buddy deane show committee members

Friends now joke that Baltimore was the cha-cha capital of the world. Phone: (410) 494-4490 Fax: (410) 494-4492 (They gave her a diamond watch at the last reunion.) I had to wear stockings and cha-cha heels. Deane also presented British artist Helen Shapiro, who sang her Baltimore hit, "Tell Me What He Said," at about the time that she was touring England with The Beatles as one of her support acts. I must have had ten different phone numbers, says Helen, and somehow it would get out. They first made their mark as teenagers dancing on the afternoon TV show, wearing their outfits from Lees of Broadway and Etta Gowns and dancing the cha-cha and the jitterbug and the Madison. Youre going to put it on TV? (I looked like I was taking off.) And Helen, Linda, and Joanie all got out the rat-tail teasing combs. When you dance you'll squeeze her, yes, with all your might. They had a contract we had to sign, because they were using our image for free. In fall of 63, Buddy called in the Committee members and said . Vicki Defeo: Now, I think kids would say, You cant tell me what to do. But we knew we could be replaced in two seconds. The Buddy Deane Show was a teen dance television show, created by Zvi Shoubin, hosted by Winston "Buddy" Deane (19242003), and aired on WJZ-TV (Channel 13), the then-ABC affiliate station in Baltimore from 1957 until 1964. . This undated photo shows dancers on "The Buddy Deane Show." The popular television Baltimore dance show aired from 1957 until 1964. One girl yelled Buddy Deaner and then threw her plate at me. Every day Id come to the studio in knee-highs, and Id have to take them off. We will try to spotlight our memories and post highlights on upcoming events. She was one of the chosen few who went to New York to learn how to demonstrate the Madison, and was selected for the exchange committee that represented Baltimores best on American Bandstand. Why? Id wonder. She wasnt even a fan of the show. I found out that my father was on this show. Someone else would want to come on the Committee and take your place. . "Where you been, boy?" On the air before Dick Clark debuted, the show was a hit from the beginning, says Arlene today. Bill Haley and the Comets made their premiere performance of "Rock Around the Clock" on Deane's show. From then on, all bare shoulders were covered with a piece of net. Joanie, whose mother wanted me to be a child star, hit the show in early 57 at age 13 (you had to be 14 to be eligible, but many lied about their ages to qualify), followed a few months later by Joe, 17. People laugh and I go, I remember that, I remember that.. . And more important, so did the Committee, still entering by a special door, still doing the dances from the period with utmost precision. I wasnt going to go on and not be seen. But even Evanne turned bashful on one show, when Buddy made a surprise announcement: I was voted prettiest girl on this whole Army base. Sometimes youd wrap your hair at night. Not a real one. If anyone knew him and could share some memories or even pictures that would be great. Joe Kozak still fields calls from folks wanting to speak with his late wife, Arlene, who was Buddy Deane's production assistant during the run of the program. For example, Carole King appeared on the show playing her single "It Might as Well Rain Until September", nearly a decade before she burst to popularity with her landmark 1970 album, Tapestry. Linda Snyder: We still love to go dancing. Now, no one would ever do a commercial for a profit company without getting some compensation. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . . A big strong line!) up the hill to the famous dance party set, the one that now houses People Are Talking. The Committee, initially recruited from local teen centers, was to act as hosts and dance with the guests. Corky,My name was Judy Kerr and I was on the committee in1958/59. Ive never said they were racist. When Barry Levinson, another Baltimore native, requested video from the show for his film Diner, the station told him it had no footage.[2]. . And none are bitter. When Maryland Public Television wanted to film the event, it mushroomed into an even bigger affair. But we thought of him as being so flamboyant. (Marvin Joseph/THE WASHINGTON POST), Almost 20 of the original stars of The Buddy Deane Show show off their signature dance, The Madison. (Jessica Goldstein/The Washington Post). One of the first ponytail princesses was Peanuts (Sharon Goldman, debuting at 14 in 58, Forest Park, Chicken Hop), who went on the show because Deaners were folk heroes. She remembers Paul Anka singing Put Your Head on My Shoulder to her on camera as she did just that. (Editors note: The show requested a character reference from a priest, minister or rabbi; references from teachers or principals were also accepted.) We are in touch with Larry Miller, Lola & many of the people that you haven't seen in awhile. But it went something like this: Buddy Deane was an exclusively white show. Because there were starting to be some demonstrations outside of the studio. . It's so nice that we all have great friendships to remember & it's so great to sta y in touch. Hi all. Big hair was a plus. But being a Buddy Deaner, or even a guest, moved a kid into a fantasyland, a world of teased hair, pointy-toed shoes and fashions by Lee's of Broadway. I dont think Ill ever get over missing it, if you want to know the truth., Many of the Committee members spouses faced an even bigger adjustment. Other vices were likewise eschewed. