Race, Music & History: Frankie Lymon singing "Little Bitty Pretty One" in 1960 (60sec clip)

[Pluvious]

A glimpse into the past, from the early beginning of some major changes to come

I suggest you first watch the short clip, then read the comment I’ve included below…

https://www.reddit.com/r/WatchPeopleDieInside/comments/101ecx8/the_audiences_reaction_to_frankie_lymon_singing/

Posted comment from SNYDER_BIXBY_OCP:

This episode is from August 1960 and is an interesting piece of music history. It wasn't exactly cops but those girls were told to stay in their seats by ABC execs.

Here's why.

This is Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut show. It aired on ABC from 1958-1960.
BeechNut is a chewing gum company. That's why all the "teens" are chewing gum, it's product placement.

It was TECHNICALLY** the second nationally televised "music show" the first was Dick Clark's first TV show American Bandstand which failed in its first 13-week run in 1957 but would be reborn years later as a pop culture force.

The "first music dance show" technically was called the Big Beat but was canceled after 4 episodes --> we'll come back to this.

Beechnut featured almost every major music hit of the late 50s except Elvis. But it had all been White performers except for Richie Valens. By 1959 the show was a runaway hit.

In 1959 Dick started booking black talents despite objections from ABC national offices. He started with the doo-wop group The Coasters, then Chuck Berry, then Little Anthony and The Imperials.

ABC national claimed the show was causing problems with viewers. But TV ratings continued to soar in 1959. And BeechNut stood by Clark and the showed went on.

More black acts followed in 1960. Enter Frankie Lyman. Frankie was on the downside of his career here due to a building heroin addiction by age 15.

BUT he was having the biggest success of his solo career with Pretty Little Diddy one.
Minutes before Frankie came on. The audience was warned by ABC executives NOT TO LEAVE their seats. Cops were present but no threats of arrest were made. So the audience defiantly CLAPPED for Frankie's performance.

WHY DID ABC execs demand the audience not dance?

***Remember BIG BEAT: The show ran for 4 episodes in 2 months before American Bandstand would debut in 1957.

The last episode of Big Beat featured FRANKIE LYMAN who during his performance briefly danced with a white girl near him.

This caused such an outrage among southern viewers that ABC canceled the entire show due to threats of violence from religious groups and representatives from the KKK of Evansville, Indiana.

Jump to 1960. ABC execs were terrified of the same thing happening with the young Lyman again.
In the end it didn't matter. Southern viewers still got outraged BY THE CLAPPING.

There had been stern southern anger at the previous black performers but maybe bc Frankie was so young it felt more like a threat to young girls than the adult Berry or Coasters.

Dick Clark's show would be canceled in 1960 despite being one of the 5 highest-rated shows in America alongside Ed Sullivan and the juggernaut of Jack Pfeffer pro-wrestling show from Chicago.

Dick Clark would eventually get American Bandstand back on the air and Dick would make it a central feature of his work to feature and champion black performers any chance he got regardless of the risk to his professional career which is why he had an automatic lifetime invite to the BarBQ.

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. Great read.

Thanks.

[splat]

2. No wonder everybody is chewing gum!

Om the video at the link, those girls have furtive expressions and flapping jaws!