By Doug Fuhrmann
email: dugf@webtv.net
The Daily Journal
September 30, 1999

It was a phenomenon of sorts. From 1957 until 1964, teenagers all over the country dreamed about coming to Philadelphia to dance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Clark, like Sally Starr and Chief Halftown, was just another clean-cut WFIL television personality when he took over the local dance program in 1956. But by the following summer he would be worshipped as a musical Guru by baby boomers everywhere after convincing ABC to take the show to a national level.

Overnight, ordinary kids from the Delaware Valley became emulated teenaged celebrities and, for the next five years, "Philadelphia style" dances like the Bop, the Stroll, the Twist and the Fly spread across the nation in a television-induced flash of wildfire.

Much of the music was homegrown too. At a time when rock 'n' roll was being shunned by the major record companies, independent concerns sprang up, many in Philadelphia, to supply the show with top-charting teen singers whose images were as wholesome and saccharine-sweet as the taste of vanilla ice cream on a warm summer day.

However, by early 1964, the Beatles had landed. With a major change in musical tastes on the horizon, the Delaware Valley could no longer remain at the pulse of the teen record industry and the show was moved to California. Bandstand, now cut from a daily to a weekly show would continue until 1989, although the intimacy of the Philadelphia years was gone forever.

But now, more than 30 years after its departure, the legacy has returned home in the form of Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" Grill. Offering patrons a taste of both the shows roots and American cuisine, the Bandstand Grill is sort of like the Hard Rock Cafe-gone teen idol.

Located just outside of the King of Prussia Mall near Route 202 in Pennsylvania (610-337-9096), the Philadelphia area restaurant is part of a growing national chain. Although the Bandstand Grill concept is five years old, the Pennsylvania location was not opened until 1997 "because Dick wanted to get it right before he came to Philadelphia," said manager Jim Ryan.

"We are totally different from any other operation, You can sit, have dinner and then dance the night away," said Ryan referring to "Studio B" an in-house night club which is designed to recreate the old "American Bandstand" set.

The original WFIL studio door hangs over the entrance to the nightclub, just as musical memorabilia dating from the '50s to the '90s covers the walls of the restaurant. Monitors hanging around the building complete the scene by running clips of Bandstand performances that span more then three decades.

While a visit to the Bandstand Grill would certainly be a focal point, it is not the only place to get out and explore the Delaware Valley's early rock heritage. Just like Hollywood Boulevard East, Philadelphia's own Walk of Fame pays homage to many performers from the Bandstand years, as well as other celebrities who have hailed from the region.

Created by the Philadelphia Music Alliance, the Walk of Fame spans a section of the Avenue of the Arts and stretches southward on Broad Street from Walnut. Names stamped into bronze sidewalk plaques immortalize everyone from Jeanette McDonald to Boys II Men.

There is an abundance of 1950s South Philly teen idols here, as well as other legendary musicians--Eddie Fisher, Bill Haley and Patti LaBelle to name just a few. Also included are famous broadcasters such as Ed McMahon and record label pioneers such as Bernie Lowe.

Lowe deserves special mention for his Cameo-Parkway records is a Philadelphia success story which rivals even that of "American Bandstand."

Located at 1405 Locust Street, Cameo grew to become the biggest independent record company of the day. Riding on the crest of Chubby Checker's "The Twist" which it released in 1960, the label spawned and capitalized on the dance craze of Kennedy era America. Even Jackie O. herself was rumored to have held "Twist parties" at the White House.

Cameo drew from a pool of local talent and immortalized the Delaware Valley with top-charting national hits like the "Bristol Stomp," "South Street," "Steel Pier" and "Wildwood Days." The label's headliner, a pompadoured and personable teen idol named BOBBY RYDELL still holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Philadelphians.

Despite having a major motion picture, numerous television appearances and a record number of Top 25 hits under his belt, the still-performing singer chooses to live on a scenic yet unpretentious drive only minutes from Philadelphia's City Line Avenue. RYDELL is also one of the few, if not only, local entertainers to have two area streets named in his honor.

Both are called BOBBY RYDELL BOULEVARD and the first is located at 11th Street and Moyamensing Avenue in South Philadelphia. RYDELL grew up here at 2423 South 11th Street and continued to live here throughout much of his initial fame.

The residence, which has been featured on such television sows as "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" is under private ownership.

However, a walk around the neighborhood with its well-maintained streets and neat brick row homes, reveals a community little changed since the 1950s when it was home, not only to RYDELL, but his equally famous friends Frankie Avalon, Fabian and James Darren. Darren, in fact was RYDELL's next door neighbor.

The newly renamed street was dedicated in 1995 to the unanimous approval of its residents said Linda Hoffman, national president of THE BOBBY RYDELL FAN CLUB.

The second BOBBY RYDELL BOULEVARD, located on Pacific Avenue near Oak in WIldwood, pays homage to the singer's ties with South Jersey and the oceanside resort. RYDELL vacationed here during the summers of his youth and neighbored Vineland's own LaTorre family who spent time at the resort. He was also a popular attraction at Phil and Eddie's Surf Club, a hotspot in WIldwood during the 1960s.

The affinity between RYDELL and the town reached a pinnacle during the summer of 1963 with the release of his hit record "Wildwood Days."

"Wildwood Days" will be the focal point of a new RYDELL monument which is currently being planned by the Main Street Wildwood organization. According to the group, which is also responsible for the renaming of Pacific Avenue and preserving the city's unique "Do Wop" culture and architecture, the monument will display the singer's handprints and an original "Wildwood Days" Cameo single.

For more information contact Main Street Wildwood at 609-729-6818.