Regulars that danced on both Bob Horn"s Bandstand and Dick Clark"s American Bandstand |
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Bobbie Young Bobbie Young was on both Bandstand and American Bandstand. She was encouraged by her mother Mildred to attend Bob Horn's Bandtand though she was only twelve and the minimum age be on the show was 14. Her first time on the show, she had snuck in behind another girl.
Many dance parties were held at her home with her mother cooking for the Regulars. Both boys and girls, would often sleep over. Bobbie dated Lenny Cooney off and on for six years. Bobbie Young, who started dancing on the show in 1954 and joined the Committee in 1956. Bobbie said Horn often treated Committee members to dinner out when traveling to dances out of town. Bobbie was an Elvis Presley fan. She was the only Regular that Dick Clark invited to go and see Presley when he appeared at the nearby Arena in October 1956. She met Presley in his dressing room before he went on stage. Later on, Bobbie appeared on the Regis and Kathy Lee show with Barbara Marcen. Bobbie was a merchant marine and worked on the Cape May Lewis Ferry. Bobbie was married and divorced three times, She had six children, twelve grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. She lives in Cape May New Jersey. Above is current as of 2016
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Rosemary
Fergione Rosemary "Little Ro" Fergione was a child dancer who appeared on the Bandstand Show during the Bob Horn days. She was 11 years old when she first started dancing on the show. It helped that her cousin, Tilda, was head of the Committee and she was able to get on the show regularly.The show was known for showcasing dancers, and "Little Ro" was one of the young performers who made an impression on viewers.
Rosemary invited Nino Bambino to a neighborhood party for one of her birthdays. He ended up singing "Happy Birthday" to her live on the the air on Bandstand. She suddenly started receiving fan mail. She dated Bambino for a few months Rosalie "Big Ro" Beltrante "stole" and they broke up. Rosemary was 11 years old at the time. Her cousin Tilda was head of the Committee and so she was able to get in regularly. Later, Ro brought Justine and Arlene onto the show as they lived in the same area. She became a Committee member joining Tommy DeNoble, Rosemary Beltrane, Barbara Marcen, Nino Bambino and Jerry Blavat. Rosemary brought Justine Carrelli and Arlene Sullivan onto the show as they lived in the same Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood. Rosemary attended John Bartram High School n Philadelphia. Rosemary was married 29 years and had two children. She is a widow, living near her daughter in Tennessee and still working at 75, doing home care for the state of Tennessee. She lives in Johnson City, Tennessee. Above current as of 2017 |
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Barbara Marcen Barbara went to Southern High School in Philadelphia - the same as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. She attended many dances in the area, at churches a public venues like the Carmen Roller Skating Rink where Horn held weekly hops. She traveled by herself to the show everyday. She was the youngest of six children, Her father a college professor her mother a house wife. Marcen was a regular from late 1953 through late 1958and a memeber of the Committee. Being a member of it had its perks, you didn't have to wait on in line to get on the show/ The Commit. She was a part-model from the age of 12-24. Barbara Marcen, who won a jitterbug contest on Bob Horn's Bandstand. Marcen, said she didn't know how to dance at all when she first arrived in the WFIL-TV studio but was taught by other regulars. Marcen was asked to be character witness at Bob Horn's trial, She testified that Horn never tried anything with with us. He was going to cut a record with me singing on one side and my dance partner, Tom DeNoble, singing on the other side. Bob got one of his friends to write a song for me, “Since I Met Him at the Senior Dance,” and Bob paid for me to take singing lessons. Then he was arrested and we never made the record.“ She found it hard to believe that Horn had an affair with a teenage girl. She was married for 44 years. She had three children and one grandson and lives in New Jersey. Above current as of 2016 Lenny Natale Leny was born on October 16, 1940 in Camden, NJ, to George and Ruth (Peck) Natale. He had brother, Daniel; sister, Agnes. As a teenager, he was an original member of Bandstand on Market Street in Philadelphia where he danced on live TV and made many lifelong friends that he cherished. Lenny Natale grew up in East Camden New Jersey, with his brother Daniel and sister Agnes. His father George worked in a steel mill. His mother Ruth encouraged him to go the to American Bandstand giving him 35 cents to take two trains and one bus to get on the show. His close friend Frank Lobis always got money for his return trip by asking asking girls to help lenny out so he could get home.
