Bunny Gibson

Kathleen "Bunny" Gibson is an actress (born January 19, 1946, Jersey City, New Jersey) and former regular dancer on the American Bandstand television program. NBC'S "2016" "Hairspray Live", asked Bunny to represent American Bandstand. Teen magazines referred to her as "American Bandstand's Sweetheart" and Dick Clark called her a "national symbol" receiving thousands of letters each week

Kathleen "Bunny" Gibson
Born
Kathleen Elizabeth Gibson

(1946-01-19) January 19, 1946
NationalityUnited States

She was introduced to American Bandstand as a 13-year-old when Bandstand regular Arlene Sullivan and her dance partner, Kenny Rossi, appeared at a swim club near her home, attracting a throng of screaming teenagers. When a friend told her who the dancers were, Gibson began watching the show and practiced the jitterbug with her refrigerator door. She made her first appearance on the show at the age of 13 so she could met her idol, Philadelphia singer Bobby Rydell.

Gibson soon became a regular dancer on the show and remained until 1961. Her regular dance partner was Eddie Kelly but she also danced with Steve Colanero, Johnny Alamia and Jay Jacovini. She had many fan clubs across the country and was listed in teen magazines' "popularity contests" alongside stars such as Elvis Presley, Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker and Connie Francis. Gibson was regularly featured in articles in the most popular teen magazines of the day, such as 16, Dig and Teen Screen. Bandstand host Dick Clark once announced on air that Gibson had been named "Queen of the Shasta" by U.S. Navy men stationed aboard that ship.

In 1963, Gibson graduated from Northeast High School, a condition her mother required before giving permission for the marriage. Gibson has two daughters, Angel and Maria. Gibson now has four grandchildren: Lea, Christopher, Alexis & Nicole and one great grandchild, Gavin.

As a single mother, Gibson was an award-winning sculptor and did commercials in New York, including five national spots for Minute Rice. She also did commercials for Charmin, Panasonic, Acme Markets and McDonald's. She also studied acting in New York with Warren Robertson, Stella Adler and Herbert Berghof.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue her acting career. As Kathleen Klein, she eventually landed a role as Megan on ABC-TV's General Hospital. In the early 1990s, she appeared in two episodes of the Showtime series, Compromising Situations, and played a hard, cigar-smoking saloon operator in the film Rollerblade Warriors. She has also appeared in the movie No Ordinary Love (1997). "Dancing is our drug of Choice" Program receiving a Proclamation from the City of Philadelphia declaring "Dancing is our drug of Choice" day. The program continues today under her "Devoted to Youth" foundation where Bunny acts as the Vice President giving "Dance Contests" throughout Los Angeles for underprivileged children.

In 2010, Gibson was the lead dancer in the conga line scene of The Back-up Plan starring Jennifer Lopez. Other recent films in which she's had roles include Scout’s Honor with Fred Willard, The Rainbow Tribe, I'm Going to Kill Leonard Riley, Creepshow 3, Karla, Betrothed, American Beach House, Shangri-La Suite and Allison's Choice, all verified on IMDB.com

Gibson's TV appearances include roles on Glee, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Haunted Hathaways and The Protector. Inside America’s Totally Unsolved Lifestyles and America's Most Wanted (fugitive James Knoll turned himself in after he saw the show that night). She has also appeared on many news and talk shows including Good Morning America, Extra, Geraldo Rivera, Suzanne Somers, Morton Downey Jr., Crook & Chase and Joe Franklin. A leopard skin jacket that Gibson popularized on American Bandstand in 1959, was worn in the January 8, 2004, episode of the American Dreams television program by actress Vanesa Lengles. Gibson plans to donate the jacket to the State Museum of Pennsylvania.

Gibson has appeared on several American Bandstand anniversary specials, portrayed herself on the History Channel's The Century Series and was the principal dancer on the 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother (episode entitled "Suits").

Gibson also has made TV appearances on "Casual" as Mara, "Life in Pieces" as Nancy and "Un Made" as Eleanor. Without a Trace ("Strong Medicine"), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, pilot Keep Dreaming, pilot Can’t We Just Get Along?, MTV Movie Awards, Conan O'Brien, Jamie's mother on Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Moby music video for "Natural Blues", as Moby's mom, Roxy Club dancer on Saturday Night Live, and was part of Fred Willard's "MoHos Sketch Comedy Group".

