Two of my life's guideposts, American Bandstand and The Band, drew their last breaths a week ago with the deaths of Dick Clark and Levon Helm. Now the bandstand is less full, the songs less soothing, the beat a little harder to dance to...
I realize that has a lot to do with my growing up in Philadelphia and being born in 1947. The latter designates me, demographically, as an official "baby boomer." There were millions upon millions of us inoculated with rock and roll, and we were going to dance our way into the future. Along the way, we'd push our parents aside, change the world, and leave our fingerprints on everything and everyone.
Two out of three isn't bad, I guess.
The Bandstand part, even though it's further away time-wise, somehow seems more clear. Maybe that's because I was too young to be a participant, so I became a watcher,...
I realize that has a lot to do with my growing up in Philadelphia and being born in 1947. The latter designates me, demographically, as an official "baby boomer." There were millions upon millions of us inoculated with rock and roll, and we were going to dance our way into the future. Along the way, we'd push our parents aside, change the world, and leave our fingerprints on everything and everyone.
Two out of three isn't bad, I guess.
The Bandstand part, even though it's further away time-wise, somehow seems more clear. Maybe that's because I was too young to be a participant, so I became a watcher,...
- 4/28/2012
- by Doug Bradley
- Aol TV.
Broadcast legend Dick Clark, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 82, got his big break in 1956, hosting "Bob Horn's Bandstand" -- a show that would later be renamed "American Bandstand."
Clark was so at home on the show that he kept the theme song, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, as the hold music on his office's telephones long after it went off the air.
"We were all having lunch together and he needed to call his office for something," Sussman remembers. "When he called, they put him on hold, which made him laugh, and then suddenly he turned to me and said, 'Bruce, quick, listen to this.' He handed me the phone and the hold music was 'Bandstand Boogie,' the theme song Barry and I wrote for his show. It was such a sweet and adorable thing to do. That smile on his...
Clark was so at home on the show that he kept the theme song, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, as the hold music on his office's telephones long after it went off the air.
"We were all having lunch together and he needed to call his office for something," Sussman remembers. "When he called, they put him on hold, which made him laugh, and then suddenly he turned to me and said, 'Bruce, quick, listen to this.' He handed me the phone and the hold music was 'Bandstand Boogie,' the theme song Barry and I wrote for his show. It was such a sweet and adorable thing to do. That smile on his...
- 4/19/2012
- by Naughty But Nice Rob
- Huffington Post
Broadcast legend Dick Clark, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 82, got his big break in 1956, hosting "Bob Horn's Bandstand" -- a show that would later be renamed "American Bandstand."
Clark was so at home on the show that he kept the theme song, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, as the hold music on his office's telephones long after it went off the air.
"We were all having lunch together and he needed to call his office for something," Sussman remembers. "When he called, they put him on hold, which made him laugh, and then suddenly he turned to me and said, 'Bruce, quick, listen to this.' He handed me the phone and the hold music was 'Bandstand Boogie,' the theme song Barry and I wrote for his show. It was such a sweet and adorable thing to do. That smile on his...
Clark was so at home on the show that he kept the theme song, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, as the hold music on his office's telephones long after it went off the air.
"We were all having lunch together and he needed to call his office for something," Sussman remembers. "When he called, they put him on hold, which made him laugh, and then suddenly he turned to me and said, 'Bruce, quick, listen to this.' He handed me the phone and the hold music was 'Bandstand Boogie,' the theme song Barry and I wrote for his show. It was such a sweet and adorable thing to do. That smile on his...
- 4/19/2012
- by Naughty But Nice Rob
- Aol TV.
A true television legend has died. Dick Clark has passed away from a massive heart attack at the age of 82.
Known for years as the "World's Oldest Teenager," Clark was well-known for his roles both in front of and behind the camera as the driving force behind Dick Clark Productions.
Richard Wagstaff Clark was born in Mount Vernon, NY and worked as a teenager in the mailroom of Utica's Wrun-am radio station. It was owned by Clark's uncle and run by his father. He eventually became a weatherman and a newsman at the station.
After college, Clark secured a newscasting position in Utica and later moved to Philadelphia. There, he ended up taking over for the host of Bob Horn's Bandstand, a show that featured local teens dancing to popular music of the day. Renamed American Bandstand, the show went...
Known for years as the "World's Oldest Teenager," Clark was well-known for his roles both in front of and behind the camera as the driving force behind Dick Clark Productions.
Richard Wagstaff Clark was born in Mount Vernon, NY and worked as a teenager in the mailroom of Utica's Wrun-am radio station. It was owned by Clark's uncle and run by his father. He eventually became a weatherman and a newsman at the station.