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. at that time, our parents would not have gone along with integrated dancing. Oddly enough, few of the Deaners Ive talked to went on to show biz. They were the Mouseketeers! Once I was off the show for a while, and they said I had joined the nunnery, says Helen, laughing. At her appearances at the record hops, kids would actually scream when youd get out of the car: Theres Mary Lou! The best little jitterbugger in Baltimore. If I have one regret in life, its that I wasnt a Buddy Deaner. To be selected you had to bring a character reference letter from your pastor, priest, or rabbi, qualify in a dance audition, and show in an interview (the Spotlight) that you had personality. At first the Committee had a revolving membership with no one serving longer than three months. Former dancers from the Buddy Deane Show: (l-r) Jerry Manowski, Charlie LoPresto, Lola Jones, Concetta and John Sankonis, Suzy Costello, Shirley Joyce, Linda and Gene SnyderAnne Boyer Tempera and Rich Tempera, Frani and Wayne Hahn. [1], As with many other local TV shows, little footage of the show is known to have survived. Today, Concetta is married to another former committee member, John Sankonis. And the whole concept of the Committee changed. Warner, Tony, Buddy's Top 20: The Story of Baltimore's Hottest TV Dance Show and the Guy Who Brought it to Life! It aired for two and a half hours a day, six days a week. It was really blown up big. . At frantic meetings of the Committee, many said, My parents simply wont let me come if its integrated, and WJZ realized it just couldnt be done. Once a month the show was all black; there was no black Committee. And . The rivalry with Dick Clark meant that Deane urged all his performers not to mention American Bandstand or visits to Clark in Philadelphia. The protesters wanted the races to mix. This undated photo shows dancers on "The Buddy Deane Show." To be a local celebrity like that, you always had to look your best when you went outside because people would see you. Was it really twenty years ago? Shes been a Realtor for the past 20 years and lives outside Philadelphia. Bob Mathers: Were looking at the times of 1963, and in 1963, what overrode ratings and popularity were the feelings about race in Baltimore City. When the show ended, Deane moved back to Arkansas, bought half a dozen radio stations, and lived out his life there, except for brief runs back to Baltimore, where hed host reunions with hundreds in attendance. I was really mad. www.bsomusic.org. We just dont know what to do with the show.. Each reunion (and a new one is in the works) ls bigger than the last. "Uhhh, I had a long basketball practice and I had to take extra foul shots," I lied. My father was very strict. As well, a show was broadcast from a local farm in Westminster, Maryland. As with the drapes and squares of the previous decade, she explains, there were two classes of people thenDeaners and Joe College. At 21, I married a professional football player, Helen remembers, and he made me burn all the fan mail. At Elmley Playground, transistors would be tuned to Fat Daddy. Come share the songs & dances of the Buddy Deane Show with us! Buddy wanted it to end happily, but WJZ angered Deaners when it tried to blame the ratings. He eventually became one of the most respected programmers in the country and was even written up in Time magazine. In mixed marriages (with non-Deaners), many of the outsiders resented their spouses pasts. . Frani Hahn: The fascinating thing about it is that we all still get together, and its not like we live in the past. We used to wrap our hair in toilet paper at night. Hairspray movie was inspired by this show and was based off of the the events but unlike the movies, instead of the show being integrated, it was cancelled. The pictures I've just posted are of the reunion dance for the Buddy Deane Committee Members with Buddy Deane playing the records. No videos, backdrops or posters have been added to Buddy Deane Show. And a couple of us have yearly dances, and we all get together. . The film would spawn a 2002 Broadway musical adaptation starring Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur, and a 2007 film adaptation of the musical starring John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky. And my mother would pack a little paper bag with my cha-cha heels and my pastel pink lipstick. There was no sexiness in dress for the girls. I hated to see so much emphasis put on the integration plot, but I do understand that that was a part of what happened. Mary Lou Raines received 100 letters a week. (backrow) Joe Loverde, Vicki Defeo, Bil Bertazon, and Marie Fischer Cooke Shapiro. Buddy could take his seat beneath the famous Top 20 Board, and the tension would build. