He made a lot of stars. What a tragedy, Clayton, 70, says. American Bandstand Dancers - Legacy.com Basketball star Dennis "The Worm" Rodman is 52. Caroline and George established a fly-in community in Newborn, Georgia. 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). Sullivan,70, is busy working on a new book about her "Bandstand" days with fellow "Bandstand" regular Bunny Gibson (also one of the most . Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! She said she couldn't hold it up straight. Send your questions about songs, albums, and the musicians who make them to MusicOnTheRecord@gmail.com. He flew scouting missions in an "Old Birddog" (Cessna 140) in Vietnam in 1969-70. Eddie and Polly moved to California and had two sons. She would catch Eddie daydreaming and she would accuse him of thinking about "that damn Caroline," he said. [The knowledge about the dancers] would have destroyed himand the . Eddie was dropping out of college. The Beach Boys were already the kings of surf pop by their first appearance on American Bandstand in 1964. Local Business . Sullivan, who came out decades ago, spoke of one particular young man, now deceased, who was a victim of Clark's campaign. Finally, he called a mutual friend who called Caroline to explain that phone number from California with the 951 area code was Eddie Lamm. You can cancel at any time. Caroline's first marriage, she said, didn't go well. Caroline knew her well. See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook FYI:onceuponourtimes.com. 'American Bandstand' kept secret that teen stars were gay Here is Ed Kelly who was a dancer on American Bandstand from 1959-1961 The band released their first self-titled album in 2009. 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. Rest in peace dad. 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. 8,366 people like this. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. 1964 - The Beach Boys - "Don't Worry, Baby". On the Record: What was first song on TV show American Bandstand? Jan 26, 2019 - Kenny Rossi--one of the most popular Regulars/Dancers to dance on early American Bandstand ( years late 50s/early 60s) "It gave me a whole different outlook on life and death. Matthan Minster (keys/guitar) and Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) round out the band. Q: Please settle a bet for me. 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. Where are they now? "She informed me of the blow-by-blow description," Caroline said. He has remained friends with many Regulars. 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. She worked at a radio station. This time, she had a great marriage to a World War II veteran named George Kennedy (not the actor). American Bandstand Dancers - Home - Facebook Dwight Eisenhower was president. He got out of the car. Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963 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. From that point on "I was known as Eddie's girl," Caroline said. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Philadelphia high school Regulars who danced on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in the late 1950s and early 1960s became national celebrities and America's first reality stars. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. 4151 Prospect Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Actress Debby Ryan ("Jessie") is 21. In fact, she was "the first female car racer at Cecil County Drag Strip . Create new account. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327. That ring "was too precious," she said. What was the first song featured on the television show American Bandstand? How did they come up with their name? "I was her caretaker," he 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. "We talked like we had talked the day before.". Singer Stevie Wonder is 64. Originally- A reunion had been planned for August 4th 2012 to pay tribute to Dick Clark by the American Bandstand Dancers. He proposed to her by Canyon Lake in California in September 2022. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Forty years after 'Bandstand' debut, Clark and dancers celebrate 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. "I didn't like it." In December 1959, he decided to join the Air Force. After "American Bandstand" debuted on television in 1952, it made celebrities of the teens the cameras captured as the show's "regular dancers." She had two daughters, which was great. However, a bizarre chance encounter with a stranger following a show lead them to change their name. 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. Author. Bradford Brady and John Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 4151 Prospect Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Then my mother said, 'She looked just like you.'". Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. This site is maintained by American Bandstand Dancers Hal L. Landau, Linda D. Gonzales & Bunny. This is a video I created of one of my favorite dance pa. That's about a 40-minute drive to Canyon Lake. You have permission to edit this article. She and Polly had been friends at West High. Polly died Dec. 22, 2021. What does that lyric mean? Former 'American Bandstand' Dancers React to Dick Clark's Death - Parade He barely saw his old friend on that trip. Any place there's dancing, I'll still go, said Joe Fusco, who was 15 when he . Log In. They had been married almost 60 years. American Bandstand Dancers - Home | Facebook I had to stop listening to the radio before I could hear the song. 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." Forgot account? ``Bandstand first aired for a national audience on ABC on Aug. 5, 1957. "I got on my knee and did it properly," Eddie said. Dick Clark's secret: 'Bandstand' dancers were having a gay old time "Tony Bennett, Tab Hunter, Jeff Chandler and Patti Page were some of the big-time favorites we were all so excited to meet," Arlene said. American Bandstand 1950s Dance Partners Bob Clayton & Justine - YouTube She was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease). Bassist Mickey Madden of Maroon 5 is 35. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. See more of American Bandstand Dancers on Facebook. Actress Lena Dunham ("Girls") and actor Robert Pattinson are 28. 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.". She was a sophomore, straight-A student and a cheerleader. It was September 1956. 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.