After college, Clark secured a newscasting position in Utica and later moved to Philadelphia. There, he ended up taking over for the host of Bob Horn's Bandstand, a show that featured local teens dancing to popular music of the day. Renamed American Bandstand, the show went...
- 4/18/2012
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Los Angeles – Dick Clark, the versatile television personality who built his beginnings as host of the long-running “American Bandstand” into a virtual media empire, has died of a heart attack this morning. He was 82 years old. His youthful looks and association with Bandstand got him the nickname, “America’s Oldest Teenager.”
Born Richard Wagstaff Clark in Mount Vernon, New York, he began his broadcasting career right after high school at Wrun-am in Rome, New York, which was owned by his uncle. He began by announcing weather reports and station breaks, and also worked at a country station while attending Syracuse University. After graduation, he did some bit TV and radio jobs in New York, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a on-air opportunity.
Hit Maker: Dick Clark in 1959 for ‘American Bandstand’
Photo credit: Dick Clark Productions
It was in Philadelphia that Dick Clark found his calling. While working as a...
Born Richard Wagstaff Clark in Mount Vernon, New York, he began his broadcasting career right after high school at Wrun-am in Rome, New York, which was owned by his uncle. He began by announcing weather reports and station breaks, and also worked at a country station while attending Syracuse University. After graduation, he did some bit TV and radio jobs in New York, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a on-air opportunity.
Hit Maker: Dick Clark in 1959 for ‘American Bandstand’
Photo credit: Dick Clark Productions
It was in Philadelphia that Dick Clark found his calling. While working as a...
- 4/18/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
For many generations, the passing of Dick Clark, who died of a massive heart attack on Tuesday morning, represents the end of an annual New Year's Eve tradition. But before Clark helped Americans rock in the new year, he helped bring rock and roll to America. Clark's American Bandstand came at a time of monumental shifts in culture and musical tastes, and the host's show was part of that tectonic change. Launched in 1952, Clark began hosting the show in 1956 (after its original host, Bob Horn, was dismissed following an arrest for driving under the influence) and quickly began
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- 4/18/2012
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dick Clark, chairman and CEO of Dick Clark Productions, best known for hosting the classic musical variety show "American Bandstand" for more than three decades, as well as ringing in the New Year on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," died today in Los Angeles after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 82 years old.
Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, on November 30, 1929, to Julia Fuller and Richard Augustus Clark. He had one older brother, Bradley, who was killed in World War II. At the age of 16, Clark got his first job in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station in Utica, New York, which was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. He worked his way up the ranks and was promoted to weatherman before becoming a radio announcer.
After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in business administration, Clark began working at several radio and television stations before landing at WFIL radio in 1952. While working at the station, Clark became a substitute host for Bob Horn's Bandstand, an afternoon program where teenagers danced to popular music, broadcast by WFIL's affiliated television station. In 1956, Horn was arrested for drunk driving, giving Clark the perfect opportunity to step in as the full-time host.
After acquiring nationwide distribution the newly reformatted program, now titled "American Bandstand", premiered on ABC on August 5, 1957. In addition to the name change, Clark added interviews with artists (starting with Elvis Presley), lip-sync performances, and "Rate-a-Record," allowing teens to judge the songs on the show -- and giving birth to the popular phrase, "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it." Clark also established a formal dress code, mandating dresses and skirts for the women and a coat and tie for the men. But perhaps the most impactful change that Clark made to the show was ending "American Bandstand's" all-white policy, allowing African American artists to perform on the show.
Under Clark's influence, "Bandstand" became one of the most successful and longest-running musical programs, featuring artists including Chuck Berry, the Doors, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and Smokey Robinson. Sonny and Cher, The Jackson 5, Prince, and Aerosmith were among the influential artists and bands that made their TV debuts on "Bandstand," which is also credited with helping to make America more accepting of rock 'n roll.
With the success of "American Bandstand," Clark became more invested in the music publishing and recording businesses, and began managing artists, hosting live sock hops, and arranging concert tours. But in 1960, when the United States Senate began investigating "payola," the practice in which music producing companies paid broadcasting companies to favor their products, Clark became caught up in the scandal. The investigation found he had partial copyrights to over 150 songs, many of which were featured on his show. Clark denied he was involved in any way, but admitted to accepting a fur and jewelry from a record company president. In the end, the Senate could not find any illegal actions by Clark, but ABC asked Clark to either sell his shares in these companies or leave the network so there was no conflict of interest. He chose to sell and continue on as host of American Bandstand, which was unaffected by the scandal.
