Al Jefferson, Bobby Lane, and Charles 'Chaz' Hall discussed the Teenarama radio program and how it evolved into the Teenarama dance program. Jefferson explained his role in the development of WOOK radio and the radio station's history, including a description of the radio station's programming and other on-air personalities. Jefferson and Lane talked about Richard Eaton - his personality, business sense, his relationship with the community, his family - and the program he hosted titled 'Unity Viewpoint.' They also talked about students' roles in the programming of Teenarama; the recruitment of the students; and recording of shows in the fishbowl at Waxie Maxie's record store. Hall described how he started at WOOK when he was in high school; how his interest evolved into learning more and more about the business side of broadcasting; and the various shows he worked on for WOOK. Lane, Hall, and Jefferson talked about Tex Daners and their relationship with him as well as the opening of the dance hall for teenagers called Casino Ball. They also talked about Bob King and 'Teenarama,' the television program. The interview was part of the research for the documentary 'Dance Party: The Teenarama Story.'
Interviews. Audio only. Part of the Teenarama Collection. Dated 19980927.
Biographical / Historical:
The documentary 'Dance Party: The Teenarama Story' examined the popularity of 1950s and 1960s teen dance television shows, including 'The Teenarama Dance Party,' 'American Bandstand,' 'The Buddy Dean Show,' and 'The Milt Grant Show.' 'The Teenarama Dance Party' was an all-black teen dance show produced and broadcasted in Washington, D.C. The show aired from March 7, 1963 to November 20, 1970 on WOOK-TV Channel 14, which was the nation's first Black TV station. The show was produced live six days a week; and hosted first by Bob King and later by a rotation of hosts. In addition to being a dance show, 'The Teenarama Dance Party' was a training ground for teens. Production staff mentored the teenagers in the art of broadcast production. The teens trained as camera operators, floor directors, and technical engineers; and served as production assistants.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV005296_B
ACMA AV005274_A
ACMA AV005274_B
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Teenarama: Interview with Al Jefferson, Bobby Lane, and Charles 'Chaz' Hall, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
