Before Ryan Seacrest, there was Dick Clark. When I was a kid through the 1960’s, you could hardly turn on a television, or listen to the radio without seeing or hearing Dick Clark, or being influenced by decisions he made.
From hosting American Bandstand, to the game show Pyramid, to his annual New Years Eve shows, he was constantly on the TV in one form or another, all the way through the very last New Years Eve of 2011/2012.
It was said that he never aged, but looking at pictures of him, particularly after his stroke in 2004, he looked old. But, I suppose that compared to others his age, he weathered a bit better.
American Bandstand was a local Philadelphia TV show that got picked up by the ABC network in 1956. On his first national broadcast, Dick interviewed Elvis, and his career from that point never went anywhere but up.
He won many awards, an Emmy, a Peabody – and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Many artists got a boost from their appearance on American Bandstand, and have him to thank for getting their records in front of the teenagers of the day.
Dick Clark died today of a heart attack at age 81.
Good to see this entry. Dick Clark was a part of our growing up during the 1950’s and ’60’s. Seeing his photo here from when he was young was quite nostalgic. JB