In 1964, Clark moved Bandstand from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and became more involved in television production. Under his company Dick Clark Productions, he produced such shows as "Where the Action Is," "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes," and more recently, "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as made-for-television movies including Elvis, The Birth of the Beatles, Wild Streets, and The Savage Seven. Clark also hosted TV's $10,000 Pyramid, TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes (with co-host Ed McMahon), Scattergories, and The Other Half. Clark also had several radio programs, including "The Dick Clark National Music Survey", "Countdown America", and "Rock, Roll & Remember."
In 1972, he produced and hosted the very first edition of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," a musical program where Clark counted down until the New Year ball dropped in Times Square, featuring taped performances from musical artists. "New Year's Rockin' Eve" soon became a cultural tradition, airing on ABC every year with Clark as host (except in 1999 when ABC aired "ABC 2000Today," a news milestone program hosted by Peter Jennings). In December of 2004, Clark suffered a minor stroke and was unable to host, so Regis Philbin stepped in as a substitute. The following year, Clark returned as co-host alongside primary host Ryan Seacrest. Many were worried about Clark due to his slurred and breathless speech, and he admitted on-air he was still recovering but that he wouldn't have missed the broadcast for the world. The following year, Seacrest became "New Year's Rockin' Eve's" primary host, but Clark always returned for the countdown.
Clark has received several notable awards including four Emmy Awards, the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, and the Peabody Award in 1999. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976, The Radio Hall of Fame in 1990, Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Clark is survived by his wife, Kari Wigton, to whom he was married since 1977, and three children from two previous marriages: daughter Cindy and son Duane from his marriage to Loretta Martin, which lasted from 1962 until 1971, and another son, Richard Augustus, from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Barbara Mallery, which lasted from 1952 until 1961.
-Michelle Bryant...
Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, on November 30, 1929, to Julia Fuller and Richard Augustus Clark. He had one older brother, Bradley, who was killed in World War II. At the age of 16, Clark got his first job in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station in Utica, New York, which was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. He worked his way up the ranks and was promoted to weatherman before becoming a radio announcer.
After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in business administration, Clark began working at several radio and television stations before landing at WFIL radio in 1952. While working at the station, Clark became a substitute host for Bob Horn's Bandstand, an afternoon program where teenagers danced to popular music, broadcast by WFIL's affiliated television station. In 1956, Horn was arrested for drunk driving, giving Clark the perfect opportunity to step in as the full-time host.
After acquiring nationwide distribution the newly reformatted program, now titled "American Bandstand", premiered on ABC on August 5, 1957. In addition to the name change, Clark added interviews with artists (starting with Elvis Presley), lip-sync performances, and "Rate-a-Record," allowing teens to judge the songs on the show -- and giving birth to the popular phrase, "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it." Clark also established a formal dress code, mandating dresses and skirts for the women and a coat and tie for the men. But perhaps the most impactful change that Clark made to the show was ending "American Bandstand's" all-white policy, allowing African American artists to perform on the show.
Under Clark's influence, "Bandstand" became one of the most successful and longest-running musical programs, featuring artists including Chuck Berry, the Doors, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and Smokey Robinson. Sonny and Cher, The Jackson 5, Prince, and Aerosmith were among the influential artists and bands that made their TV debuts on "Bandstand," which is also credited with helping to make America more accepting of rock 'n roll.
With the success of "American Bandstand," Clark became more invested in the music publishing and recording businesses, and began managing artists, hosting live sock hops, and arranging concert tours. But in 1960, when the United States Senate began investigating "payola," the practice in which music producing companies paid broadcasting companies to favor their products, Clark became caught up in the scandal. The investigation found he had partial copyrights to over 150 songs, many of which were featured on his show. Clark denied he was involved in any way, but admitted to accepting a fur and jewelry from a record company president. In the end, the Senate could not find any illegal actions by Clark, but ABC asked Clark to either sell his shares in these companies or leave the network so there was no conflict of interest. He chose to sell and continue on as host of American Bandstand, which was unaffected by the scandal.
In 1964, Clark moved Bandstand from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and became more involved in television production. Under his company Dick Clark Productions, he produced such shows as "Where the Action Is," "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes," and more recently, "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as made-for-television movies including Elvis, The Birth of the Beatles, Wild Streets, and The Savage Seven. Clark also hosted TV's $10,000 Pyramid, TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes (with co-host Ed McMahon), Scattergories, and The Other Half. Clark also had several radio programs, including "The Dick Clark National Music Survey", "Countdown America", and "Rock, Roll & Remember."
