Eternally young, he was 82.
We watched "Bandstand" all the time after school in the 1960s. I remember when it was Little Stevie Wonder's 13th birthday and he played his big hit song "Fingertips" on that show. That was such a long time ago. I can't find that.
But I found this:
April 18, 2012
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Haz a sad. :(
Man, he'd been around forever, too.
His life had a good beat, and he danced to it.
Two television music legends in the same year - Dick Clark and Don Kornelius.
RIP Legends.
Killer. I remember this so well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lidFipyLG8k
Loved him on $10,000 pyramid.
Dick Clark took the $10,000 Pyramid post mortems after the finalist lost way too seriously. Enough with the "Things that buzz" clues.
And now he's dead. A lesson to us all.
damn--I didnt think Dick Clark would ever die--RIP Dick. you helped make modern music thru your shows.
Wow! That makes me so sad. American Bandstand was my connection to the world beyond Wyoming. I heard all the new songs on Bandstand. And, I knew what was in style in California even if it hadn't gotten to Wyoming yet.
I bet KC Kasem is shitting his pants right now.
RIP
He became the host of "Bandstand" - it was a local Philadelphia show - about a year before it went national and truly was the right man in the right place at the right time.
As did a lot of Baby Boomers, I grew up listening to Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly (ABC broke the news of the plane crash on "Bandstand" - I remember him reading the news) and the Drifters on that show.
Those were the days.
My friend edutcher is correct: originally a local philadelphia show--often wondered happened to those Philly teens that attended and did all the dances--Dick Clark was indeed a presence and I do hope he is missed.
Chubby's "outside" daughter, Mistie Bass from Janesville, was a great b-ball player who went on to play for Duke.
I imagine folks will look @ Dick in his casket and say, "He doesn't look dead."
Professor: my sincere thanks for memorializing Dick Clark--you effort is much appreciated.
Anyone who's been in our collective music memories for as long as Dick Clark should really be much older than 82.
Or am I just feeling my age upon hearing this sad news?
Sic transit G -L-O-R-I-A.
Roger J. said...
My friend edutcher is correct: originally a local philadelphia show--often wondered happened to those Philly teens that attended and did all the dances--Dick Clark was indeed a presence and I do hope he is missed.
A lot of them were kids who attended the Catholic high schools in Philadelphia (there were a few more or less private ones in the burbs, but the ones in town IIRC were funded by the Archdiocese). If you took the Market-Frankford subway into town to get to school, you could jump off at the 46th and Market stop and the studios (for the local ABC affiliate) were right across the street.
I grew up with a good many people like that.
PS Thanks for calling me your friend.
I appreciate that.
RIP Dick Clark. Now we are stuck with Ryan Seacrest. God help us all.
American Bandstand was my connection on Saturdays to the new music. It had a good beat and it was easy to dance to. RIP, ageless one.
Dick Clark did more to improve race relations in America than Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
Penny said...
Anyone who's been in our collective music memories for as long as Dick Clark should really be much older than 82.
Well one sad day we'll lose Pete Seeger (92).
"They'll be rocking' on Bandstand, Philadelphia, P-A."
--Chuck Berry, Sweet Little Sixteen (1958)
Bandstand was the highlight of the TV week for many teens, fond memories of those days and Dick Clark, he was an icon.
RIP Dick Clark.
I have a 'puzzling teeth' sighting for Chip around frame 1:25.
This is Your Life: Dick Clark Interview.
DCS, Al Sharpton lead off his lame show w/ an homage to Dick Clark. Berry Gordy and an editor from Rolling Stone were the guests. Gordy got 90% of the air time but the theme was exactly your point. Dick Clark did more to promote integration than any politician. RIP.
I'll give the devil[Sharpton] his due in this instance. He knew Clark via James Brown and probably liked Clark more than Brown, who was a genius and asshole, not in that order.
What a nice ABC tribute and a great clip of Chubby Checker. Thanks from a grateful Althouse Nation.
I have bad memories of the girls singing "Flying Purple People Eaters" at lunch in elementary school.
Did he look the same to the end?
PaulV said...
I have bad memories of the girls singing "Flying Purple People Eaters" at lunch in elementary school.
Not sure, but I think FPPE was before the show went national, so it was probably on your local radio station.
Loved him. Introduced me to Motown music. A true original.
Vicki from Pasadena
not bandstand but here is "little" stevie wonder at 14 singing Fingertips
http://vodpod.com/watch/1362125-little-stevie-wonder-fingertips
The standard recorded version of of Fingertips is one of my favorite recordings. When they start the second encore you can hear that they are changing bands in the background. (It's a review show.) The new band doesn't know the key. You can hear the piano playing a few notes experimentally, and you can hear someone (reportedly the bass player) whispering, "What key? What key?" Live music.
And sad to hear about Clark. I remember him broadcasting from Philly. He had a great run.
Sail on, Dick Clark...
Dan Rather, Thomas Kinkade and Dick Clark...guess that's the celebrity "death in threes" for April.
