But most have settled down to a very straight life. she yelped. Members of the committee attended Reunion Dances and other events soliciting the support of . 'Buddy Deane' Committee members - The Washington Post And although few will now admit to having been drapes, the styles at first were DAs (slicked back into the shape of a ducks tail), Detroits, and Waterfalls (flowing down the front) for the guys and ponytails and DAs for the girls, who wore full skirts with crinolins and three or four pairs of bobby socks. There I was under the burning lights of the WJZ-TV studio, slow-dancing with a Buddy Deane Show committee member. We have a telegram, Buddy would shout almost daily, for Mary Lou to lead a dance, and the cameraman seemed to love her. . Buddy called me up before the cameras, and I wasnt dressed my best. 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. She was the one of the biggies who refused to be on the Board (they had power; a liked because of it). . 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. When Maryland Public Television wanted to film the event, it mushroomed into an even bigger affair. She is married and has a daughter, stepdaughter, stepson and six grandchildren. It was 1961 and I was on television, successfully building my teen-aged reputation. The star system was born. We are in touch with Larry Miller, Lola & many of the people that you haven't seen in awhile. 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. Buddy Deane died in 2003 at the age of 78 due to complications from a stroke. The more hair spray, the better. The stage production opened in 2002, won eight Tony Awards and spawned another Hairspray movie, which was released in 2007. Its host was Winston "Buddy" Deane, who died in Pine Bluff, Arkansas after suffering a stroke, July 16, 2003. Eating the refreshments (Ameches Powerhouses, the premiere teenage hangouts forerunner of the Big Mac), which were for guests only. We rounded up Waters and almost 20 of the original Deaners and asked a handful to recount their days as the most famous kids in Charm City. Buddy noticed my eyes staring and said, Do the same eyes. And the camera got it. Kathy went even further. Some of the old Committee kept up with the times and made the transition with ease. Some do remember a handful of kids getting high on cough medicine. Last spring, five hundred people quickly snapped up the $23 tickets to the third Buddy Deane Reunion, held at the Eastwind, in Essex, to raise money for the Baltimore Burn Center. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. John Waters: The most amazing thing about The Buddy Deane stardom was they would show up not knowing if they would fight or sign autographs. The whole day on the show was devoted to me.. We just dont know what to do with the show.. Marie Shapiro (then Fischer): The first thing, theyd kind of look you over. Yet Joe was a dropout when he went on the show and then, once famous, went back to finish. Bob Mathers, who worked with Deane on three radio stations, was a close friend of Deanes and is an unofficial historian of The Buddy Deane Show.. We really sprayed it, remembers Mary Lou today from her home in Pennsylvania. And, yes, they were actually "records" in 1983. Arlene [Kozak, his production assistant], Ricki Lakes character goes down to audition. I was 10 years old and I just adored this dancer with the neatest DA haircuts. The show ran on Broadway for a couple of seasons, and since then productions have played all over Americaand they're still going. Snyder said she choreographed the Madison, a popular line dance of the time, for . Special Thanks to Linda Snyder (committee member from the Buddy Deane Show) who shares many stories from the TV show, Richard Powers who provided the amazing photo from the set of the Buddy Dean Show, Lance Benishek (dance historian) who provided some ample questions and motivation when we began researching these dances in 2005. . They stuck around after the performance to reminisce and answer audience questions. Linda Snyder: After you made the dance audition, you went to an interview with the Committee members. Deane began his broadcasting career at KLXR in Little Rock, Arkansas. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. They would drive me nuts when theyd come in the door, and Id say Man, youre gone. The dancers were known as the Committee. . With the show beginning at 2:30 in some years, cutting out of school early was common. My black friends knew they could not be on the show because of segregation. I had beehives. 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. Friends now joke that Baltimore was the cha-cha capital of the world. It was your personality and your thoughts. And the guys had to wear a coat and tie, so wed keep stuff in the car. THE MADISON (BUDDY DEANE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS ADULTS) - YouTube Deane was named the No. I will keep my nose to your website now that I know it exists. [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. One time I was going with this guy, and he was dancing with this guest I didnt like, says Evanne. Being a Deaner lifted a committee member into the rarefied air of being a star at 16. Gene calls it a big loss. It was living in a fantasy world, says Helen. Plus they used us for commercials. Id get hate mail. My dad use to pick myself and Eva Anne up from Gwynns Falls Junior High and her Mom would then pick us up after the show. 