In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. Clark looked like one of the kids." (Horn was 40 when he left Bandstand and Clark was a babyfaced 27.) In 1960, in an episode that seems incredibly tame by todays standards of greed and corruption, the two major television networks, NBC and CBS were exposed as having rigged their wildly popular primetime quiz shows. I never had a crush on her. It became a national institution and Dick Clark a celebrity. Bandstand debuted in Philadelphia in 1950 and took on its familiar format two years later. Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. He remembered Clark as a man of few words who kept a professional distance between himself and the teen dancers. She is a Marco Polo member of the Society of American Travel Writers, a past president of Virginia Professional Communicators and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. On Bandstand, she became lifelong friends with one of the celebrity guests, straight Annette Funicello, of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach Party fame. 4/8/1989 10/7/1989 Syndicated Were goin hopin today Hes a heckuva good dancer who does a mean jitterbug! As previously mentioned, during the 1978 season of Bandstand, Donna Summer became the only music artist in Bandstand's history to co-host the program. (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. Nicholas Fiorentino, 67, a South Philly native now living in Cherry Hill, said it was clear even to Bandstand teenagers that Clark was going places. In 1989, Clark, aged 59, retired fromAmerica Bandstand, and the show ended that year. 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.. unsold game show pilots). What they didnt know was that Arlene and several of the other female dancers, and most of the handsome teen boys, were gay. I have a Champion Samoyed show dog. Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82. 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 didnt catch her at it. Duke is a premier photographer of the martial arts as well as being an expert. Mrs. Spada attended West Catholic Girls High School. Wagon Train Website,