I watched American Bandstand around 1958.
This post brings back a vivid memory.
In 1962 I was a freshman at the supposed elite university on the west coast. A writing assignment was "to define what it takes to be a 'Great Man'" or words to that effect.
I attempted to articulate a theory that unless I were to cast my own personal values on all of mankind I would have to define a "Great Man" as a man who lots and lots of people thought was a Great Man.
My instructor gave me a low grade on that paper, indicating that I was pretty stupid and that under my theory "even Chubby Checkers" would be a great man.
I've always loved Clark's quote, "Music is the soundtrack of your life."
They'd play a song and everybody danced then he'd ask the people, how did you like that song? And we see them pause as they reach deep deep deep within the vast storage of their personal relationship with music and with musical history and we see them searching for that perfect expression that could possibly convey the love that they feel and their appreciation and the other multiple feelings all piled up that they experience through musical composition and they all say, each one, one after another, "it's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to."
The title of America's Oldest Teenager now goes to an unnamed individual born just after the stroke of midnight on April 19, 1992.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLSdUb6A_LU&feature=player_detailpage
For some reason "American Pie"(not the movie) keeps running through my head.
Bandstand wasn't my cup o' tea back in the day. I was more interested in Classical, and Bluegrass, but as I got older in life I got to appreciate Mr. Clark more and more. One of the Old School nice guys. I wish I were as nice as Mr. Clark...sometimes.
The Clark affect was so powerful that even Jerry Lee Lewis seemed tame on American Bandstand.
So this guys could count backwards from 10..
Whoopee.
I can't believe you people are falling for this. There is no way Dick Clark is dead. He's like 37 years old, right?
Mark O's link above goes to a Jerry Lee Lewis appearance, which of course leads one to other videos of the wild man. I can't believe that in the 50's, before I was born, this crazy SOB was performing like that on National TV. He's completely out of control, in just pure abandon.
No wonder drugs took off in the 60's. How else you gonna top that? You got to go to chemicals, like athletes with steroids. It's the only hope of outdoing the old masters.
bag, next to Little Richard, when Jerry Lee Lewis performed, he looked like he was on Sominex .
18yo does a beautiful job on Fauré Clair de Lune
I can't agree, edutcher. They were both before my time, but after looking at a number of videos, Little Richard works it hard, and plays frantic music in the same way, but stays in control. Lewis just seems to let it all go, like he doesn't care what anyone thinks, which would probably have been a mistake, at the time, for Richard with his tan. Richard is OK for TV, but Lewis would make your Dad turn it off.
I saw both plenty of times (I was about 9 or so) and Little Richard was a wild man, particularly with a backup combo.
Of course, there was also the lyrics.
And he was black in them thar days
Edutcher. The Killer once lit a piano on fire and shoved it into the audience. Little Richard had energy for sure but it lacked the crazed and violent subtext of JLL. On the other hand the lyrics to Tutti Fruiti are occupying me at this very moment.
My wife was amazed at his passing. She figured that the portrait in Dick Clark's attic was probably good for at least 10 more years.
Michael, all I can go by is what I saw on TV (mid- to late 50s) and the most Jerry Lee Lewis ever did was kick the piano bench away. After he married that first cousin, he fell off the radar in a hurry, so what he may have done in later years, when he might have been on God know what, I can't say.
I don't doubt some of the stage shows may have gotten weird over the years; after all, I heard Lewis is getting married again (7th or 8th time) at age 80 or so - to another cousin IIRC.
edutcher, at last you have confirmed it: you are more cheap g*oog*ler* and lazy whipper than anything else. There it is.
I only watched his show for a couple of years. I think there were many generations of boys that only watched his show for a couple of years. Every year I got a little older, but him and his audience stayed the same age..... He wasn't the big attraction on his show. The music helped, but what made it work was the pretty girls in tight sweaters and twirling skirts. If you're fourteen years old, that's the greatest show on earth....He seemed kind of bland and innocuous, but maybe that was the secret of his durability. He never upstaged the music or the pretty girls. Everyone stood out in bas relief and bright colors against his pale fresco.....I heard that he was a billionaire at the time of his death. Whatever it was that he did, he was very good at it.
'...like a friend has passed.
rcommal said...
edutcher, at last you have confirmed it: you are more cheap g*oog*ler* and lazy whipper than anything else. There it is.
If that's in regard to The Killer's latest marriage, I heard about it on the radio.
Otherwise, ?????
Dick Clarks show was the MTV for the 50s, 60s, and 70s, along with Soul Train. I remember watching Soul Train for all the crazy dance moves, astounded and admiring their skill. This was before I became an oppressor I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVb8Fzpn94&feature=related
American Bandstand was great.
BTW, Levon Helm of The Band died today, he was the drummer. Super talented guy in an awesome band. Scorsese directed "The Last Waltz" which was a movie about the last concert The Band did. Before they became stars, they were the band for Bob Dylan (hence the name).
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