Joe Fusco introduced Lenny to the rest of the Regulars that taught him everything he needed to know.Lenny led an active social life attending many of Dick Clark's' evening dances and events
Lenny met Betty Romantini on American Bandstand. They eloped after they left the show and were the only Regular to marry during its Philadelphia days. The marriage lasted five or six years during which time they had two children. Lenny later remarried and had two more children Lenny owned and operated Leonardo’s Limousine Service in Marlton and later worked as a restaurateur in Voorhees for many years. Lenny worked in Betty's uncle Italian bakery, was a pizza maker at an Italian restaurant, owned an Italian restaurant and a limo business with his second wife for 20 years. He remained close friend with Frankie Lobis and Joe Fusco until passed. Lenny lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Lenny had eight grandchildren, Shane, Justin, Greg, Marc, Jake, Rebecca, Carly and Logan. Lenny passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 7, 2024 at the age of 83. He is buried Locustwood Memorial Park in Cherry Hill, NJ. Dorothy
Horner Dorothy was a graduate of Bartram High School and an original American Bandstand dancer. Dorothy with and Frank Spagnoula won the Chalypso Contest in 1957. Horner who usually appeared on the show without make-up, often received fan mail asking if she was Quaker, promting a respose from her mother that she "was a good Catholic girl". Dorothy appeared on the book cover of Dick Clark's American Bandstand. She also danced with Jack Fisher on the show. She performed with many Regulars at Penn's Landing in 1988. She was employed in Advertising and Sales, originally for the Philadelphia Bulletin and then for the Philadelphia Inquirer, retiring from there in 2002.
Dorothy Horner passed away October 27, 2020, after a short illness. Frank
Spagnuola Frank was born Novemger 3. 1940. He and his two younger brothers lived in South Philadephia, with his father worked as a foreman in a beer factory, his mother was an Avon lady and one of the first school crossing guards in Philadephia. Frank attended Bishop Neumann High School
Frank was first on Bob Horn's Bandstand where he was part of the Committee. Frank along with Jerry Blavat, often left classes early to go to the show. After Bob Horn was fired, Frank protested with Jerry Blavat and others. Upset with the firing, Frank refused to dance to the first song played by Clark after he became permanent host, But he relented and soon began going again, usually two to three times a week, after Dick Clark took over. He and Dottie Horner won the last dance competion, a calyso contest, before the show went national'
Frank dated and danced with Charlette Russo, another dancer, for six months. He and Dottie Horner won Chalypso Contest in 1957, American Bandstand's first year. They came in second in the Jitterbug contest later that year. Elvis was the judge of that contest and the winner was chosen by phone calls. Frank and Dottie are on the front cover of Dick Clark's Ammerican Bandstand, published in 1997. When Dick Clark arranged dances for hundreds of fans at local venues, Frank and his dancing partner would be invited to go and dance.
Frank became an interior designer after college. Frank was married for 25 years and divorced He has a son, daughter and three grandchildren. He lives in Cape May New Jersey Rebecca
LaSpada Becky was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of Joseph and Nettie (Garofalo) LaSpada and brother Salvatore Lovecchio. She was neighbors with Frank Brancaccio as well as Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, and Chubby Checker. in South Philadelphia. She went to high school in South Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter she joined the Marines. She eventually moved to Vineland where she spent many years waitressing at many establishments including Presidential Diner, Inn on the Mall, Neptune, Cattle Baron, Midway Inn, Pegasus and Brewster Villa. Becky also worked as a counselor at a center helping abused women and children, Shop Rite, as a cafeteria worker for the Vineland Board of Educationand and with Sheppard Bus Service as an aide. She was sill working as a school bus aide for crippled children at the time of her death in 2016 from lung cancer. Becky was was 74 when she passed away May 7 2016. Edward Connor Edward Connor grew up in South Philadelphia with parents and a younger brother. He first danced on Bandstand when Bob Horn was host. He dated Justine Carelli for about six months. After they broke up he dated Janet Hamill for about three years.