Bunny is a series regular in "Bubbies Know Best" as a "Bubbie" for the Jewish Life TV ( JLTV) with Cantor Linda Rich and S.J. Mendelson and Host Erin Davis, Produced by Brad Pomerance (2019) The Bubbies have been guests featured on: TMZ, Daily Blast Live, The List, Access Hollywood Lives, the Steve Harvey Show, Jimmy Kimmel with Zach Galifinakis, Daily Blast Live and Hallmark's "Home & Family and are now doing the "Bubbies Know Best" Podcast.

Gibson has appeared in many "Funny or Die" videos, such as "Beauty and the Beast" Emma Watson and Dan Stevens video, "Parent News 2: What is the Internet" with Fred Willard, "Getaway Grandmother's Club", "Ransom", "Instagram Intervention with Troilan Bellisario", "Patton Oswalt Confronts His Haters", and "Free Mammograms with Eric Andre, "The Liarist" with Haley Joel Osment and "Christmas Caroling" with Brittany Snow.

Gibson also appeared with Derek Waters as Bernie Arthur's Mother in "Comedy Central's Non-Denominational Christmas Special".

Recent Music Videos include "Rapping" French Montana's "50's & 100's" as French Montana, playing "Chary" in T.J. Stafford's "Chary". Recent Music videos include T. J. Stafford's "Chary", "Licenciado Cantinas the Movie" with Enrique Bunbury, "Falling in Reverse" with Ronnie Radke and "I Am Robert Raimon Roy". All the above except the Comedy Central (credit not up yet) and "Falling in Reverse" (on YouTube) can be verified on www.IMDB.COM

In the 1990s, Gibson founded an organization to help the homeless, Americans Sheltering America’s Poor (ASAP). She converted an office into an apartment and distributed food from her car to the homeless on L.A.’s skid row. In the late 1990s, Gibson started the "Dancing Is Our Drug of Choice" program, which continues today, conducting dance contests for foster children through the "Day of the Child."

In 1998, Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster featured Gibson in their The Century Book and The Century Book for Young People, which is used in high schools across America. In the years since, Bunny has helped many students across America with term papers comparing their life with the way things were for her.

References

    NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:

    The Savvy Screener: Feb.6th,2019

    Hype Magazine Feb.8,2019

    Phila. Broadcast Pioneers: March 5th,2019

    New York Newsday: March 18,2019

    (The South NJ) Currier Post: March 25,2019

    Bust Magazine: July/Aug.2019

    The AV Club: Sept. 20th,2019

    Rama's Review: Sept.20th,2019

    The Savvy Screener" Feb,12th, 2020

    Campodonico, Christine The Argonaut (Calif.) "Bunny Gibson's Dance Revolution" December 15, 2016

    Welch, Stephanie Hammonds "American Bandstand" Primo Magazine 1st Edition 2013

    Rowe, Mark Valley Scene Magazine "Rocking with American Bandstand" May 17–27, 2010

    Prokop, Diane Times Newspaper (Lifestyle Section) "Star in Her Eyes" April 29. 2010

