Helen Crist Swift 1943 - 2007

Helen was my idol when I started watching the Buddy Deane show with my sister in 1958. I was 10 years old and I just adored this dancer with the neatest DA haircuts. Her hair color and styles changed very often, of which I later found out that her Dad was a major hairstylist in Baltimore.

Helen, in my opinion was one of the best dancers ever, on the Buddy Deane Show. She was sort of a rebel with her hair but was one of the kindest people that I had ever met. When I met her in 1984, I remember telling her how she was my idol and she was so embarrassed and very humble.

She ran into Joe Swift at one of our dance reunions and they started dating, then married soon after. To many of us, just to see her so happy again was a great feeling. She and Joe left Baltimore to retire in Rhode Island and sadly left us in 2007.

Helen's daughter Heather posted a beautiful tribute to Helen on You tube. Please click on Helen's name below to view the video.

Helen Swift

Arlene Kozak - 2007

Arlene Kozak was Buddy Deane's right hand on the Buddy Deane Show, his assistant and Ms. everything. She literally ran the Buddy Deane Show. She was the smoother, the buffer and everyone's den mother. She with her appointed Committee "Board"chose the dancers, kept the dancers in line and ran the hops, organized the stars when they appeared as well as all the record promoters. She was a woman ahead of her time and never realized it until later in life.

Even after the Buddy Deane show ended, Arlene made time to organized reunions, dance affairs & keeping in touch with most of the Committee Dancers. She never accepted that the era had ended for us. She always wanted to be that "Den Mother" and never wanted her kids to grow up. She stayed so close to many of us through the years and never wanted to see our bubble burst. We were an era that should have never ended & she always tried her bbest to recreate the Deane show through her dances and reunions.

In the 90's, she & her husband Joe started a travel business and scheduled many Cruise Committee & Dance Reunions. She also loved sharing her stories of the Buddy Deane show with us especially becoming friends with Bill Haley, Pat Boone, Dion, Frankie Valle and many other "star "of our era. Arlene was also a major source of info for John Waters "Hairspray" movie. Her reward was always to be respected and appreciated.

Arlene stayed close to many of us and sadly left us in 2007. She definitely left a footprint in many of our lives. She was survived by her husband Joe and her two sons Mark and Tony as well as six grandchildren as well as 200 of her close Committee friends!.

Buddy Deane 1924 - 2003

Buddy Deane was a DJ on WITH AM radio when he was offered the position to start a dance show with teenagers on WJZ TV in Baltimore, Maryland. The Buddy Deane Show aired in 1957 and ended in 1964. Many say it ended because of integration. That was the sad part of that era.

Buddy as one of the first radio disc jockeys to play rock 'n' roll, he recognized the emerging style's appeal in the 1950's and began playing the music continuously, in what was then a new radio format on WITH AM.

From 1957 to 1964 he was host of ''The Buddy Deane Show'' and eventually had a small part in Mr. Waters's 1988 movie about a show like his. HAIRSPRAY. ''The Buddy Deane Show,'' on WJZ-TV in Baltimore, featured teenagers dancing to live bands, performers and budding stars - many of which became major recording stars! It had many of the city's teenagers in thrall for two and a half hours a day, six days a week. Many performers such as Bill Haley and the Comets performed ''Rock Around the Clock'' for the first time on the show, and Mr. Deane was named the No. 1 D.J. in 1962 by Billboard magazine.

Buddy was more of a father figure to most of the teens on the show. Very intimidating and never really social with the Committee. Buddy ran a tight ship on the show with his assistant, Arlene Kozak.

Buddy was married to Helen and I have to say that I personally had never met Helen until 25 years after the show ended. A small group of the committee traveled to New Orleans with Buddy & Helen. We really got closer to Buddy after we were older.

The Committee still gets together carrying the torch, having reunions & just getting together to do what we do best!

So many of my friends today are friends from the Committee and friends that I never knew on the beginning of the Buddy Deane show but we became closer because of the reunions, the commarodity & love of dancing!

Buddy Deaners

This is a spot for all of the dancers from the Buddy Deane era (1957 - 1964) to meet up and keep in touch. We will try to spotlight our memories and post highlights on upcoming events.

We also will do an "In Memory" page for all the dancers especially Buddy Deane & Arlene Kozak, who have left us.

Just give us a few days to post and update from our Buddy Deane Committee,Hairspray & Friends in Face book. We will link from the Facebook too.

I need to search for someone help with this so if you have time to donate. I would appreciate it.