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 we all had the same reaction: My parents arent gonna go for it. Chaseman had this idea for a dance party show, with Buddy as the disc jockey, and Buddy asked Arlene to go to work for him. Why? Id wonder. She wasnt even a fan of the show. They set the style for teens throughout Baltimore. John Waters: Theyre my idols in a way. She became so popular that she was written up in the nationwide Sixteen Magazine. And we were so sad. And . My email: frani@francescatravel.com Although the Committee was a valuable promotional tool for WJZ at the time, and belonging was a full-time job, no one (except teen assistants) was paid a penny. ), Concetta, for one, says her connection with the show as a committee member is enduring. The 25th anniversary of the movie "Hairspray" provides an opportunity for members of the dance group of Baltimore's "The Buddy Deane Show" to get back . "None of my friends dressed in the Continental style, it was uncool to be a Buddy Deaner," said Waters, whose movie Hairspray is based on that era in Baltimore and was adapted into the successful Broadway musical. It was an integrated school, and the black girls would show us all the new dances. Some guys, too insecure to dance even at the Little Flower CYO, thought Buddy Deaner guys were "sissies." . Youre going to put it on TV? . There were riots! Once a teenager joined the Committee, he or she had to abide by Deanes rules, which Deane described in a letter to the cast: Your clothing will be befitting a lady or a gentleman, and your habits, no smoking or gum chewing, will set standards for the future.. (One female committee member supposedly teased and sprayed her hair so much it caught fire one night as she slept. In the early 1980s at a Buddy Deane Show reunion, Waters approached former Committee members about a movie he wanted to make inspired by the program. I had always studied dance, and I wanted to go on [the show]. We answered everything back then, except people like Mary Lou, who got bags of fan mail. When the subject comes up today, most loyalists want to go off the record. Not one of the Committee members, the ones chosen to be on the show every daythe Baltimore version of the Mouseketeers, the nicest kids in town, as they were billed. The Committee is back in session - The Washington Post . Kathy switched to a great beehive that resembled a trash can sitting on top of her head. Mary Lou Raines received 100 letters a week. The core group of teenagers who appeared on the show every day were known as the "Committee." On the show: Gene joined in February 1958; Linda was on from September 1958 to February 1961. (backrow) Joe Loverde, Vicki Defeo, Bil Bertazon, and Marie Fischer Cooke Shapiro. My name is Connie and my e-mail address is connieone@aol.com..thanks. See production, box office & company info. I was just accidentally obsessed with something that was appealing to more people. Bob Mathers: There were a lot of protests in Baltimore, which was a very racially segregated town. Phone: (410) 494-4490 Fax: (410) 494-4492 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. (Editors note: The show requested a character reference from a priest, minister or rabbi; references from teachers or principals were also accepted.) Here is the new video celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Buddy Deane Show and the former Catonsville Community College (now CCBC). Truth is, the era wasn't as innocent as some might contend. . You werent one of them anymore. Outsiders envied the fame, especially if they lost their steadies to Deaners, and many were put off by boys who loved to dance. You Can't Stop the Beat: The Secret History of Hairspray as Live TV It was hilarious., Some of the rumors were fanned on purpose. He went steady with committee member Bobbie Lanham, a heartthrob to legions, and got lots of telegrams inviting him and Bobbie to lead dances. Sometimes youd wrap your hair at night. 8600 LaSalle Road . Five kids in my neighborhood were on the committee -- Concetta Comi, Georgia Ann Richter, Peggy Keaton, Joan Darby and Billy Pritchard. . They wanted to know about bringing black kids on the show. . The guys who wore sport coats with belts in the back from Lees of Broadway (10 percent discount for Committee members), pegged pants, pointy-toe shoes with the great buckles on the side, and drape (greaser) haircuts that my parents would never allow. Ladies and gentlemen, the nicest kids in town!. Ladies and Gentleman . . . The Nicest Kids in Town! Committee members had to look sharp, have a style and be willing to appear on weekends for Deane's dances from Westmin-ster to Salisbury. The first and maybe the biggest Buddy Deane queen of all. I went to Eastern High, I got out at 2:30, and at 3, the show started. . It was similar to Philadelphia's American Bandstand. The boys had to wear coats and ties, dressing in the aforementioned "Continental" style. We (DC Hand Dance Club of Delmarva) (www.dchanddanceclub.com) meet currently Monday nights starting at 5 pm. To qualify, first you needed a solid command of the day's dances -- the pony, Madison, jitterbug, bop, cha-cha, the stroll, the twist -- and there was even a "cool" style for slow dancing. Buddy Deane Committee: 2009 - Blogger No videos, backdrops or posters have been added to Buddy Deane Show. 