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Vintage food

Vintage food
Originally uploaded by Funny Bunny / Helena.

American Bandstand - August 5, 1957

American Bandstand, the most popular dance show of all time, began broadcasting nationwide on ABC television today. This long-running dance show was hosted (since 1956) by "America's oldest teenager," Dick Clark, who introduced us to many of the hottest dance moves over the years and became a part of American television history by bringing rock-and-roll music into millions of households.

American Bandstand began on October 7, 1952, as a local Philadelphia dance show hosted by Bob Horn, but as a national show it was a daily fixture from its premiere until 1963, when the show found its permanent home on Saturday afternoons. Not only did the schedule change, but the show itself moved from its home in Philadelphia to its permanent home in Los Angeles in 1964.

But despite the changes, American Bandstand's fans remained loyal to the series, which continued to present the latest music and dances. It even inspired another long-running dance show, Soul Train, which is still running today. The show’s long association with ABC ended on September 5, 1987. The series returned two weeks later in first-run syndication. In April 1989, American Bandstand made another move, this time to the USA cable network. It also featured a new host, David Hirsh. This version lasted only 6 months with the final show airing on October 7, 1989. In 1997, VH-1 began showing classic episodes of Bandstand. These edited, 30-minute reruns featured many of the stars that the show had made famous.