Dick Clark Dies Of Heart Attack At Age 82

I can remember curling up in a recliner in my parents basement in the early 1980s' every Saturday morning to whatch American Bandstand. I was blown away at the 80s artists that graced that stage. Remember Madonna performing "Like A Virgin" in 1983? She was wearing a wedding dress and the iconic "Boy Toy" belt buckle. Oh the memories. Dick Clark will be missed by three generations of former teenagers.  Mac

CBS/AP) Host and TV producer Dick Clark has died. He was 82.
Spokesman Paul Shefrin said the "American Bandstand" creator had a heart attack Wednesday morning at Saint John's hospital in Santa Monica, a day after he was admitted for an outpatient procedure.


Long dubbed "the world's oldest teenager" because of his boyish appearance, Clark bridged the rebellious new music scene and traditional show business, and was equally comfortable whether chatting about music with Sam Cooke or bantering with Ed McMahon about TV bloopers. He thrived as the founder of Dick Clark Productions, supplying movies, game and music shows, beauty contests and more to TV. Among his credits: "The $25,000 Pyramid," "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" and the American Music Awards. He of course was well known for the "Dick Clark Rockin' New Years Eve" specials as well.

For a time in the 1980s, he had shows on all three networks and was listed among the Forbes 400 of wealthiest Americans. Clark also was part of radio as partner in the United Stations Radio Networks, which provided programs - including Clark's - to thousands of stations.



"There's hardly any segment of the population that doesn't see what I do," Clark told The Associated Press in a 1985 interview.



"It can be embarrassing. People come up to me and say, 'I love your show,' and I have no idea which one they're talking about." 
The original "American Bandstand" was one of network TV's longest-running series as part of ABC's daytime lineup from 1957 to 1987. It later aired for a year in syndication and briefly on the USA Network. Over the years, it introduced stars ranging from Buddy Holly to Madonna. The show's status as an American cultural institution was solidified when Clark donated Bandstand's original podium and backdrop to the Smithsonian Institution.



Clark joined "Bandstand" in 1956 after Bob Horn, who'd been the host since its 1952 debut, was fired. Under Clark's guidance, it went from a local Philadelphia show to a national phenomenon.



"I played records, the kids danced, and America watched," was how Clark once described the series' simplicity. In his 1958 hit "Sweet Little Sixteen," Chuck Berry sang that "they'll be rocking on Bandstand, Philadelphia, P-A."