Question One: American Bandstand was undoubtedly the most successful "teenage dance" show of all time. It ran for 37 years on TV and provided a forum for kids, new dances, and new talent. a) When did American Bandstand first air on TV? Who was the first host? b) When did the show premier on national TV? What was the first song played on that show? c) One Bandstand regular became a successful record producer. Who?

Answer: American Bandstand was the most popular TV dance show of all time. With thousands of guests lip-syncing their latest hits and a host of "regulars," kids from everywhere ran home after school every day to see their idols and catch the latest dance craze. Although the only host associated with AB is Dick Clark, he was not the first. On October 7, 1952, Bandstand premiered on WFIL-TV in Philadelphia as a local dance show, with Bob Horn as the host. After some changes, Dick Clark took over the job and hosted the first national airing of American Bandstand on August 5, 1957, where he remained until the show left the airwaves in 1989. The first song played on its 1957 debut was "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, with musical guests Billy Williams and the Chordettes. American Bandstand regulars were almost as popular as the artists who appeared on the show. Names like Frani Giordano, Steve Lewis, Carmen and Ivette Jimenez, Paula Kopicko, Kenny Rossi, and Pat Molitieri became household names. One Bandstand regular, however, took it farther. Joe Wissert became a music producer later in life, producing hit albums for Earth, Wind & Fire, Boz Scaggs, the Turtles, J. Geils Band, and Gordon Lightfoot. Joe Bonsall, a member of the Oak Ridge Boys, is a Philadelphia native who is rumored to have danced on AB as a teenager.

Question Two: On February 9, 1964, the world changed with the first live appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. Five weeks earlier, a video tape of the Beatles appeared on which American TV show, giving us the first glimpse of the Fab Four?

Answer: Late in 1963, just before the Beatles changed the course of music worldwide, Jack Paar acquired a video of a Beatles performance. In early January, five weeks before their first live American performance, The Jack Paar Show aired the tape. Of course, he seemed to be making fun of the music, the hair, and the screaming fans, but he gave America its first glimpse of the Beatles. Note: However, that was not the first time a Beatles song was played. In the spring of 1963, Dick Clark introduced "Please Please Me" or "Love Me Do" on the "Rate-a-record" portion of AB as the number one song in England. It was rated somewhere around 82, if memory serves me well.

Question Three: During a musicians' strike, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour honored the strike by presenting only acoustic artists, singing and playing their own instruments. On November 17, 1968, George Harrison made a special appearance. Donovan, without a band, performed. What former "teen idol" astounded the audience with his solo acoustic performance?

Answer: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, being the politically conscious show that it was, honored the musicians' strike. The surprise of the evening was Dion's performance of "Abraham, Martin, and John." Aside from his soulful voice, this was the first time the world became aware of his prowess as a guitarist.

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