Now, I'm not talking about when it was filmed in Chicago or taking away from Mr. Don Cornelius' legacy but there was someone else that came up with the dance show concept for Black folks because...Dick Clark wasn't hearing it back then.
Okay, let me reverse gears a little.
The Mitch Thomas Show was a local dance program based out of Philly. It was also syndicated in the Delaware and surrounding areas. Like Mr. Cornelius, he got his start in radio and eventually created something that most likely had more flavor than American Bandstand did back then.
His show would only last from 1955 to 1958 and never reached the West Coast or South,where it may have done well, but it was popular with black and white teens.
When I read about Thomas over the weekend, it reminded me of the movie Hairspray. My mom was the first person to tell me that Blacks were not allowed to dance on the show when it began. However, according to her and her friends, this scene was typical if a person of color went to audition for Dick Clark and 'em.
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