American Bandstand offered viewers a real treat on October 31, 1961, when it presented a Halloween show with many of the show's regulars decked out in costumes. Frani Giordano's Vampira outfit - with a long black gown and black wig - was judged the best costume, earning Frani a transistor radio. Other highlights included Arlene DiPietro as a cannibal and Bunny Gibson in a Balinese outfit.
After graduation from Syracuse University in July 1951, Dick Clark went to work at WRUN radio in Utica, N.Y. A big complication, though, came in the form of Clark's father - also named Richard Clark - who was the station manager. In order to avoid confusion, the younger Clark broadcast under the name Dick Clay for the rest of his run at WRUN.
From April 17, 1954, through June 17, 1954, WFIL-TV broadcast live the "McArthur hearings" from Washington, D.C., which generally meant that Bob Horn's Bandstand program was pre-empted. Despite the interruption, many Philadelphia teens flocked to the Bandstand studio every weekday afternoon just in case the hearings wrapped up early and the show was broadcast.
Lee Andrews and the Hearts, one of Philadelphia's most popular vocal groups during the American Bandstand years, got their big break when they lip-synced Long Lonely Nights on the final day of the show's first week, Friday, August 9, 1957.
The crew from American Bandstand had regular Tuesday night basketball games at West Philadelphia High School where tall, young announcer Charlie O'Donnell often stood out, Also making occasional appearances at the casual pickup games were popular singers of the era like Adam Wade and Johnny Mathis.
Question: What Bandstand regular from South Philadelphia briefly recorded for Dot Records in 1960 and made acting appearances on a few TV shows, including Dr. Kildare? Post your answer in the comments section.
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Have you checked out my other blogs? There are links at the top of the page, but here's a brief description of each:
Before Their Time: The stories of people whose exploits or accomplishments thrust them into the public consciousness before dying at an early age - before their time.
Passing It On: A site dedicated to preserving, celebrating and sharing family and personal history.
Life In the Slow Lane: My personal blog, where you're likely to find just about anything that strikes my fancy.
