Host of the popular music TV show and all around media and
music pioneer, Dick Clark, has passed away on April 18th. Some of this generation may or may not
remember the show. But, Dick Clark was
influential in launching the careers of countless music stars. “American Bandstand” aired for 37 years
between 1952 and 1989. Clark hosted
between 1956 and 1989. The show started
out by having records played and then, in the 1960s, artists began performing
live on it. Countless names appeared and
thus became well known through the show.
A partial list from the Wikipedia article about the show lists artists
such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Simon & Garfunkel, Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Ike
& Tina Turner, Chubby Checker, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Buddy
Holly and Sam Cooke.
Clark gave countless new artists a chance to appear on the
show and that’s what ultimately launched them to stardom. He was also a businessman and hosted other TV
game shows, making him a large force within the whole of the entertainment
industry with controversies that did come along the way including a payola
scandal at one point. Clark partnered
with Johnny Carson for a time in the late 1980s on television projects. He had a production company and also ventured
into the business of overseeing theaters and being a restaurateur. Clark also hosted New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, an
event he created, which, after he suffered a stroke, was taken over by
entertainment personality Ryan Seacrest.
Some readers may be a bit young to remember Dick Clark. However, his impact on the entertainment
industry as a whole was widely felt. He
will be missed. But, he will be remembered
for his role of bringing popular music very successfully to the television
screen and as a pioneer in the worlds of TV and the whole of media. Rest In Peace, Dick Clark.
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