dick clark
Dick Clark is the ageless co-host of the annual Times Square TV special, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. [1]
As host to the first network television series devoted to rock and roll and the longest running musical show in television history, American Bandstand, Dick Clark made rock music palatable to the mainstream American public and help promote the careers of many rock and roll artists of the 50s, both the talents and no talents. [2]
Affectionately known as “America’s oldest teenager,” Dick Clark was significant in transforming the record business into an international industry. [3]
He is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand, five versions of the game show Pyramid, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. [4]
He worked as a radio and television announcer before beginning his long engagement as host of the TV show American Bandstand (1956 - 89), a showcase for popular music. [1]
When "New American Bandstand 1965" (1952) was picked up by ABC in 1957, he changed its name to “American Bandstand”, ended the show’s all-white policy and began introducing black artists. [5]
Clark returned to the broadcast lineup in 2005 as a kind of host emeritus, sharing screen time with host Ryan Seacrest… Clark has been married three times, to Barbara Mallery (1952-61), Loretta Martin (1962-71), and Kari Wigton (1977-present). [6]
As host of American Bandstand, Clark provided many acts with the opportunity to reach a national audience via television, spreading the gospel of rock and roll to teenagers across the country. [3]
Extra credit: Clark had a stroke in December of 2004 and missed the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve broadcast for the first time since 1972; Regis Philbin filled in for him as host. [6]
He is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand, the Pyramid game show, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. [7]
Richard Wagstaff “Dick” Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American businessman; game-show host; and radio and television personality. [4]
It became one of the longest-running shows in television history, going into syndication after ABC canceled it in 1987. [1]
ABC began broadcasting Clark’s American Bandstand nationally in 1957, and for years the hit show influenced American pop charts. [6]
Born Richard W. Clark in 1929, he entered the music business as a sales manager for an upstate New York radio station at age seventeen. [3]
His career in show business began in 1945 when he started working in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station owned by his uncle and managed by his father in Utica, New York. [4]
Sources:
[1] Dick Clark: Biography from Answers.com
[2] Dick Clark - History of Rock.com
[3] Dick Clark
[4] Dick Clark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] Dick Clark (I) - Biography
[6] Dick Clark Biography from Who2.com
[7] Dick Clark - New World Encyclopedia