August 5, 1957: “American Bandstand” debuted on ABC

On August 5, 1957, ABC TV kicked off “American Bandstand” with host Dick Clark.

The show originated from Philadelphia. It had been a local program, named just “Bandstand”, that started in March of 1950 with host Bob Horn. Dick Clark eventually replaced Horn in 1956, prior to the show kicking off on ABC TV in 1957. The show continued until 1989.

We had a chance to talk to Dick Clark on “The Rick and Scott Show” in November of 1999. He was on the air with us to talk about the new game show he was producing — called “Greed” — that was hosted by Chuck Woolery. Here is a clip from “Greed”…

(Rick makes mention of Curtis’ wild hair in the interview!)

After we talked about the show, we asked Dick about his new, limited role on the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show beginning in the year 2000. We also asked about his “American Bandstand” days.

Here is the interview from November 17, 1999:

 

Photo: ABC Television

I’ve always been the kind of person who notices the things other people overlook — strange roadside attractions, forgotten pieces of history, unusual places, odd trends, and the little things in everyday life that make you stop and say, “Wait... when did that become normal?” That curiosity is really what this blog is all about. I’m especially drawn to the stories hiding in plain sight: a forgotten piece of Michigan history, a roadside attraction you’d never know was there, an old building with a story behind it, or some completely ordinary part of modern life that suddenly seems ridiculous when you think about it for more than five seconds. Some days you’ll find a fascinating history story here. Other days I may take you along on a road trip, dig into something weird from Michigan’s past, share an interesting discovery, or simply rant about something in modern life that makes absolutely no sense. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I just enjoy asking the questions, digging around for the stories, and sharing the interesting things I find along the way. My goal is simple: Keep looking. Keep learning. And keep things interesting.

1 Comment

  1. August 5, 2024 - 12:13 am

    Remember the teens scoring the new singles? “It had a good beat and it was easy to dance to”.

    Reply

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