''KPIX Dance Party'' was an afternoon television show hosted by Dick Stewart which was broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

KPIX-TV KPIX-TV (channel 5), branded on-air as CBS Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the CBS network outlet for the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS ...

Channel 5 in San Francisco. It ran from 1959 to 1963. It featured teenagers dancing to popular music.

Background

The original host of the show was Ted Randall. After he resigned from the position, KPIX held some auditions to find a replacement. The winner of the auditions which were broadcast was Dick Stewart. His actual starting date with the show was February 23, 1959. Stewart was a musician in his own right, having led his own band. He was also an actor. The director and producer of the show was Bill Hollenbeck, formerly of

KGO-TV KGO-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It has been owned and operated by the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network through its ABC Owne ...

where he had held the positions of producer, director and program manager. He joined the outfit in 1961. It was announced in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' in the January 1963 edition that the show which was being aired 5 afternoons a week had been cut back to one. The four years that Stewart spent with the show elevated his popularity.

Acts

Barbara Bouchet Barbara Bouchet (born Bärbel Gutscher; 15 August 1943)
, glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; ...

was a dancer on the show when she was a teenager. She later went on to act in films such as ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...

'', and '' The Diamond Connection''. Paul Mooney was a dancer on the show. He skipped school one day and managed to convince the producer he could dance. He was told he would start at 3pm that day. Joe Piazza and the Continentals were one group that played regularly on the show, and were essentially considered the show's house band. The lineup was Johnny Johnson, Dan, Joe Piazza, Jim Lufrano and

Jerry Martini Gerald L. Martini (born October 1, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the saxophonist for Sly and the Family Stone. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of Sly and the Family Stone. Early lif ...

. The group provided music for events such as the Twist Party, which was hosted by Dick Stewart. At one stage,

Sylvester Stewart Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development ...

was a member of the group, and they even played on the song "Yellow Moon" which was a hit for his group

The Viscaynes The Viscaynes were an American doo-wop group from Vallejo, California, United States, that released a few singles in the early 1960s. They also had a regional hit with the song "Yellow Moon". One of their members Sylvester Stewart, later known as ...

. They had also backed Janet Ericco on an early recording, "It Was A Lie" bw "Come Along With Me" using the pseudonym The Twilights. Lynn Facciola and Frank Pisa were frequently on the show.

Anne Randall Anne Randall (born Barbara Ann Burrus; September 23, 1944) is an American model and actress. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its May 1967 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli. Career In 1959, Barbara ...

was one of "the regulars" on the show. She started on the show at the age of 14. She spent two years dancing on the show and was still attending school at the time. She would eventually become an actress as well as becoming host Stewart's wife.

References

External links

* {{cite web , title=KPIX Dance Party , url=https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/189582 , website=

Bay Area Television Archive The Bay Area Television Archive (BATA) is a regional moving image archive. It preserves and digitally restores 16mm newsfilm, documentaries and other shows produced by TV stations in Northern California (1948–2005), local Emmy Award-winning pr ...

KPIX Dance Party .org

KPIX Dance Party
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1959 American television series debuts 1963 American television series endings 1950s American music television series 1960s American music television series 1950s American variety television series 1960s American variety television series Dance television shows Pop music television series Television in the San Francisco Bay Area