Broadcast icon Dick Clark, the creator and longtime host of "American Bandstand," has died, his publicist said. He was 82.
He was known as the world's oldest teenager. Dick Clark began his career on the weekly dance party that would later be known as American Bandstand in Philadelphia in 1956. The show became a national and later an international sensation, after it was picked up by ABC one year later.
In spite of racial attitudes at the time, Clark was a pioneer in promoting African-American artists, including Percy Sledge, the Silhouettes, the Supremes and Gladys Knight and the Pips. An appearance on American Bandstand launched many a musical career and from Jerry Lee Lewis to Janet Jackson, they all wanted Dick Clark to give their record a spin.
"If you look at the history of American Bandstand, it covers everything from popular music back to the big band days when we started in 1952, from Perry Como, Eddie Fisher, the Four Aces and so forth, through the rock and roll period, country, rhythm and blues, rap music, heavy metal, it is everything."
But music wasn't his only beat. Clark proved a prolific businessman and television icon, hosting the game show 'The 25 Thousand Dollar Pyramid', 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,' and of course the annual 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' broadcast. He turned his Dick Clark Productions into a multi-million dollar media empire.
Clark also had a hand in the global fundraiser 'Live Aid' and in the grass roots 'farm aid.' he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
From the early days of rock to the present, Dick Clark had a way of bringing us the tunes that had a good beat, and memories of Saturday afternoon sock hops.