In 1972, he produced and hosted the very first edition of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," a musical program where Clark counted down until the New Year ball dropped in Times Square, featuring taped performances from musical artists. "New Year's Rockin' Eve" soon became a cultural tradition, airing on ABC every year with Clark as host (except in 1999 when ABC aired "ABC 2000Today," a news milestone program hosted by Peter Jennings). In December of 2004, Clark suffered a minor stroke and was unable to host, so Regis Philbin stepped in as a substitute. The following year, Clark returned as co-host alongside primary host Ryan Seacrest. Many were worried about Clark due to his slurred and breathless speech, and he admitted on-air he was still recovering but that he wouldn't have missed the broadcast for the world. The following year, Seacrest became "New Year's Rockin' Eve's" primary host, but Clark always returned for the countdown.
Clark has received several notable awards including four Emmy Awards, the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, and the Peabody Award in 1999. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976, The Radio Hall of Fame in 1990, Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Clark is survived by his wife, Kari Wigton, to whom he was married since 1977, and three children from two previous marriages: daughter Cindy and son Duane from his marriage to Loretta Martin, which lasted from 1962 until 1971, and another son, Richard Augustus, from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Barbara Mallery, which lasted from 1952 until 1961.
-Michelle Bryant...
- 4/18/2012
- IMDb News
Dick Clark, the American Bandstand and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host known for his perpetual youth, died Wednesday at age 82. Clark suffered a massive heart attack following a procedure in Los Angeles, EW has confirmed.
The former Philadelphia DJ started out on a local show called Bob Horn’s Bandstand, substituting for the titular host. He took over in 1956, beginning a career path that would make “America’s Oldest Teenager” a legend. In 1957, ABC picked the show up for a national run that kept the growing teen market entranced and cemented Clark’s status as a pop culture touchstone.
The former Philadelphia DJ started out on a local show called Bob Horn’s Bandstand, substituting for the titular host. He took over in 1956, beginning a career path that would make “America’s Oldest Teenager” a legend. In 1957, ABC picked the show up for a national run that kept the growing teen market entranced and cemented Clark’s status as a pop culture touchstone.
- 4/18/2012
- by Jennifer Armstrong
- EW - Inside TV
Entertainment icon Dick Clark died Wednesday at the age of 82 after suffering a massive heart attack.
A statement from Clark's rep issued on behalf of his family said Clark had entered St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate him following the heart attack were not successful.
The famous host of American Bandstand -- which helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream -- is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, Duane, Cindy and Rac.
Related: Dick Clark Breaks Down In Tears At Daytime Emmy Awards
Clark hosted and produced a vast range of programming from game shows to the annual year-end countdown show New Year's Rockin' Eve. Dubbed "the world's oldest teenager" because of his lasting youthful appearance, Clark had continued to make TV appearances in recent years despite suffering a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk.
Clark was born...
A statement from Clark's rep issued on behalf of his family said Clark had entered St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate him following the heart attack were not successful.
The famous host of American Bandstand -- which helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream -- is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, Duane, Cindy and Rac.
Related: Dick Clark Breaks Down In Tears At Daytime Emmy Awards
Clark hosted and produced a vast range of programming from game shows to the annual year-end countdown show New Year's Rockin' Eve. Dubbed "the world's oldest teenager" because of his lasting youthful appearance, Clark had continued to make TV appearances in recent years despite suffering a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk.
Clark was born...
- 4/18/2012
- Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment icon Dick Clark died Wednesday at the age of 82 after suffering a massive heart attack.
A statement from Clark's rep issued on behalf of his family said Clark had entered St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate him following the heart attack were not successful.
The famous host of American Bandstand -- which helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream -- is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, Duane, Cindy and Rac.
Related: Dick Clark Breaks Down In Tears At Daytime Emmy Awards
Clark hosted and produced a vast range of programming from game shows to the annual year-end countdown show New Year's Rockin' Eve. Dubbed "the world's oldest teenager" because of his lasting youthful appearance, Clark had continued to make TV appearances in recent years despite suffering a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk.
Clark was born...
A statement from Clark's rep issued on behalf of his family said Clark had entered St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate him following the heart attack were not successful.
The famous host of American Bandstand -- which helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream -- is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, Duane, Cindy and Rac.
Related: Dick Clark Breaks Down In Tears At Daytime Emmy Awards
Clark hosted and produced a vast range of programming from game shows to the annual year-end countdown show New Year's Rockin' Eve. Dubbed "the world's oldest teenager" because of his lasting youthful appearance, Clark had continued to make TV appearances in recent years despite suffering a stroke in 2004 that affected his ability to speak and walk.
Clark was born...
- 4/18/2012
- Entertainment Tonight
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