DICK CLARK

Television Pioneer

There was no one person responsible for the beginnings of rock 'n' roll music. Dick Clark was, though, a major influence in spreading the music to many people through television. He also helped make careers for some of the top stars, and was even an early influence in racial integration. And it all started in Philadelphia.

Richard Wagstaff Clark was born November 30, 1929 in Bronxville, New York, and was raised in Mt. Vernon, New York. He graduated from Syracuse University with a business administration major, and took his first job in Utica, New York, at a radio station. He moved to Philadelphia to take a job as a disc jockey at WFIL-AM.

At WFIL-TV, a local dance show called Bandstand" was begun in 1952, hosted by Bob Horn. In 1956, Clark was chosen to succeed Horn as host, and helped to convince the ABC Television Network to make it a national broadcast. On August 5, 1957, the program made its national debut, with the name changed to ""American Bandstand". The show played all types of the new music, showed kids dancing and enjoying themselves, and showcased many of the artists who performed the music.

Clark was clean cut, well-dressed, and well-spoken, and he asked the kids who danced on the show to dress well, too. This image was in contrast to some of the new rock 'n' roll music and its singers, and also in contrast to many of the perceptions of the older generations. The clean cut image was not as threatening to many of the older people, and so helped to make the music more acceptable to them.

When the program went national, Clark and producer Tony Mammarella thought it was time to end the "whites only" policy of the show. This was a dangerous thing in 1957, when society was largely segregated. But they invited several Black kids to dance on the show. Bracing for the complaints and threats that were sure to come, they were surprised when nothing was said about it. It was just accepted by viewers, advertisers, and network executives seemingly without notice. The program also introduced many Black artists to the largely white audience who might otherwise never have heard of them.

In 1963, ABC changed it from a daily show to a weekly one, even though the ratings for it were still strong. In 1964, Clark moved the show from WFIL-TV to California to be in the center of the music and entertainment industries. But even after it left, it was still identified with Philadelphia in many people's minds.

Clark continued in the entertainment business, including some very popular television shows such as the game show "The 25,000 Pyramid" and the TV Bloopers series and specials. He launched another career as a businessman, which includes founding Dick Clark Productions for producing television shows and movies, and United Stations Network, a radio network. And many people could not celebrate New Year's Eve properly without watching him host the event from New York's Times Square. He is still a very popular personality.