Hey everyone! After a couple of weeks off of the air due to Easter break and other commitments, I am back on the air for this week’s episode of The Gus Knorr’s Show. Tonight, in memory of Dick Clark, the theme will be artists who made their first TV appearance on American Bandstand, or had their career widely shaped by Clark in some way. The songs will mainly be from the 1950s, beginning in 1957, when the series began airing nationally.

• The first song tonight is by Jerry Lee Lewis, who performed several times on Bandstand during 1957. This song, his debut single, was also the first song he played on his first American Bandstand appearance in August of 1957; it’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”
• Next up is a song by another rock and roll pioneer from the late 1950s who also performed and had his career launched in 1957, partially due to an appearance of him and his band on American Bandstand. By Buddy Holly and the Crickets, the song is “That’ll Be the Day.”
• The next song is another one by an early rock and roll great, namely Chuck Berry, who performed the following song on American Bandstand in 1957, namely “Rock and Roll Music.”
• The following song is by a group named Tom and Jerry, whom you may better know as Simon and Garfunkel (their actual names). This song, “Hey, Schoolgirl,” was their debut single from 1957, though it wasn’t very successful, and they went their separate ways before reforming in their roles as Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960s. They did perform the song on American Bandstand, though.
• Switching up to a newer song, the next one is by Nathan Mathes, off his new album, Roselawn, and is called “Just as Long as I Got You.” Mathes will be one of two openers for What Made Milwaukee Famous, who will be performing at the Marquette Radio Spring Concert, on Saturday April 28, at the Weasler Auditorium. It’s free, and even more importantly, I’ll be there, so be sure to attend and have a great time!
• The next song is by another band that will be performing at the WMUR Spring Concert, and this band, The Living Statues, is from Milwaukee. This particular song, “Red Shoes,” was released off of their 2011 EP, Bad News.
• Moving back to older songs from the 1950s that were played on American Bandstand, the next song is one that became a #1 single after being played on the show in late 1957. I am talking about “At the Hop,” by Danny & the Juniors, of course.
• Next up is a song by one of the teen idols from Philadelphia who performed frequently on American Bandstand. This song, by Fabian, was the first top-10 single by him, “Turn Me Loose.” Despite having the quasi-perjorative title of “teen idol,” guys like Fabian are still a billion times better than Justin Bieber, partially related to that fact that I can say with relative certainty they actually went through puberty.
• The Wesley Willis Song of the Week is next, and is one of his best known songs, released off the 1996 album Fabian Road Warrior. (See what I did there?) About the Candian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, the song is appropriately called “Alanis Morissette.”
• Next is another older song, by a man that was single-handedly launched to stardom and fame by appearing on American Bandstand. By Chubby Checker, another native of Philadelphia, this song of his also inspired one of the biggest dance crazes of the 1960s, and I’m talking about “The Twist.”
• Another artist who appeared on American Bandstand in 1960 to play his first hit single with his band The Miracles was Smokey Robinson. This song, “Shop Around,” was one of the first big crossover hits for Motown Records as well.
• Next is a song from another Motown group, who actually didn’t achieve some of their initial recognition from appearing on American Bandstand, but on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour. This song, “Where Did Our Love Go” by The Supremes, became their first number one single as a result.
• The next one is by The Beach Boys, and was played when the group made their television debut in 1964, on, of course, American Bandstand. This song, originally released as the B-side to “I Get Around,” is “Don’t Worry Baby.”
• Moving back to a newer song, this one is by What Made Milwaukee Famous, who will be the main act at the Marquette Radio Spring Concert this Saturday. This song, “Sultan,” was released off of their 2008 album What Doesn’t Kill Us.
• Next up is a song by a guy and his band who appeared on American Bandstand in 1967, to promote their new single “Light My Fire.” Of course, if you know even the slightest about rock music, you know that I’m talking about José Feliciano. (Seriously though, it’s the original version by The Doors.)
• Another psychedelic rock song is next, and is by a British band who had this song played on their first American TV appearance, on, you guessed it, American Bandstand. It’s Pink Floyd, with “Apples and Oranges.”
• The next song is by another man from the British Isles, and performed this song, his first hit single as a solo artist, on American Bandstand in 1967, serving as his first American TV appearance. This is “Brown Eyed Girl,” by Van Morrison.
• Next is a song by Michael Jackson, who appeared several times on American Bandstand with the Jackson 5, but broke through as a solo artist on Bandstand in the early 1970s with his performance of “Rockin’ Robin,” best known for its version by Bobby Day from the 1950s.
• The next song was released later in the 1970s by Prince, who appeared on American Bandstand in 1980, to play one of his first big singles, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”
• The final American Bandstand related song of the night is by The Beastie Boys, who appeared on the show in 1987 in a memorable and upbeat performance, with this song, “Fight for Your Right,” being played.
• The final song tonight is by The Band, in memory of its drummer and occasional lead vocalist, Levon Helm, who passed away after a battle with cancer last Thursday. This song, one of their best known songs, and also one which Helm sang lead on, is “The Weight.”

That’s it for The Gus Knorr Show tonight, but be sure to stay tuned for the second-to-last episode of the school year for The Gus Knorr Show, next Monday, April 30, at 9:30 PM. Also, be sure to attend and tell all of your friends about the Marquette Radio Spring Concert, with free admission, and will be on Saturday, April 28, at 8:00 PM at the Weasler Auditorium on Marquette’s campus. Thanks for listening!