Clark, Dick (1929-2012), was an American television personality and producer who hosted the TV program “American Bandstand” from 1956 to 1989. “American Bandstand” featured rock music , dancing by the teenage audience, and interviews with performers. The program had an enormous impact on rock music, especially in its early years, making Clark an influential figure in the history of the music. He won a number of Emmy Awards for his television work.
Richard Wagstaff Clark was born on Nov. 30, 1929, in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1951 and began his career as a radio and TV announcer in New York and Pennsylvania during the early 1950’s. In 1956, Clark became host of a new TV music show called “Bandstand,” renamed “American Bandstand” the next year. The program originated in Philadelphia and was syndicated nationally, ranking among the most popular daytime TV shows directed at young people.
In 1956, Clark formed Dick Clark Productions, which produced movies and documentaries for TV and movie theaters. He also served as the host and producer of many TV programs and specials. From 1973 to 2004, Clark produced the popular “Pyramid” series of quiz shows. He hosted “The $10,000 Pyramid” from 1973 to 1988. From 1972 to 2012—except for the years 1999 and 2004—Clark produced and hosted the annual New Year’s Eve television special “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
Clark wrote several books on rock music and on self-help topics. He wrote the autobiography Rock, Roll & Remember (1976). Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. He died on April 18, 2012.