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Some guys, too insecure to dance even at the Little Flower CYO, thought Buddy Deaner guys were "sissies." "The Nicest Kids In Town" -former dancers from the Buddy Deane Show (1957- 1964). That she has an affluent life-style surprises no one on the Committee. And coming from John Waters, I thought, that is a really nice compliment! But the parents, I guess, back in the early 60s and late 50s, things were a lot different. They still get together and they still do a pretty sharp Madison. On the show: Gene joined in February 1958; Linda was on from September 1958 to February 1961. It was a target maybe of people who didnt even watch the show. If you leaned on one side, the next day youd just pick it out into shape. My name is Tom Lowe, I went by the name of "Corky" while on the committe in 58 & 59, maybe into early 1960. Many years later they married. Most are happily married with kids and maintain the same images they had on the show. Now a receptionist living near Towson with her husband and two grown children, Arlene remains fiercely loyal, organizing the reunions and keeping notebooks filled with the updated addresses, married names, and phone numbers of my kids. She met Winston J. The Buddy Deane Show is a teen dance television show, similar to Philadelphia's American Bandstand, that aired on WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland from 1957 until 1964. . Sure, as a teenager I was a guest on the show. I wanted to join the circus., Two other ponytail princesses who went on to the Buddy Dean hall of fame were Evanne Robinson, the committee member on the show the longest, and Kathy Schmink. I was aggressive. Im the biggest ham. Although she denies being conscious of the camera, she admits, I did try to dance up front. . Buddy returns on a pilgrimage from St. Charles, Arkansas, where he owns a hunting and fishing lodge and sometimes appears on TV, to spin the hits and announce multiplication dances, ladies choice, or even, after a few drinks, the Limbo. On the last day of the show, January 4, 1964, all the most popular Committee members through the years came back for one last appearance. We have our own "beach music" and sepearte room and bar in the back of the Ox. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Every rock n roll star of the day (except Elvis) came to town to lip-synch and plug their records on the show: Buddy Holly, Domino, the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian, to name just a few. I was just accidentally obsessed with something that was appealing to more people. Jump to. The school tried to throw me out before. When that little red light came on, so did my smile, she says, laughing. Faced with pressure to integrate the show, something the station (and some Committee members parents) refused to allow, WJZ canceled Buddy Deane in 1964. . Linda Snyder: Every young star that had records out would come and promote their records. Yet Joe was a dropout when he went on the show and then, once famous, went back to finish. Deane's show was one of the highest rated local television shows in the nation and girls didn't care as much for my corner jump shot as they did my ability to cha-cha or do the bop. We appreciate your interest. Most of them are pushing 70 now. Over lunch at the Thunderball Lounge, in East Baltimore, Kathy remembers, I could never get used to signing autographs. But in a lot of corners of Baltimore and beyond, getting on the show was equivalent to stardom and instant popularity. Being a Deaner lifted a committee member into the rarefied air of being a star at 16. Or Hartford Motor Coach Company? Committee members included Mike Miller, Charlie Bledsoe, Ron Osher, Mary Lou Raines, Pat(ricia) Tacey, and Cathy Schmink. My email is bigsales@aol.com, cell number is 410-365-6569. I run into Gene and Linda every now and then but have lost touch with mostly every one. The Buddy Deane Show ended in early 1964, a victim of "insolvable" integration problems, Mr. Deane said in an article in The Sun at that time. But by far the most popular hairdo queen on Buddy Deane was a 14-year-old Pimlico Junior High School student named Mary Lou Raines. (The Washington Post), Almost 20 of the original stars of The Buddy Deane Show show off their signature dance, The Madison. (Jessica Goldstein/The Washington Post). Tom Wheeler Linda Snyder: In the beginning, they rotated the entire Committee. We really didnt want to go off the air. At school, we were just one of the other kids, but we used to get fan mail. . The Buddy Deane Show was a teen dance television show, created by Zvi Shoubin, hosted by Winston "Buddy" Deane . My name is Connie and my e-mail address is connieone@aol.com..thanks. Crushed, I retreated from cheek-to-cheek to a distant and awkward completion of a slow tune by the Miracles. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. Frani Hahn (then Nedeloff): I watched it every day with my family when Id come home from school. Buddy said to me, Well, heres my little girl whos been with me the longest. I hardly ever cried, but I just broke down on camera. The Buddy Deane Show was over. [citation needed] With an ear for music seasoned by many more years as a disc jockey than Clark, Deane also brought to his audience a wider array of white musical acts than were seen on American Bandstand. You had to be able to jitterbug and you had to be able to cha-cha, and do whatever dance was popular then, the mashed potato or the pony. Mary Lou was the last of the Buddy Deane superstars, true hair-hopper royalty, the ultimate Committee member. And it sounds dreadful. And according to Arlene, Buddy encouraged one popular Committee member (Buzzy Bennet) to teach himself to read so he could realize his dream of being a disc jockey. I used to get death threats on the show. The Buddy Deane Show (the name was changed) created what sociologist Craig Calhoun . It was 1961 and I was on television, successfully building my teen-aged reputation. We have a telegram, Buddy would shout almost daily, for Mary Lou to lead a dance, and the cameraman seemed to love her. I was a square. Id hook and have to dance in the back so the teachers couldnt see me, says Helen. The show was a teen dance and music show and ran from 1957 to until 1964 on WJZ-TV until the show was canceled.The show was a teen dance and music show and ran from 1957 to until 1964 on WJZ-TV until the show was canceled.The show was a teen dance and music show and ran from 1957 to until 1964 on WJZ-TV until the show was canceled. If you were a teenager in Baltimore in the late 1950s and early 1960s, you watched The Buddy Deane Show. When the final bell rang you sprinted home from school, saddle shoes smacking the sidewalk, knee socks sliding down your shins, until you skidded to a stop in front of your black-and-white TV and turned to WJZ Channel 13 to watch Marylands answer to American Bandstand. Chances are you wanted to be on The Buddy Deane Show, whose stars were ordinary teens turned local celebrities. You are out of here. The first and maybe the biggest Buddy Deane queen of all. John Waters: By that point, I dont think The Buddy Deane Show was on everyones lips anymore. Pixie was barely five feet tall, but her hair sometimes added a good six to eight inches to her height. All on Pulaski Highway. I took off my steady ring and threw it down. He was one of the first to showcase rock and roll music on a continual basis. The final episode aired on Jan. 4, 1964. The pictures I've just posted are of the reunion dance for the Buddy Deane Committee Members with Buddy Deane playing the records. The Madison line dance was born here, called by the supreme voice of Eddie Morrison. What happened to the teen stars of The Buddy Deane Show after the program that made them famous went off the air? She became so popular that she was written up in the nationwide Sixteen Magazine. Mary Lou Barber: Because I was on the Committee and I was president, [I went to] these summit meetings. Frani & Wayne. Could it be? Id get letters saying, If you show up at this particular hop, youre gonna get your face pushed in. With the 1960s came a whole new set of stars, some with names that seemed like gimmicks, but werent: Concetta Comi, the popular sister team of Yetta and Gretta Kotik. . Apr 14, 1997 at 3:00 am. Evanne Robinson was voted the prettiest girl by an entire army base. To a generation of Baltimore teen-agers, Buddy Deane was a pioneering rock 'n' roll disc jockey, host of a must-see television dance party in the '50s . John Waters: Certainly all the stuff in Hairspray didnt happen for real, but it was my fantasy of how I wished it would be, not what really happened. [The meeting was with] the Committee members and Arlene and Buddy and the producer of the show. At that time a very concerted and organized effort was made to formally nominate Buddy. "Do You Love Me" by The Contours, or "Hide and Go Seek" by Bunker Hill). . Some of the old Committee kept up with the times and made the transition with ease. Boy - do I wish I had. They wanted to know about bringing black kids on the show. It was maddening: the Mashed Potatoes, the Stroll, the Pony, the Waddle, the Locomotion, the Bug, the Handjive, the New Continental, and, most important, the Madison, a complicated line dance that started here and later swept the country. She smelled like a garden of flowers and could crack her chewing gum discreetly. Now: Got married, had two children and then went back to school. We were from all over the city, Ann Boyer recalled. TheCommitteeToHonorBuddyDeane@gmail.com. . There I was under the burning lights of the WJZ-TV studio, slow-dancing with a Buddy Deane Show committee member. The uncertain life of a high-schooler became more tolerable. . Until the day she passed away [in 2007], we were still friends. Or Snuggle Dolls? Owing to Deane's mid-South roots and work history, he featured many performers from the ranks of country and western music (e.g., Skeeter Davis, singing "The End of the World" and Brenda Lee singing "Sweet Nothin's"), who then achieved cross-over hits among rock and roll fans. I was totally star-struck and had as much fun that night as I did at the Cannes Film Festival. We thought it was just so cool. They were both Committee members back then. I was a misfit. His dance party television show debuted in 1957 and was, for a time, the most popular local show in the United States. Hairspray came to CCBC Essex's Cockpit in Court theater, and so did the real original castthose Committee members from the old Buddy Deane Show, whose moment in history became the premise for the hit Broadway musical about rock 'n' roll and racial tension in Baltimore half a century ago.

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