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Dick Clark

Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American television, radio personality, game show host and businessman; he served as chairman and CEO of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years. He is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand, five versions of the Pyramid game show, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Clark has long been known for his departing catchphrase, "For now, Dick Clark...so long," delivered with a military salute, and for his youthful appearance, earning the moniker "America's Oldest Teenager", until he suffered a stroke late in 2004. He is recovering and still needs the help from his wheelchair, but he is able to walk. With some speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show on December 31, 2005. Subsequently, he has appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006 and the New Year's Rockin' Eve show on December 31, 2006, as well as on December 31, 2007.

Life and career

Personal life and early career

Dick Clark was born in Mount Vernon, New York, where he was raised, the son of Julia Fuller (née Barnard) and Richard Augustus Clark. His only sibling, older brother Bradley, was killed in World War II. Clark has been married three times. His first marriage was to Barbara Mallery in 1952; the couple had one son, Richard A. (named after his father), and divorced in 1961. Clark married Loretta Martin in 1962; the couple had two children, Duane and Cindy, and divorced in 1971. Clark has been married to his current wife, Kari Wigton, since 1977.

Clark's career in show business began in 1945 when he started working in the mailroom of radio station WRUN in Utica, New York (which was owned by his uncle and managed by his father). Clark was soon promoted to weatherman and news announcer. Clark attended Syracuse University and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He graduated from Syracuse in 1951 and began his television career at station WKTV in Utica and was also subsequently a DJ on 1490 WOLF (AM) Syracuse. Clark's first television hosting job was on the Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders, a country music program. He would later replace Robert Earle (who would later host the GE College Bowl) as a newscaster.

American Bandstand

In 1952 Dick Clark moved to Philadelphia and took a job as a disc jockey at radio station WFIL. WFIL had an affiliated television station with the same call sign which began broadcasting a show called Bob Horn's Bandstand in 1952. Clark was a regular substitute host on the show and when Horn left, Clark became the full time host on July 9, 1956. The show was picked up by ABC and was first aired nationally on August 5, 1957 and renamed American Bandstand. A high point on the show was Clark's interview with Elvis Presley.

Clark also began investing in the music publishing and recording business in the 1950s. In 1959, the United States Senate opened investigations into "payola", the practice of music producing companies paying broadcasting companies to favor their product. Clark, as a major figure in both fields, was investigated and testified before Congress in 1960. Clark was not charged with any illegal activities but he was required by ABC to divest his publishing and recording interests.

Unaffected by the investigation, American Bandstand was a major success, running daily until 1963, then weekly until 1987. In 1964, the show moved from Philadelphia to Hollywood. A spin-off of the show, Where the Action Is, aired from 1965 to 1967, also on ABC. Charlie O'Donnell, a close friend of Clark's and an up-and-coming fellow Philadelphia disc jockey, was chosen to be the announcer, which he served for ten years. O'Donnell was one of the announcers on the 1980s versions of Clark's Pyramid game show. To this day, he continues to work with Clark on various specials and award shows.

Clark produced Bandstand for syndication and later the USA cable network until 1989, again hosting in 1987-88 before giving up the emcee reins to David Hirsch in its final year.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

In 1972 Clark produced and hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, the first of an ongoing series of specials still broadcast on New Year's Eve. The program has typically consisted of live remotes of Dick Clark in Times Square in New York City, counting down until the New Year ball comes down. After the ball drops, the focus of the program switches to musical segments taped prior to the show in Hollywood. The special is live in the Eastern Standard Time zone, and it is delayed for the other time zones so that they can ring in the New Year with Clark when midnight strikes in their area.

ABC broadcast the event on every New Year's Eve since 1972 except in 1999 due to the airing of ABC 2000 Today, news coverage of the milestone year hosted by Peter Jennings. However during the broadcast Clark along with ABC's Jack Ford announced his signature countdown to the new year as a correspondent, according to the transcript of the broadcast released by ABC News. Ford had been assigned to Times Square during the broadcast and thus Clark's role was limited. However he won a Peabody Award for his coverage.

In the more than three decades it has been on the air the show has become a mainstay in U.S. New Year's Eve celebrations. Watching the ball in Times Square drop on Clark's show is considered an annual cultural tradition for the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day holiday.