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. But I was never a Deaner. The Committee to Honor Buddy Deane. But my mother and father wont let me come down if you do that. In early December, Buddy Deane met with station officials and they said, Weve decided to cancel the program. And Buddy said, So it has to do with integration? And the station said, Thats correct. Mary Lou laughs at the memory of doing a pimple medicine spot on camera. Teenagers who appeared on the show every day were known as "The Committee". I think Im honoring their great stardom. It was the era of rock n roll - ducktails, pegged pants and beehive dos. Sure, as a teenager I was a guest on the show. When Mary Lous husband gave me the long and complicated directions to their home on the phone, he ended with And there you will find, yes, Mary Lou Raines. He later confided that when he first started dating her, he had no idea of her early career. An earth force for a generation of Baltimore teens The day Weber was approached for autographs by girls at Eastern High School, I knew without a doubt that being on the committee carried as much cachet as running first string for Dunbar High School's basketball team or having your own car with four-on-the-floor. They were married in 1966 and have one daughter. . I was a misfit. After saying goodbye to the Committee members . The 25th anniversary of the movie Hairspray provides an opportunity for members of the dance group of Baltimores The Buddy Deane Show to get back together and reminisce about the TV show that the movie is based upon. We thought it was just so cool. This is a home for all of the dancers from the Buddy Deane Era (1957 - 1964) to meet up and keep in touch. The Buddy Deane Show: With Channing Wilroy, Buddy Deane. 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. Check out the latest from the Deaners and get the full behind the scenes story of Buddy Deane and Hairspray here. WOW, I just found this site after all these years. Mary Lou Barber: Think of it: In the 60s, if they were to ask a black guy to lead a dance with me or some other white girl Baltimore wasnt ready for it yet. The punitive consequences weren't significant; I think he threw an ashtray at me. The first big stars were Bobbi Bums and Freddy Oswinkle, according to Arlene, but no matter how big anyone got, someone came along who was even bigger. Joe Cash and Joan Teves became the shows first royalty. I just loved meeting him. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Such a thrill, oh, when she's close to you. Deane helped numerous black record artists in their careers -- James Brown among them. By what name was The Buddy Deane Show (1957) officially released in Canada in English? Get off that furniture!? But in a lot of corners of Baltimore and beyond, getting on the show was equivalent to stardom and instant popularity. And they all came together on "The Buddy Deane Show," Baltimore s legendary teen dance show. My father had forbidden me to try out for the Buddy Deane Committee -- fearing, perhaps, that it would interfere with my becoming a national scholar at City College high school or prevent me from one day discovering the Internet -- so I had to sneak on the show, courtesy of girlfriends who sent away for tickets and took me as their guest. three, two, one. Crushed, I retreated from cheek-to-cheek to a distant and awkward completion of a slow tune by the Miracles. . 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. [1] He was 78. I must have had ten different phone numbers, says Helen, and somehow it would get out. If anyone knew him and could share some memories or even pictures that would be great. Looking forward to seeing as many of us old dancers that are still cutting the rug.Corky. raises funds for Alzheimer's Association, 2017 HD Heritage Softail for Sale in Bel Air, Democrat Ben Cardin Won't Seek Re-Election To Senate In 2024, Flour Recalled In MD For Salmonella Risk: What To Know, Latest Job Listings In The Essex-Middle River Area, Essex-Middle River Area: See 5 Nearby Properties On The Market. And more important, so did the Committee, still entering by a special door, still doing the dances from the period with utmost precision. . Committee members included Mike Miller, Charlie Bledsoe, Ron Osher, Mary Lou Raines, Pat(ricia) Tacey, and Cathy Schmink. Deane also played songs that other disc jockeys, including Dick Clark, refused to present to mostly white teen TV audiences because the acts sounded "too black" (e.g. Several marriages resulted from liaisons between Committee Members. The school tried to throw me out before. Id hook and have to dance in the back so the teachers couldnt see me, says Helen. It reminds me of the way people think now of gay marriage, how so many people are shocked about it and they dont agree with it. . . The one thing everyone seems to remember about The Buddy Deane Show is its ending: amid calls to integrate the almost all-white program (as in Hairspray, there was one day a month when African Americans could dance on the show), Buddy Deane was canceled. We appreciate your interest. . Frani Hahn (then Nedeloff): I watched it every day with my family when Id come home from school. They were the Mouseketeers! They still get together and they still do a pretty sharp Madison. John Waters: By that point, I dont think The Buddy Deane Show was on everyones lips anymore. Culture shock - Baltimore Sun Mary Lou Barber: Ive only been able to watch [Hairspray] a couple of times because so much of it hits home. My mother used to pick me up after school to make sure nobody hassled me., The adoring fans could also be a hassle. So the rules were bent a little; the big ones, the ones with the fan mail, were allowed to stay. He said they asked each member of the show's committee . . John Waters: I put the spotlight on [the integration controversy] . The Buddy Deane