After high school Connors had a desk job at Philadelphia Electric Company. He would leave that job to join the Philadelphia Police Department where he worked for 22 years and headed a Bomb Squad Swat team. He was also an under cover assault team leader and was wounded in 1985 Assault on Orange Avenue. He was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army Airborne in Europe and Asia.
He met Evelyn, his wife of 51 years, while working at the Philadelphia Electric Company. They had a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren. They lived on 13 acres in a rural area near Tampa, Florida. Above current as of 2016 Nino Bambino Nino was the fifth of seven children born to his father, a marble tiler cutter, and his mother a housewife. Nino was invited to Bandstand by Rose Mary Fergione, who became his girlfriend for three months He then broke up with her to date Rosalie Beltrante for two years. He owned a black 1951 Ford Victoria and would frequently drive Rosalie Beltrante, Joanne MonteCarlo, Sid Payne and Bob Durkin to diffrent dances, including those at the Starlight Ballroom in Wildwood New Jersey. He danced on the show three at least four days weekly. After high school he enlisted in the Army and served with Elvis Presley in Fort Hood, Texas before being stationed in Friedberg, Germany. Nino was a meatcutter for hotel restarants for 41 years. After the Alumni Association of Bandstand Regulars was created, Nino became its producer of events. The AABR was created to help raise money for cancer groups and other charities.
Nino and his wife Diane celebrated there 50th wedding anniversity in 2016. The have three children seven grandchildren and live in Pennsylvania. (1955 to 1957) Lou DeNoble was a reular on the Bob Horn Bandstand. He lived with his brother and parents in West Philadelphia. His father was a painting contractor. Lou had a career as a window dresser for major department stores in the Philadelphia area.
He met his wife Terry, a Regular during Dick Clark's American Bandstand on Wildwood Beach. They have been married 45 years. Jimmy Hudson Jimmy Hudson lived in Southern New Jersey. Altough his parents weren't too happy he appeaered on the show, the self-taught dancer did dance four to five times a week. He dated Carmella Raffa on the show. Jimmy remained friends with Barbara Marcen, Terry Schreffler, and Peggy Thompson. He lived in Center City, PA. Jimmy had been in the restaurant business for 45 years as a bartender at Snockey's Oyster and Crab House.
Jimmy Hudson passed away at the beginning of August 2020 |
Anthony Bongiorno Cuz was born September 11, 1939. Anthony grew up with two older brothers,Stuart, Bruce, and younger sister Joi in South Philadelphia. His father worked for the Department of Streets changing light bulbs and adding new ones. His mother liked the Bob Horn Show and watched it with her seven sisters. When Cuz was 13, his mother encouraged him to attend the daily show. Cuz danced with Rosemary Fergione in the 1956 Chalyso Contest. He was friends with many regulars including Rosemary Beltrane, Terry Schreffler, Frani Giordano and Arlene Sullivan. He attended South Philadelphia High School with Fabian and Frankie Avalon. After his dancing days he worked for an ice cream company company; was a mechanic at the Philadelphia Shipyard for 20 years; and was a machine operator at the United States Mint in Philadelphia making coins.
