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''American Bandstand'' was a live dance music Television show. It premiered locally as '''''Bandstand''''' on Philadelphia Television Station WFIL on October 7 , 1952 in "Studio 'B'", which was located in their just-completed addition to the original 1947 building (4548 Market Street), and was hosted by Bob Horn . DICK CLARK On July 9 , 1956 , Horn, fired after a drunk driving conviction, was replaced by Dick Clark . The show was picked up by ABC (becoming ''American Bandstand'') on August 5 , 1957 after some badgering from Clark to the network to put it on nationally, broadcasting daily (first live, then on Kinescope when Clark went on tour with the singers) until 1963 and then airing weekly until 1989 . Charlie O'Donnell , then a very young Philadelphia radio DJ , landed his very first network announcing assignment on ''Bandstand'', a job he would hold until the late-1960s. Tony Mammarella was the original producer of ''Bandstand''. FORMAT The show featured real kids dancing to Top 40 -type music, often with mimed performances by the artists themselves. In 1957, Patti Page was crowned ''American Bandstand'''s favorite Female vocalist in its first nationwide audience poll. CHANGES The show moved to Saturday afternoons on September 7 , 1963 , to Los Angeles on February 8 , 1964 , to color on September 9 , 1967 , to syndication on September 19 , 1987 , and to cable ( USA Network ) on April 8 , 1989 with a new, younger host (comedian David Hirsch) to bring in more viewers. It ended for good on October 7 , 1989 . STANDOUTS Standout performances on American Bandstand include a chaotic 1980 appearance by the (at that time) abrasive art-rock ensemble, Public Image Limited —a fact often suspected of being an Urban Legend , which is nonetheless confirmed by broadcast videotapes and by Dick Clark himself. During the appearance bandmembers exchanged instruments and made no pretense of the appearance on the show being anything other than lipsyncing. Clark himself has referred to the group's appearance on the show as one of his favorite performances on the series. TRIVIA
'60S NOSTALGIA The show was featured prominently in the 2002 - 2005 NBC-TV drama series'' American Dreams '', whose executive producer was none other than Dick Clark . BOB HORN Born Donald Loyd Horn was born in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania on February 20 1916 to a WWI veteran. Horn died of a Heat Stroke -induced heart attack on July 31 1966 at the age of 50. He was mowing his lawn in Houston, Texas at the time of the incident. His remains were interred at the Forest Park cemetery in Houston, Texas with the epitaph, "Bandstand." He would change his name twice before his death. Some academic records from his youth showed that he appended an 'e' to his surname for a while, and replaced his first name to Robert. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINK |
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