At the end of 2004 Clark was unable to appear on the program while recovering from his stroke. The following year Clark returned to the show though Ryan Seacrest took over as primary host.

Pyramid game shows

Before Pyramid, Clark had two brief runs as a quiz-show host, presiding over The Object Is and then Missing Links. In a near twist of irony, on Missing Links, he replaced his former Philadelphia neighbor and subsequent TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes co-host, Ed McMahon, when the game show switched networks from NBC to ABC; NBC replaced Missing Links with Jeopardy!.

Clark later became host of The $10,000 Pyramid, which premiered on CBS March 26, 1973. The show — a word association game created and produced by daytime TV producer Bob Stewart — moved to ABC from 1974 to 1980, during which time the top prize was upgraded to $20,000. After a brief 1981 syndicated run as The $50,000 Pyramid, the show returned to CBS in 1982 as The $25,000 Pyramid, and continued through 1988, save for a three month break. From 1985 to 1988, Clark hosted both the CBS $25,000 version and a daily $100,000 Pyramid in syndication.

Clark's daytime versions of Pyramid won nine Emmy Awards for best game show, a mark that is eclipsed only by the 11 won by the syndicated version of Jeopardy!. It also won Clark three Emmy Awards for best game show host.

Other radio programs

Clark also had a long stint as a top 40 radio countdown show host. He began in 1963, hosting a radio program called the "Dick Clark Radio Show". It was produced by Mars Broadcasting of Stamford, Connecticut. Despite his enormous popularity on American Bandstand, the show was only picked up by a few dozen stations and lasted less than a year. It remains however, one of the earliest attempts at radio syndication.

Clark hosted one episode of American Top 40 in 1971 substituting for Casey Kasem. Several years later, he would become one of AT40's most enduring rivals. In 1981, he created The Dick Clark National Music Survey for the Mutual Broadcasting System, which counted down the Top 30 contemporary hits of the week, in direct competition with American Top 40. After he left Mutual in 1986, he turned over National Music Survey duties to Charlie Tuna and took over hosting duties of another show, Countdown America, whose previous host John Leader had left to create yet another similar program, Countdown USA. By the 1990s, Clark hosted U.S. Music Survey, which he hosted up until his 2004 stroke.

Also beginning in 1982, Clark hosted a weekly weekend radio program distributed by his own syndicator, The United Stations Radio Networks. The program was an oldies program entitled Dick Clark's Rock, Roll, and Remember (named after his 1976 autobiography). After his 2004 stroke, United Stations began re-issuing old episodes of Rock, Roll, and Remember to affiliates, and re-runs of the program still air today.

Other television programs

Clark has been involved in a number of other television series and specials as producer and performer. One of his most well-known guest appearances was in the final episode of the original Perry Mason TV series ("The Case of the Final Fadeout") in which he was revealed to be the killer in a dramatic courtroom scene.

In 1973, Clark created the American Music Awards show, which he produces annually. Intended as competition for the Grammy Awards, in some years it gained a bigger audience than the Grammys due to being more in touch with popular trends.

In 1984, Clark produced and co-hosted (with Ed McMahon) the NBC series TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes. The series ran through 1988 and continued in specials hosted by Clark (sometimes joined by another TV personality) into the 21st century, first on NBC, later on ABC. Clark and McMahon are longtime Philadelphia acquaintances, and McMahon has praised Clark for first bringing him together with future TV partner Johnny Carson when all three worked at ABC in the late 1950s. The "Bloopers" franchise stems from the Clark-hosted (and produced) NBC "Bloopers" specials of the early 1980s, inspired by the books, record albums and appearances of Kermit Schafer, a radio and TV producer who first popularized outtakes of broadcasts.

For a period of several years in the 1980s, Clark simultaneously hosted regular programs on the 3 major American television networks: ABC (Bandstand), CBS (Pyramid) and NBC ("Bloopers) and in 1993, he hosted Scattergories.

In 1990 and 1991, Clark hosted the syndicated TV game show The Challengers, which only lasted for one season. In 1999, along with Bob Boden, he was one of the executive producers of Fox Network's TV game show Greed, which ran from November 5, 1999 to July 14, 2000, and was hosted by Chuck Woolery. At the same time, Clark also hosted the Stone-Stanley-created Winning Lines, which ran for six weeks on CBS from January 8, 2000 – February 12, 2000.

