Dick Clark | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Clark in 1974 | |
| Born | Richard Wagstaff Clark November 30, 1929 Bronxville, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 18, 2012 (aged 82) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1945–2012 |
| Organization | Dick Clark Productions |
| Known for | American Bandstand Pyramid Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve |
| Spouses | Barbara Mallery
(m. 1952; div. 1961)Loretta Martin
(m. 1962; div. 1971)Kari Wigton (m. 1977) |
| Children | 3, including Duane |
| Awards | Full list |
Richard Wagstaff Clark[1][2] (November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted American Bandstand from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid game show from 1973 to 1988 and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which broadcast New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square.
As host of American Bandstand, Clark introduced rock and roll to many Americans. The show gave many new music artists their first exposure to national audiences, including The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, Iggy Pop, Prince, Talking Heads and Madonna. Episodes he hosted were among the first in which black people and white people performed on the same stage, and they were among the first in which the live studio audience sat down together without racial segregation. Singer Paul Anka claimed that Bandstand was responsible for creating a "youth culture". Due to his perennially youthful appearance and his largely teenaged audience of American Bandstand, Clark was often referred to as "America's oldest teenager" or "the world's oldest teenager".[3][4]
In his off-stage roles, Clark served as chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions (though he sold his financial interest in the company during his later years). He also founded the American Bandstand Diner, a restaurant chain themed after the television program of the same name. In 1973, he created and produced the annual American Music Awards show, similar to the Grammy Awards.[3]
- ^ "Dick Clark on". TV. July 19, 2010. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ^ Dick Clark's death record at Family Search
- ^ a b "Dick Clark Biography". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
- ^ "World's oldest teenager dies at 82". Eagle-Tribune. April 19, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2023.