Show was over. I was dancing out at Giovannis Restaurant, in Harford County, just the other night, Parks said, and a woman says to me, Arent you Carl Parks? When I get depressed, I dont go to the psychiatrist, I go to the jeweler, she says. Heavy-duty meetings. Teenagers who appeared on the show every day were known as "The Committee". The ultimate reunion.From all over the country, the Deaners could rise again, congregate at the bottom of Television Hill, and start Madison-ing their way (Youre looking good. Marie Shapiro: I think they even asked for a note from my minister. Six days a week and often two hours a day, Buddy Deane and his Committee Members --the privileged regular teen dancers on the show -- twisted, cha cha ed and Madisoned into area living rooms. Although he never appeared on Deane's show, Waters attended high school with a "Buddy Deaner" and later gave Deane a cameo in the film, in which Deane played a TV reporter who tried to interview the governor who was besieged by integration protesters. In 1950, he moved to Baltimore to WITH. The Madison | Lindyland [citation needed]. Dance was the thing. I watched it for the fashion and for the drama, because Buddy Deane encouraged them to [date and] break up on film. This production features a number of the committee members from the Deane program recalling those days. They were getting stopped on the street for autographs. 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 . It was a family: Buddy was the father, Arlene was the mother.. I dont think a fat girl ever came to audition. "I remember it well," recalls Evanne. The uncertain life of a high-schooler became more tolerable. Most of them are pushing 70 now. Tom Wheeler . We really didnt want to go off the air. In mixed marriages (with non-Deaners), many of the outsiders resented their spouses pasts. It was really blown up big. And there was a big problem with that. You can help by adding some! The Committee, initially recruited from local teen centers, was to act as hosts and dance with the guests. We all watched that and the Mickey Mouse Club. [At my audition], I was not quite 14. Wayne Hahn: If you were late, you couldnt get in the door. Joel Chaseman, also a DJ at WITH, became program manager of WJZ-TV when Westinghouse bought it in the mid-50s. I was with this guy named Jeff. I was totally star-struck and had as much fun that night as I did at the Cannes Film Festival. Larry tried searching Facebook for you. I hate to say this, but they wanted attractive young people. . She smelled like a garden of flowers and could crack her chewing gum discreetly. Mary Lou, the Annette Funicello of the show, was the talk of teenage Baltimore. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. . I dont know if we were ready or not; whos to say? Suite 320. ', Although many parents and WJZ insisted that Committee members had to keep up their grades to stay on the show, the reality could be quite different. When you dance you'll squeeze her, yes, with all your might. Acts that appeared on the show first were reportedly barred from appearing on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, but if they had been on Bandstand first they could still be on The Buddy Deane Show. She lives in Baltimore County. [citation needed]. Being a Deaner lifted a committee member into the rarefied air of being a star at 16. I even named some of the characters in my films after them. And I see Mary Lou, and I see Gene and Linda do the cha-cha, and I think: no one can do it like them. Most are happily married with kids and maintain the same images they had on the show. The Committee is back in session. Arguably the first TV celebrities in Baltimore. . . You received demerits for almost anything: Chewing gum. . Oddly enough, few of the Deaners Ive talked to went on to show biz. He really was trying to make it authentic. I guess Helen Crist was the first drapette: the DA, the ballet shoes, oogies [tulle scarves], eye shadoweyeliner was big thenand pink lipstick., Helen Crist. Buddy could take his seat beneath the famous Top 20 Board, and the tension would build. More Pictures from the "Tribute to Buddy" Dance, Tribute to Buddy Dance at Timonium Fairgrounds. 410-783-8000. Buddy Deane, 78, the impresario of Baltimore's dance show from 1957-1964, died Wednesday of complications from a stroke near his home in Pine Bluff, Ark. Most people probably wouldve forgotten about The Buddy Deane Show ages ago had it not been immortalized by John Waters in his 1988 movie, Hairspray. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Hairspray, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is staging a concert production of the musical this week, narrated by Waters and featuring a full orchestra and vocalists. He was mad because I was as popular as he was. Could it be? Buddy Deane, 78, TV Host And Inspiration of 'Hairspray' - New York Times He was seventy-eight. On 'Hairspray's' 25th anniversary, 'Buddy Deane' Committee looks back Frani Hahn: John always said he felt like we were a cult. This undated photo shows dancers on "The Buddy Deane Show." I hated to see so much emphasis put on the integration plot, but I do understand that that was a part of what happened. You had to wear nylons. The uncertain life of a high-schooler became more tolerable. Or the Bob-a Loop? 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. . She attended Goucher College and then went to law school at the University of Maryland; shes currently a practicing attorney in Baltimore.
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