    Finnegan, Christian - "Bandstand Mural Celebrates a Classic" April 3–5, 2007

    "The Argonaut" "Dancing - Return of the Regulars" January 15, 2003

    • Archilla, Dylan M. Indianapolis Prime Times, "Growing Up On American Bandstand," Sept. 13, 2003
    • The Argonaut (Calif.), "Return of the Regulars," Jan. 15, 2003
    • Blackmon, Robert. The National Enquirer, "American Bandstand Made a Bride," May 21, 2002
    • Brenner, Sheri. Northeast Times (Pa.), "Bandstand's Bunny Still Hoppin'," Aug. 13, 1997
    • Burkhart, Michael T. Camden Courier Post (N.J.), "New Jersey Fans Delight In Dick Clark’s Rockin Return," Aug. 21, 2005
    • Bykofsky, Stu. Philadelphia Daily News, "Teens for a Day," Aug. 6, 1997
    • Daly, Sean. Philadelphia Daily News, "Bandstand Goes Gold," April 24, 2002
    • Darrow, Chuck. Camden Courier Post, "South Jersey Dancers Recall Bandstand Days," April 28, 2002
    • Detweiler, Margit. Philadelphia City Paper, "We're Goin' Hoppin'," April 4–10, 1997
    • Margit Detweiler. Philadelphia City Paper, "The in Crowd," August 1, 1997
    • Dobuzinskis, Alex. Los Angeles Daily News, "Holding out for a hero," Nov. 22, 2004
    • Francis, Naila. Times Herald, "Teens high on anti-drug message," Nov. 24, 1997
    • Gross, Dan. Philadelphia Daily News, "Benefit for Bunny Gibson," Oct. 11, 2006
    • Gross, Dan. The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2, 2009
    • Gross, Dan. The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 29, 2009
    • Gross, Dan. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 11, 2010
    • Grossberg, Josh. Daily Breeze (Torrance, Calif.), "Watching her life pass before your eyes," Jan. 18, 2004
    • John-Hall, Annette. The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Nice beat, nasty ban," July 26, 2009
    • Klein, Michael. Philadelphia Inquirer, "A match made on Bandstand," Jan. 13, 2002
    • Kuklenski, Valerie. Woodland Hills (Calif.) Daily News, "Sock Hop On Stage," April 28, 2004
    • Martinez, Al. Los Angeles Times, "Bunny, Queen of the Hop," Aug. 13, 1994
    • McCarthy, Kelly. Main Line Today magazine, "Living An American Dream," January 2004
    • Miller, Karalee. The Kansas City Star, "His dream girl becomes a reality," May 14, 2002
    • Moorhouse, Ed. Burlington County Times (N.J.), "Queen of the hop returns for the Celebration," Aug. 3, 2007
    • Ocamb,Karen. Los Angeles (Calif.) In, "The Gay Twist on American Bandstand," Oct. 18, 2004
    • Pacheco, Della. Indianapolis/Cincinnati Prime Times, "Growing up on American Bandstand," October 2003
    • Parade magazine. "The Century: I saw it happen," Nov.8, 1998
    • Philadelphia Weekend Metro. "Bandstand Mural Celebrates a Classic," Aug. 3, 2007
    • Prokup, Diane. Northeast Times NewsWeekly, "Those Were the Days," Aug. 9, 2007
    • Rothschild, Barbara S. New Jersey Courier-Post, "Time on 'Bandstand' changed dancer's life," Aug. 2, 2007
    • Shannon, Trana. Valley Scene Magazine, "Original Bandstander dances with a new generation," May 14–27, 2004
    • Starr, Michael. New York Post, "Star Report," Sept. 24, 2003
    • Szumowski, Debbie. Fishtown Star, Philadelphia A 0, "Bunny and Bob share Bandstand memories," Jan. 28, 1998
    • Takiff, Johnathan. Philadelphia Daily News, "A great friend turns 50," May 2, 2002
    • Talent, Frank. South Philadelphia American, Sept, 12, 1997
    • Talent, Frank. South Philadelphia American, Sept. 16, 1997
    • Williams, Tom. The Sandpiper (N.J.), "American Bandstand's back with American Dreams," Oct. 4, 2002

    BOOKS

    • "The Century," Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, Doubleday (1998), p. 341
    • "The Century Book for Young People," Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, Doubleday (1999), p. 147
    • "The History of American Bandstand," Michael Shore with Dick Clark, Ballantine Books, N.Y. (1985), pgs. 76, 115-116
    • "Bandstand The Untold Story," Stanley J. Blitz, Cornucopia Productions (1997), p. 137
    • "Rock, Roll & Remember," Dick Clark and Richard Robinson, Thomas Y. Crowell Company (1976), pgs. 75, 77, 79
    • "Dick Clark And The Making Of A Rock 'n' Roll Empire," John A. Jackson, Oxford University Press (1997), pgs. 197, 210
    Bunny has two "u's"
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