He retired in 1995. He lived in Northwest Philadelphia with his wife Rebecca. Had three children and one grandchild. Anthony Biorgirno was 84, when he passed away October 31, 2023. Terry
Schreffler Terry Schreffler was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania on February 3, 1941 to the late William and Verna Ganderton Schreffler. She grew up with one brother. She graduated from Ridley Township High School in 1959. Her mother encouraged her to attend Bob Horn's Bandstand when she was 13; drove her to the show daily. Her father would pick her up after the show Schreffler started dancing on the televised show when she was 13 – a year younger than was allowed. Ballet and tap dancing lessons in her early years served her well as she performed all the latest dances of the 1950s. Her favorites were the jitterbug, calypso, cha-cha and the show's signature line dance the Stroll. All that dancing kept her in shape for various modeling jobs at Sears, Wanamaker’s and several boutiques in Philadelphia. She also worked as aa secretary for State Farm Insurance. When she started performing on Bandstand, Bob Horn was the host, but legendary Dick Clark soon took the helm. “He was a fantastic guy,” she said, fondly recalling dances at the New Jersey shore when Clark would drive Schreffler and other dancers to the venue. Terry married at 18 after graduating from high school, had two children, divorced, remarried and had a third child before divorcing again. With three young children, she moved to Delaware and then Maryland before returning to Delaware. She also ended up meeting her future husband, John Loland. The two married June 4, 1993 and built a home in the Maplewood development near Rehoboth. All the heavy dancing in her early days took a toll on Terry and she had a hip and two knees replaced. On Nov. 4, she reunited with some of them when the original American Bandstand crew met at the old studio in Philadelphia. There they signed a new book written about the early years and talked with about 350 fans who attended the event.She had three children and had five grand children and two great grandchildren Terry at the age of 78 passed away peacefully at her home on January 25, 2020. Charlette
Russo Charlette Russo was was the middle child of five children. As an underage dancer during Bob Horn's Bandstand, she wore her sister's clothes to go on the show. Her first day there the office secretary gave her a Committee member card. She was one of the very early Regulars who was actually dancing on American Bandstand before it went National in August 1957. She continued dancing on the show in the late 1950s. At first Charlette couldn't figure-out how to easily get on the show, so she walked to the door that the singing stars and actor used, and knocked on it announced to Bob the Cop "I came here to dance."
Charlette dated Frank Spagnuola for about six months when she first came on the show. Charlette along with Michael Delfatti came in 2nd place in the 1957 Chalypso Contest After Bandstand Charlette went to college, became an accountant, and was a business manager at an advertising agency. Charlette lived in California for many years before moving back East in 2007. Above current as of 2016 Tommy DeNoble Tommy DeNoble danced on Bandstand. He recorded a few records, became part of the famed "The Children's Hour" broadcasts and played the role of Sgt. Sacto on WKBS-TV, Channel 48 in Philadelphia. Then, he became a broadcast television engineer at Channel 29. It was a post he held for 32 years. Tommy was born on Tuesday, October 3, 1939. Tommy lived with his with his mother Emma Marie (nee Quartapella), father a younger brother Vincent DeNoble, Sr and was raised in South Philadelphia.. For a few years, he lived in a section of the Greater Northeast. When Bandstand hit the airwaves in 1952, Tommy DeNoble was one of the first dancers on the show. Bob Horn and Lee Stewart were the hosts and the program was broadcast live to Philadelphia on WFIL-TV, Channel 6 from their 46th and Market Streets studio in West Philly. While in high school and on Bandstand, Tommy DeNoble started his own singing group called "The Stardusters." After his time on Bandstand, he went into professional entertaining as a singer. He had a moderate Philadelphia hit called "Count Every Star" in 1957 and performed on "The Dick Clark Show" which originated from “The Little Theater” in New York City. In 1957, Tommy was graduated from St. Thomas More High School. Tommy also performed on “The Children’s Hour,” a live Sunday morning hour long broadcast hosted by Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers’ first President, Stan Lee Broza. The program was simulcast over WCAU-TV and WCAU Radio. DeNoble portrayed the role of Sgt. Sacto on a weekly kids show on WKBS-TV, Channel 48 in Philadelphia during the sixties. Tommy tried his hand at acting by appearing on "Mr. Novac," and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" television shows. In motion pictures, he was in "The Monkey's Uncle," which starred Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello. He also had a role in "Ship of Fools" done by Stanley Kramer. When the acting and singing roles faded, Tommy DeNoble became a television engineer for WTAF (Channel 29), now WTXF-TV. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and worked at the station for over three decades. He left the broadcast outlet when he became ill in early 2000. Tommy continued singing in his off hours. One of his last events was at the Keswick Theater along with the Pennsylvania Pop Symphony. DeNoble died of sepsis on Monday, January 19, 2004. He was 64 and resided in Chalfont, Pennsylvania (Bucks County). Previously, he and his family lived in West Philly. Tommy and his wife, Loretta had three sons; Jimmy, Joey and Tommy. .Frank
Brancaccio Frank grew up an older brother and two sisters in a rough part of South Philadelphia neighborhood. His father was a chef who worked in many top Philadelphia Italian restaurants. His parents divored when Frank was young and father was largely absent from the family. Frank went to South Philadelpia High School until he decided to quit to concentrae on hia American Bandstand celebrity. Before going to Bandstand and then American Bandstand, he was a loner that felt like misfit in his neighborhood. He wasn't interested in after-school sports or other activities.
