It was 51 years ago today – Aug. 5, 1957 – and the world of rock and roll was changed forever.

“We’re goin’ hoppin’ (Hop!) We’re goin’ hoppin’ today.
Where things are poppin’ (Pop!) the Philadelphia way.
We’re gonna drop in (Drop!) on all that music they play.

On American Bandstand (Bandstand!).’’
A 26-year-old emcee named Dick Clark, the television show, American Bandstand, and teeny boppers in Philadelphia took center stage that summer afternoon at 3 p.m. as charismatic and controversial Jerry Lee Lewis opened the show with “All Shook Up!’’.

Two days later Paul Anka was at WFIL singing his soon-to-be hit ‘‘Diana’’ and the rock and roll world stood up and took notice.

Broadcasting live five days a week from WFIL TV at 46th and Market in downtown Philly, with a handful of executives who produced and directed the show, including Joe Novenson and Tony Mammarella.

Mr. Novenson was the dad to then five-year-old Joe Novenson, the current senior teaching pastor at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church.
“American Bandstand did something no other show had ever done before on a national scale,’’ said pastor Novenson. “Combine rock and roll music, television and kids. To say the least, it worked.

“Long before MTV, Dick Clark, my dad and a few others laid the foundation for so many young singers to get national coverage and become stars.’’
To baby boomers the American Bandstand guests are legendary in the rock and roll era.

A ‘‘Whose Who’’ of talent including Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Bobby Darin, the Crystals and the Drifters.

Add Sam Cooke, Annette Funicello, Connie Francis, Freddie “Boom Boom’’ Cannon and Jackie DeShannon and the list is almost endless.

“My dad’s favorite was Nat King Cole,’’ said Novenson and according to Joe’s older sister Joyce Tierney, Nancy Sinatra (‘‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’’’) was on the short list of favorites.

“My dad had studied at the Julliad School of Music in New York City in the mid-1930s and he appreciated talented musicians and classy people like Nat,’’ Novenson stated.

So where did Clark, Novenson and others find the kids who danced to the music played on 45s?

During the summer months the kids lined up around the block starting at 8 a.m. for the 3 p.m. live show.
From September to June, teenagers anxious to dance on national television came from three high schools within walking distance of WFIL.

At 2:15 p.m. students were working on math problems and English sentence structure and by 2:45 p.m. they were household names across America, dancing to the latest hits.

“My dad kept the kids in line as they had to earn their way on the show,’’ said Novenson. “No holding hands, except during slow dances – which was every other song – have good grades, no chewing gum and dress properly.’’
The kids were stars at 15-16 years-old and few jeopardized their chance at fame.

Pastor Novenson recalls the time when Kenny Rogers and the First Edition were scheduled to sing on American Bandstand.

The lead female singer was not dressed to Mr. Novenson’s liking and he highly suggested she change her wardrobe. She refused, Novenson stood his ground and the First Edition went on as scheduled, minus one female singer.
The formula for success was simple: The music, the kids and the emcee, in that order. Another success of the show was all the musical talent in South Philly.

In his 1976 book, Dick Clark, Rock Roll and Remember, Clark wrote that middle class kids who lived in row houses in South Philly looked to make it big as either athletes or musicians.

A trio of pretty fair singers – Fabian (“Turn Me Loose’’), Checker (‘’The Twist’’) and Frankie Avalon (‘‘Venus’’) – were classmates at South Philly High and all performed on American Bandstand.

Clark’s talent pool was deep as teens danced and sang along to the tunes of another South Philly duo – James Darren (‘‘Goodbye Cruel World’’) and Rydell (‘‘Volare’’).

In his book, Clark wrote, “in those days (1950s), the mail was the sure indication of how the show was doing – it was the computer survey of the fifties.

‘‘By the time we had been on ABC for a few weeks, the mail was pouring in at the rate of 15,000 letters a week.’’
The Dances: In 1957, the kids were doing the bop, but a few other dances were seen for the first time nationally on American Bandstand, including the Stroll (The Diamonds), the Bristol Stomp (The Dovells) and the Twist (Checker).

Clark, Novenson and the ABC brass expanded the scope of American Bandstand from 46thth and Market Streets with road shows – taking several singers to where the kids were. And there was the Dick Clark Saturday Night Show from Manhattan in 1958 and February 1964 brought the move to Los Angeles and big money.

“My dad had the opportunity to pack up his family, including his parents, move to the West Coast and make a great deal of money,’’ said Novenson.
“My grandparents were up in years and physically could not make the move and he knew it. By the mid-1960s the music was getting too edgy for my dad’s taste anyway.

‘’But I have always respected him for passing up lots of money in order to do what he knew was best for his family.’’

The elder Novenson retired from WFIL TV in 1971 and passed away in 1981. American Bandstand performed its last show on ABC six years later.

Local Airing: Chattanooga’s WTVC Channel 9 did not come on the air until February 1958 … Chattanooga area viewers had to watch Dick Clark and gang on WSIX TV Channel 8 out of Nashville for the first six months.
Theme Song: American Bandstand had a variety of opening musical pieces, but is best known for Barry Manilow’s version which was used for the final decade, 1977-1987 ... Manilow and Bruce Howard Sussman co-wrote the lyrics.

Show Synopsis: AB was broadcast live five days a week in the summer of 1957 … Dick Clark Saturday Night Show aired from Manhattan beginning in Feb. 1858 ... In the spring of 1963, five, one-hour shows were taped each Saturday so Clark could take the music and musicians around the country during the week … AB moved to Saturday afternoons in September 1963 … The move to Los Angeles came in Feb. 1964 … Color broadcasts began in 1967 …The show ended its ABC run in 1987 and went off the air in the fall, 1989.

Contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net