He passed away in Los Angeles on Wednesday (18Apr12) after suffering a massive heart attack.
The industry legend was born in Mount Vernon, New York and he went on to pursue his passion for showbusiness as a student at Syracuse University, working as a local DJ.
Upon graduating in 1951, he took a job at his father’s radio station in upstate New York.
His career really took off when he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to host his own musical show, Dick Clark’s Caravan of Music and in 1956 he launched popular teenage TV show American Bandstand, which featured famous faces like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.
He went on to launch Dick Clark Productions in 1963, and became famous for masterminding television awards shows and specials like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which quickly became a longstanding tradition as a celebration of America’s New Year’s Eve holiday.
Clark’s health deteriorated in recent years and he suffered a stroke in 2004.
Despite his poor health, frail body and speech problems, Clark returned to the annual New Year’s Eve countdown show to wish America a happy New Year and share a kiss with his wife.