He felt that dancers on the show might eventually become friends if he pushed it. So that's what he did. He watched from the bleachers until Mary Ann Cuff broke-up of with Lou Solino saw an opportunity to dance and date her. On and off the show he became friends with Pat Militterri, Arlene Sullivan, Frani Giordano, Arlene DiPietro, Carole Spadeferri and the Beltrante sisters. After American Bandstand went to Manhattan in 1960 to become an actor He lived in Greenwich Village and studied under Stella Adler, later becoming her assistant. He also studied under Uta Hagen, Frank was typecast as a bad guy or gangster in many films, including The Taking of Pelham 123, Godfather ll, Seripco, Dog Day Afternoon, and Superman l and ll. He even did three weeks on the television soap opera The Edge of Night After his acting career ended in 1980 he became and assitant editor at After Dark Magazine, worked for actres Ellen Foley, star of the Broadway show Me and My Girl. When he retired from show busines he went back to school at 50 and received a degree in mental health. He became a pre- and post testing counselor at a HIV clinic. He now lives in Columbia Park, South Philadelphia home his mother had owned.
Frank wrote a fiction novel, based on a real incident in my life called "Ephemeral Nights" to tell a story about "co-dependency, obseesion and self-destruction". He has also written several short stories. above current as of 2016 Joanne
Montecarlo Joanne was born March 4 1940. Joanne grew up in Southwest Philadelphia with her parents, brother Frank and sister Carmen. Carmen also danced on the show. "My father was very strict and he always gave me a hardtime about going on the show" Joanne was one of the several regular dancers on Bandstand who made the transition from Bob Horn days to the Dick Clark era. She danced with Bill Bradley and was friends with Lou Solino. In 1958, she with Frank Lobis finished third in the Cha Cha Dance contest Nino Bambino would often take her to differnet dance contest. After Bandstand she lived South New Jersey and worked for Bamberger's Department Store. She married Robert Armstrong After American Bandstand, Joanne worked at the Philadelphia Convention center and organized the Original Bandstand Dancers for the annual Labor Day show. Joanne was also co-president of the Bandstand Regular's Alumni Association, Joanne passed away on January 30, 2011, she was 70. Michael
(Delfatti) DeLano Michael Delfatti was a 16 year old from South Philadelphia. He went to Bandstand to met girls and dance. He came in second with Charlette Russo in the 1957 Chalypso Contest. In 1954 and 1955 Michael was also a memeber of two doo wop groups in Philadelphia, The Fantasies and The Wonders. He would appear a few years later on American Bandstand as Key Larsen with a Swan Records song called A Little Lovin' (Goes a Long, Long Way). Michael spent 45 years as an actor in Hollywood and portrayed Dr. Mark Dante in General Hospital and was featured in television's General Hosptal and movies like Ocean's 11 and Commando. Hea ppeared in the recurring role of Johnny Venture, in 11 episodes of Rhoda from 1976 to 1978.
Michael married and he and his wife moved to Las Vegas in 1992, where he became a lounge singer. Michael has two children and has seven grandchildren. Rosalie
Beltrante Rosalie was the oldest of the three Beltrante sisters from South Philadelphia, but the only that danced on both Bandstand and American Bandstand. Her father was a factory worker and her mother a waitress. Rosalie went South Philaldelphia High School. Her mother encoraged all thre sisters to go to the show. Rosalie remembers that Bob Horn used to give each Committee Regular $5 weekly as transportation money to get show reliably in every sort of weather. Rosalie was a winner of an early slow dance contest with her partner Jackie Starr. Her reward was an evening gown ensemblecoutesy of Seventeen magazine, The ensemble of an evening gown and accompanying stole shoes, gloves, and jewelry were perfect for the aspiring model. After Bob Horn left the show, her father was against her going but she went anyway. She dated Nino Bambino for a couple of years. Rosalie worked as a receptionist at Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club in Vero Beach, Florida. Rosalie married at 18, had one son, and then got a divorce. She lives in Seal Beach, California with her second husband. Rosale has two adult grandchildren. . |
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