I never missed "American Bandstand," from before I can remember to probably past my college days when it ended, I watched every week. I was a music addict, took my radio everywhere, and in a pre-internet world, "American Bandstand" was the place where the current artists, the new acts, and the about-to-happen phenoms appeared. Everyone was on "Bandstand," and everyone was interviewed, if only briefly, by Dick Clark. If you made it to the show, you knew you had made it.
Now "Bandstand" was a gigantic part of his career, it wasn't everything the man had going on. He was a prolific television producer, creating shows like the "Pyramid" game shows, "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes," "The American Music Awards" and "New Year's Rockin' Eve," the last of which has become an American tradition. For decades Clark braved the cold to watch the ball drop, and more recently, after his stroke, America tuned in to see him just make an appearance, just to see how he was. Yeah, we, as a nation, cared how this man was doing. That says a lot.
Clark created and produced numerous TV programs including various game shows, talk shows and even prime time drams. He owned a chain of restaurants and theaters. He was also a disc jockey here in Philadelphia before "Bandstand" came along, which was also born in Philly. As I said, we have lost a legend today, Dick Clark will be missed.
Oh my God! I was so busy today that I didn't even hear about his death. You wrote a beautiful eulogy for a man that I grew up loving. I would run home from school every day to learn the new dance steps from his show.Well, I hope he's having fun and getting everyone up and dancing in heaven.
ReplyDelete