From 2001 - 2003, Clark was a co-host of The Other Half with Mario Lopez, Danny Bonaduce, and Dorian Gregory, a syndicated daytime talk show intended to be the male equivalent of The View. Clark also produced the television series American Dreams about a Philadelphia family in the early 1960s whose daughter is a regular on American Bandstand. The series ran from 2002 to 2005.

Entertainment ventures

Restaurants

Clark has a stake in a chain of music-themed restaurants licenced under the names "Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill", "Dick Clark's AB Grill", "Dick Clark's Bandstand — Food, Spirits & Fun" and "Dick Clark's AB Diner". There are currently four airport locations in Indianapolis, Indiana; Newark, New Jersey; Phoenix, Arizona; and Salt Lake City, Utah, one location in the Molly Pitcher travel plaza on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury, New Jersey, and one location at "Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater" in Branson, Missouri The Cincinnati, Ohio, Overland Park, Kansas and Austin, Texas locations of Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill closed.

Theaters

"Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater" opened in Branson, Missouri in April 2006. A new theater and restaurant called "Dick Clark's American Bandstand Music Complex" opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in June 2007. In October 2007, since nearby residents complained about the outside concerts performed at the new complex, it has been emptied of its contents and the box office closed temporarily. It will be reopened in 2009 with a new renovations for indoor concert performances.

'57 Heaven

In the basement of the "Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater" in Branson, Missouri is "'57 Heaven," which boasts "...the world's largest collection of 1957 automobiles and memorabilia showcased in Hometown America." The exhibit also recreates a drive-in movie, gas station, barbershop, car dealership, service station, motel and a typical 1950s home.

Other media appearances

Clark made a brief appearance in the documentary Bowling for Columbine. He was largely criticized for hiring poor, unwed mothers to work long hours in his chain of restaurants for little pay. In the documentary footage featuring Mr. Clark, Michael Moore tries to approach him to ask him questions about the people he employs, and he refuses to answer any of Mr. Moore's questions. He then shuts the car door in Mr. Moore's face and drove off.

In the 2002 Dharma and Greg episode "Mission: Implausible", Greg is the victim of a college prank and comes up with an elaborate plan to retaliate. Part of the plan involves his use of a disguise kit, and the first disguise chosen is Dick Clark. During the fantasy sequence showing the unfolding of the plan, the real Dick Clark plays Greg wearing his disguise.

Stroke and appearances since

Initial news

In 2003, it was revealed that Clark had Type 2 diabetes, and on December 8, 2004, Clark was hospitalized in Los Angeles after suffering what was initially termed a minor stroke. Clark's spokeswoman, Amy Streibel, said that he was hospitalized but was expected to be fine.

However, on December 13, 2004, it was announced that Clark would be unable to host his annual New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast, that had aired for all but one year since 1972 (in 1999, New Year's Rockin' Eve was pre-empted with the Peter Jennings-hosted ABC 2000 Today though Clark did perform his traditional countdown). For the 2004 show, Regis Philbin was the substitute host, and during the show on December 31, 2004, he gave his best wishes to Clark.

First statement after stroke

While having not been seen in public anywhere since his stroke, on August 15, 2005, Clark announced in a statement that he would be back in Times Square for the annual tradition, bringing on Hilary Duff and Ryan Seacrest as co-hosts and Seacrest as co-executive producer. Also in the press release, it was announced that Seacrest would eventually take over as the sole host should Clark decide to retire as the host on the program.

Return to television

On December 31, 2005, Clark made his return to television, returning to the Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast, having noticeable difficulty speaking, slightly slurring his famous countdown to the new year.

During the program, Clark remained behind a desk, and was shown only in limited segments. On-air, Clark said, "Last year I had a stroke. It left me in bad shape. I had to teach myself how to walk and talk again. It's been a long, hard fight. My speech is not perfect but I'm getting there." Before counting down to 2006, he mentioned he "wouldn't have missed this (the telecast) for the world."

