Bandstand Beat

Bandstand Bits: Myron Lee captured 1963 Dick Clark Caravan of Stars on film

In the fall of 1963, Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars roadshow was especially notable for several reasons.

One of those reasons was that the Caravan was scheduled to play in Dallas, Texas, the evening of Nov. 22. That appearance was canceled because of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas earlier in the day.

Another noteworthy aspect of the tour was that Dick Clark and his wife, Loretta, rode the bus with the performers for most of the stops, which Clark emceed. This was possible because ABC had cut American Bandstand to a weekly Saturday slot that September, leaving Clark free during the week.

But, perhaps the most noteworthy thing to come out of that tour was the home movie produced by Myron Lee. Lee and his musical group, the Caddies, were the house band for the tour and Lee's silent footage of the tour provides a rare glimpse of life on the road in the early 1960s. That includes footage of Billy Cook, a former popular dancer on Bandstand's early days. He's the young man identified in the film as Dick Clark's assistant.

Here's Lee's fascinating film:

 

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. Go here to learn the story behind the writing of Bandstandland or here to listen to the Pennsylvania Cable Network's interview with author Larry Lehmer.

Larry Lehmer's book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

 

 

Bandstand Bits: Fats Domino was a nervous performer, especially in Philadelphia

Fats Domino made numerous appearances on American Bandstand and Dick Clark's Saturday Night Show. Although most viewers were unaware of it at the time, Domino was nervous about appearing on stage. He was also nervous about just appearing in Philadelphia.

In his 2006 book, Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock ‘n’ Roll, author Rick Coleman writes of some of Domino's bad experiences in Philadelphia:

"[In January 1954] Domino again played the Showboat in Philadelphia. Outside of the Douglas Hotel late one night, Buddy Hagans walked warm-up singer Jimmy Gilchrist around in fourteen inches of snow, trying to keep the much taller man steady and conscious. Gilchrist had high-grade heroin running through his veins, and Hagans knew from his experiences in the army that he had to keep him awake."

"At the end of 1954 [Domino's] band ... would run into trouble again in Philly when police arrested Wendell Duconge, Walter Nelson and Cornelius Coleman for drugs in a raid on their hotel room. The City of Brotherly Love’s police liked to shake down black musicians (including Ray Charles and Billie Holiday) like mahogany money trees; once they got a pound of cash, they often dropped the charges."

Coleman writes that things had improved by 1958 when Domino appeared on the Saturday Night Show in New York:

“Apparently energized by the challenge of a comeback, Domino started an unusual media blitz to promote “Whole Lotta Loving.” He appeared on The Dick Clark Beechnut Show on November 8. ...  Clark had to drag Fats from his hotel room to rehearse. He kept a case of Teacher’s scotch for the always nervous Domino.”

Simon "Pop" Singer was probably America's best-known druggist during the Philadelphia run of American Bandstand, especially among teenagers. Most teen visitors to the show during those years paused outside Pop's store near the WFIL studios long enough to have their picture taken. Pop was probably as well known inside the studio for the birthday cakes he frequently presented on air to regulars.

Lip-syncing was an issue for many singers who appeared on American Bandstand or the Saturday Night Show. The Big Bopper had to practice for hours before he could fake Chantilly Lace, which he had never done before. Chuck Berry famously balked when asked to lip sync, saying "Chuck Berry ain't going to move his lips and have nothing come out." He relented and, according to Mark Bego in his book, TV Rock, the only artist to perform live on Bandstand was blues giant B.B. King, in the 1970s.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. Go here to learn the story behind the writing of Bandstandland or here to listen to the Pennsylvania Cable Network's interview with author Larry Lehmer.

Larry Lehmer's book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.