Dick Clark, sometimes referred to as “America’s oldest teenager,” was one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music. American Bandstand was first broadcast in 1957 and was broadcast until 1989. Countless artists, including Paul Anka, Barry Manilow, and Madonna, saw their careers boosted as a result of the show. The combination of lip-synced performances and the “Rate-a-Record” segment captured the attention of teenagers, launching Clark to national prominence. In 1972, Dick Clark created New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, a long-running special broadcast that aired on December 31 of every year until the present day. He also created a number of other shows over the course of his career.
Early Life
The son of a sales manager for radio stations, Richard Wagstaff Clark was born on November 30, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. Clark made the decision to pursue a career in radio when he was in his early twenties. He experienced a significant personal setback while in high school. Bradley, his older brother, was killed in action during World War II. As World War II came to a close, he embarked on a career in show business. In 1945, the teenager landed a position in the mailroom of radio station WRUN in New York City. The station, which was located in the city of Utica, New York, was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. The young Clark quickly rose through the ranks to become a weatherman and news announcer.
After graduating from A. B. Davis High School in 1947, Clark went on to study at Syracuse University in the United States. He majored in business administration while at the university, and he also worked as a disc jockey at the student radio station on campus during his spare time. He also worked at radio and television stations in Syracuse and Utica before settling in Philadelphia in 1952 to work for WFIL radio station.
American Bandstand’
WFIL was affiliated with a television station (now known as WPVI), which began broadcasting a program known as Bob Horn’s Bandstand in 1952, which was later discontinued. On the popular afternoon show, Clark served as a regular substitute host, and he was known for getting the teenagers to dance to popular music. On July 9, 1956, Clark took over as the show’s full-time host after Horn stepped down.
Because of Clark’s efforts, Bandstand was picked up by ABC and broadcast nationwide beginning on August 5, 1957, under the title American Bandstand. Teenagers were enthralled by the show’s mix of lip-synced performances, interviews, and the famous “Rate-a-Record” segment, which was broadcast every week. Clark was instantly elevated to the status of one of pop music’s most influential tastemakers. Numerous hits were generated by his appearances on American Bandstand and his prime-time television program The Dick Clark Show.
Clark insisted on a formal dress code for the show, which included dresses or skirts for the girls and coats and ties for the boys. This helped to maintain the show’s wholesome appearance. That decision demonstrated Clark’s innate ability to read the public’s mood and mute potential criticism at an early stage in his career. At the time of the historic integration of African Americans among white teenage dancers on national television, Clark was able to use his position of power and influence to stifle divisive discussion among the viewing audience.
Payola Scandal
Clark also began investing in the music publishing and recording industries during the 1950s. The range of his business interests expanded to include record labels, songwriting publishing houses, and artist management companies. He told a congressional committee in 1959 that he was not aware that performers in whom he had financial interests had received disproportionate airtime on his programs when the record industry’s “payola” scandal (involving payments in exchange for radio play) broke. ABC suggested that his participation might be considered a conflict of interest, which led to him selling his shares to the corporation.
Neither Clark nor American Bandstand were seriously harmed as a result of the probe. The program grew in popularity and continued to be broadcast daily from Monday through Friday until 1963, when it was discontinued. Later, it was broadcast from Hollywood on Saturdays, where it remained until 1989.
TV Personality
Clark was able to broaden his involvement in television production after relocating to Los Angeles, which serves as the industry’s epicenter. With the launch of Dick Clark Productions, the company began presenting variety shows and game shows, the most successful of which were The $25,000 Pyramid and Bloopers & Practical Jokes on television.
It was Clark who created the American Music Awards, which served as a direct competitor to the Grammy Awards, among the many award shows that the company produced. Due to the fact that it features performers who are more suited to younger audiences’ tastes, the Grammy special has frequently outperformed the Grammys. A number of films and made-for-television movies were also produced by Clark’s production company. These films included Elvis (1979), Birth of the Beatles (1979), Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story (1993), Copacabana (1985), and The Savage Seven (1986). (1968).
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
In 1972, Clark produced and hosted Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the long-running special that has been broadcast on December 31 of each year. The program consists of live segments which feature Clark, his co-hosts, and different entertainment acts in and around New York City’s Times Square. The performances continue until the clock counts down to midnight, at which time New York’s traditional New Year’s Eve ball drops, signaling the new year.
The program is aired live in the Eastern Time Zone, and then tape-delayed for the other time zones so that viewers can bring in the New Year with Clark when midnight strikes in their area. For more than three decades, the show has become an annual cultural tradition in the United States for the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day holiday. In 2004, Clark was unable to appear in program due to a stroke, which left him partially paralyzed and caused difficulty of speech. That year, talk-show presenter Regis Philbin substituted as host. The following year, Clark returned to the show, with radio and TV personality Ryan Seacrest serving as the primary host.
Clark made his last appearance on the annual event on its New Year’s Eve 2012 program, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary that night. Around this time, he spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the show. Clark noted that two of the most memorable moments for him were the millennium broadcast and Jennifer Lopez‘s performance in 2009. “The most amazing thing to me about doing the show for 40 years is how quickly it all went,” he said.
Personal Life and Later Years
Clark was married three times throughout his life. His first marriage, to high school sweetheart Barbara Mallery, took place in 1952, and the couple had one son, Richard, before divorcing the following year. In 1962, he remarried Loretta Martin, who had been his secretary at the time. Duane and Cindy, the couple’s two children, were born to them. Their divorce was finalized in 1971. Clark has been married to Kari Wigton, a dancer, since July 7, 1977, when he married another of his former secretaries.
While Clark’s business acumen played a significant role in his wealth accumulation, he was best known for his charming on-air personality and ageless appearance, which allowed him to maintain his position as one of television’s most popular hosts and pitchmen even after American Bandstand was cancelled in 1989.
Death and Legacy
When Clark suffered a stroke in 2004, he was no longer as visible in the media as he had been previously. While not on the show itself, he remained active behind the scenes and made his annual appearances on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve special. An interviewer prior to the 2012 program asked him about his daily physical therapy sessions, which he admitted. His progress has been “reasonable,” and he is “feeling really good.” Unfortunately, a few months later, while undergoing a procedure at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, Clark suffered a massive heart attack and died. On April 18, 2012, he passed away in that location. He had reached the age of 82 when he died.
When friends and colleagues learned of his passing, there was an outpouring of grief and affection for the famous television host and producer. According to his friend and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host, Ryan Seacrest, Clark had passed away “One of the most significant influences on my life has unquestionably been my father. He was someone I looked up to from the beginning of my career, and he was generous with his advice and counsel when I was just starting out in it.” This is according to singer Janet Jackson “During his time on musical television, Dick Clark made a significant impact. Several artists, including our family, praised him for his generosity and kindness.”
With American Bandstand, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and the American Music Awards, Clark has been a major influence on the viewing and listening habits of music fans for more than half a century. In both music and television, he was a true pioneer who will be remembered for his profound influence on popular culture.