August 05
Dick Clark was a disc jockey at Philadelphia’s WFIL when he was asked to fill in as host on Bob Horn’s Bandstand. Clark was instrumental in taking the show to a national level.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images
1957:
So You Think You Can Dance?
American Bandstand goes national
With a studio set designed for dancing and live music performances, American Bandstand was once every teenager’s must-see TV show.
Every afternoon, host Dick Clark introduced top pop musical guests and conducted audience interviews to get their thoughts on the latest music. To go along with the music, the show featured a cast of “regulars,” a group of attractive local teens who danced their socks off and demonstrated the latest dance moves to the delight of idolizing fans at home.
On this day in 1957, the show’s first national broadcast aired Jerry Lee Lewis playing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and teenagers all across the country could be found dancing up a storm.
