Dick Clark in New York City
Photo by Frank Beacham
Dick Clark was born 93 years ago today.
Clark was a radio and television personality, as well as a cultural icon who hosted American television's longest-running variety show, American Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. The show gave many new music artists their first exposure to national audiences, including Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads and Simon & Garfunkel.
Episodes he hosted were among the first where blacks and whites performed on the same stage and among the first where the live studio audience sat without racial segregation. Singer Paul Anka claimed that Bandstand was responsible for creating a "youth culture."
Due to his perennial youthful appearance, Clark was often referred to as "America's oldest teenager." In his capacity as a businessman, Clark served as Chief Executive Officer of Dick Clark Productions, part of which he sold off in his later years.
Clark suffered a stroke in December, 2004. With his speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show a year later on December 31, 2005. He appear on every New Year's Rockin' Eve show through the 2011–12 show.
Clark died on April 18, 2012 of a heart attack at age 82 following a medical procedure.