a high school reunion luncheon. She cried in front of her cat "Shortstop." And she was showing something very special to her classmates. And when Dick Clark took over on-air hosting duties in 1956 (from producer Bob Horn), he also became a household name and stayed with the show until the series ended in 1989. Log In. On Thursday, for the first time in a quarter century, 27 of the original Bandstand dancers, including Joe, Kenny, Arlene, Carole, Flossie and Jim, reunited to rehearse their steps for a rock 'n' roll celebration over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column, Killing of Indiana Senate Bill 424 causes riptide of emotion, Man nabbed filming woman in Kohl's dressing room, Portage cops say, NWI Business Ins and Outs: Crown Point Records and Chipotle opening; Sip, Red Nar and Mi Maria Bonita closing; Crown Point Toys and Collectibles relocating, Man charged with murder after body found at state wildlife area, officials say, Scammers found soliciting in Portage, police warn of increase as weather warms up, Indiana Dunes National Park names new vendors for busy beach season, Portage man faces felony after being nabbed with nearly 1,500 pills, police say, Cleveland-Cliffs reports $42 million loss in first quarter, Unsealed court records show man shut five children in nearby bedroom, then shot and killed girlfriend, Unfinished medical office building still in limbo after five years, Here are the Region's prep softball statistical leaders through April 26, 2023, Elderly Porter County man charged with holding shotgun to woman's face, pulling trigger, New charge filed against Portage mom accused of shooting husband, records show, Schererville man gets 60 years for his girlfriends murder, Lakefront landmark Ono's & Jo's Pizza revived and up for sale, A 'She Said, SHE Said' Mother's Day podcast: 'We're not raising kids, we're raising adults', Rosie ODonnell says that Madonna has always hit back at people who criticized her appearance, Sir Elton John says he won't give up performing after last tour, Melissa McCarthy would jump at the chance to make a 'Bridesmaids' sequel. When American Bandstand became the most popular daytime television program in the late 1950s, a group of ordinary Philadelphia high school students who loved to dance suddenly became a national phenomenon. He was a senior, with a Tennessean paper route as his only income. 8,237 people follow this. In the news this week..Tomorrow, Saturday, August 12, Walter Ulbricht, leader of East Germany, will sign an order to close the border with West Germany. She said she couldn't hold it up straight. I'm sure I missed several of the regulars that are featured here today in the opening credits. In 1959, she entered the Miss Nashville pageant, stitched up a short red costume and did a dance routine to "Won't You Charleston With Me" ending with a jitterbug to "Sweet Georgia Brown." Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. When a drunken driving scandal forced Horn from the show in 1956, a 26-year old WFIL personality by the name of Dick Clark, who had substituted as host when Horn was on vacation, stepped in as full-time host. Courtesy American Bandstand. Clark produced it briefly in syndication and on cable. She worked at a radio station. Eddie put a hospital bed in their house. Contact American Bandstand Dancers on Messenger. In an age where young couples were getting married before they turned 20, Eddie wouldn't give Caroline his high school ring. We lost a brilliant man. Singer Stevie Wonder is 64. He said he had plans to see an old friend, so he was coming to visit Nashville. What she did tell me was the most exciting days during the show's taping was when famous names of the day dropped by to promote music, TV and film projects. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. On April 23, 2022, Eddie called Caroline. Bassist Mickey Madden of Maroon 5 is 35. In 2020, Eddie noticed Polly's head drooping. Eddie and Polly moved to California and had two sons. Q: Please settle a bet for me. "I just quit," he said. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, BY BRADFORD BRADY and JOHN MARON | ON THE RECORD, 29 nominations received for Gene "Pappy" Thompson Award for Excellence, PREP BASEBALL: Bristol eighth-grader Hayden Reed commits to Va. Tech, 7 bodies found during search for missing Oklahoma teens, New owner, new life for Abingdon yarn shop, Exit 17 completion now expected by late summer, Morgan Wallen fans upset about abrupt concert cancellation, PREP ROUNDUP: Atwood picks up 300th win for Eastside softball; Phillips, Lebanon baseball no-hits Patrick Henry, BHC BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Musick's work paid off at THS, PREP ROUNDUP: Chilhowie earns 16-0 baseball win over PH; Tazewell tops Marion in 11; Lebanon's Barton throws no-hitter, Honaker's softball team tosses two no-hitters; Rayne Hawthorne (Twin Valley), Porter Gobble (John Battle), Robbie Wilson (Wise Central), Caiti Hill (Ridgeview), Jordan Mooney (J.I. #americanbandstand #bandstanddiaries # . Local Business . Showcasing all of the Top 40 tunes and singing sensations of the day, the show premiered locally in an afternoon time slot to attract after-school viewership in late September 1952, originally titled as simply "Bandstand" on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 before later becoming broadcast nationally via ABC. These Regulars . (Mineo's life ended decades later after he was arriving home after a rehearsal on Feb. 12, 1976 and was stabbed to death in the alley behind his apartment building in West Hollywood, with the knife blade striking his heart, leading to immediate and fatal internal bleeding.). 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.