Beyond the South End

We Danced on American Bandstand

(A tribute to Dick Clark)

Many of the memories many of us have as teenagers is the afternoons we spent in front of the TV after school watching American Bandstand. With the recent death of our favorite dance host, Dick Clark, those memories came to the forefront of our minds. Although Dick became a TV mogul, producing many shows, and becoming the perennial host of Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve every year on TV, we will always remember him best as the host who introduced the latest hits every day on his show American Bandstand.

More than one generation of teenagers enjoyed this very special show as the show ran from 1956 to 1989. Music styles changed, clothes styles changed, hairdos changed, and Dick continued to introduce us to the newest teen idols to come along. An appearance on American Bandstand (ABS) began the careers of more than one singer including Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Connie Frances.

The music over the years ran from the hip piano tunes of Jerry Lee Lewis to Run DMC. The stars came on the show, lip-synced their tunes, and became an instant star. Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon made the most appearance at 110.

Dick’s show was the first to introduce African American singers despite controversy from the producers who claimed ABS was a “white teenagers show.” He stood his ground and we must forever thank him. In the videos on You Tube I also see the appearance of African-American teenage dancers on the floor.

I got my daily dose of ABS every afternoon at my best friend Rose Ann’s house down on lower Fulton Street. We didn’t have a TV yet at 22 Fulton Street, so I watched the show at Rose Ann’s house, driving her mother, Thelma, nuts I’m sure as we danced all the new steps in front of the TV in her living room in front of the black and white set.

In that roundabout way we did indeed “dance” on ABS.”

Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. The host was Bob Horn and the show was called Bob Horn’s Bandstand. Dick took over on July 9, 1956, when the show was renamed “American Bandstand.” ABC picked up the show in 1957, with Dick remaining as the host, and the rest is history.

The show moved to Los Angeles in 1964. From 1963-1987, the show was only on once a week, on Saturday. It was part of the USA network briefly, with host David Hirsh, but went off the air for good in 1989.

During the show’s heyday, Dick hosted the daily show which was called American Bandstand and the Dick Clark Show on Saturdays.

There was a show called "American Dreams" that came along later that brought ABS back to us in a fictional form. It featured clips from the old show along with the story. I enjoyed it very much.

You Tube has several videos of ABS as it ran on TV through four decades of music. I picked some pertaining to my era of the show. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for listening.

#1 video includes the memories of two of the show's "couples" who we watched as they danced with each other every day.

#2 video Shows Dick introducing the song "Blue Velvet" by Bobbie Vincent as the kids dance in the studio. Notice the perfect "pageboys" on the girls and the guys all dressed in suit and tie.

#3 video features “Rate a Record” in which a couple of teenagers on the show that day got to rate new records. This one rated “You’re Gonna Make Me” by The Wordd; and “Rango” by Frankie Laine. The main criteria was “Can you dance to it?” I don’t remember either of these songs.