Reaction to Clark's appearance was mixed, reported CNN.com. While some TV critics (including Tom Shales of The Washington Post, in an interview with the CBS Radio Network) felt he was not in good enough shape to do the broadcast, stroke survivors and many of Clark's fans praised him for being a role model for people dealing with post-stroke recovery.

Subsequent appearances

Clark also appeared on the 2006 Emmy Award telecast on August 27, 2006. Clark was introduced by Simon Cowell, after the show paid tribute to his successful career that has spanned decades. He was shown seated behind a podium, and although his speech was still quite slurred, was able to address the audience and introduce Barry Manilow's performance.

For the ABC New Year's Eve 2007-08 appearance, Clark still exhibited noticeably slurred and somewhat breathless speech, but improved from previous years, in addition to using his arms again.

Youthful longevity references

Before his stroke, Clark's continuous youthful appearance drew attention to the point of becoming a subject of jokes in other forms of comedy entertainment and popular culture, most notably his famous nickname of "America's Oldest Living Teenager."

In the comic strip The Far Side, he suddenly ages 200 years in a few seconds on a talk show.
In the comic strip Bloom County, Clark appears on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and claims that his youthful appearance results from "keeping his head in tune with America's young people." Mister Rogers asks the audience if they can say the phrase, causing Opus the Penguin to exclaim "facial surgery!"
In a January 1987 retrospective marking the 35th Anniversary of the Today show, a humorous look at the Today show's future in the year 2022 shows Dick Clark looking just as he did in 1987. The anchor, who had been temporally transported from 1987, remarks, "he still looks like that?!"
In the computer game Superhero League of Hoboken, he is discovered living in a 23rd century wasteland looking exactly the same. When the player asks how he remained so young for so long, he may state "I have a portrait of me that gets older," a reference to Dorian Gray.
In The X-Files, during the sixth season episode "Tithonus", when a man is discovered to have not aged for over thirty years, an agent remarks, "This guy's a regular Dick Clark!"
In The Simpsons Halloween special Treehouse of Horror X, the story "Life's a Glitch, Then You Die" begins with Dick Clark at New Year's Rockin' Eve in Springfield (as opposed to New York) on December 31, 1999. When midnight strikes, the feared Y2K problem occurs and Dick Clark is revealed to be a robot as he malfunctions.
In the pilot episode of Futurama, Clark (who voices himself) hosts "New Years Rockin' Eve 3000" in the year 2999 as a preserved head in a jar.
In many of Bill Hicks' early stand-up comedy acts, Clark is described as the antichrist as a result of apparently not aging.
In Police Squad!, Clark is seen to take a special anti-aging cream from the omniscient shoe-shine man, and he hurriedly applies it to his face in hopes that no one else is watching.
In a commercial for M&Ms candy in 1999, he declines doing a millennium special as he had "been around for the first millennium."
In a TV ad for automotive maintenance products in 2003, he is shown leaving his apartment building, greeting Tommy the doorman, and getting into his Oldsmobile Intrigue. This scene is repeated twice, once "10 years later", and once "20 years later". Tommy is noticeably older at the end of the commercial (while Dick Clark is not), but remarks "that car never ages!"
On WWE Raw, D-Generation-X poked fun at Mr. McMahon, saying he was almost as old as Dick Clark.
In the movie Throw Momma from the Train, Billy Crystal's character makes a comment about his ex-wife by saying, "That's because criminals don't age; criminals and Dick Clark."
On the soap opera, Passions, when questioned about the fact the she never ages, Tabitha Lenox replies "neither does Dick Clark, does that make him a vampire?"
In the computer game The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time, the character Arthur suggests going back in time to use Dick's guise while in the Chameleon Jumpsuit in order to have a "macho" appearance.
In the fourth season finale episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Carlton encounters Clark at a restaurant in Philadelphia, of whom he has been a long-time fan. He asks Clark "How come I got older, but you didn't?" Clark responds that the sandwiches at the restaurant are a "fountain of youth."
In an episode of Spin City, Mike (Michael J. Fox) tries to convince the Mayor (Barry Bostwick) to dye his hair to gain more appeal among voters. He points out that Dick Clark "doesn't have a gray hair on his head, and he's as popular today as he was a hundred years ago."