1. "I'm the
wolf and I wanna come in!"
Young Dick
Clark was working as a DJ on a Philadelphia TV show called Bandstand when the host's 1956 DUI arrest
moved Clark into the spotlight. The clean-cut, fresh-faced 26-year-old was a
natural for television. Teens liked him, but his parent-friendly appearance and
the renamed American Bandstand's atmosphere of good, clean fun
made rock and roll seem a little less scary. Clark played records while kids
danced in the studio and welcomed stars into his studio for "live" performances
that were, rather obviously, lip-synched, a tradition American
Bandstand would continue until ending its run in 1989. It made for a
weird if strangely effective mix of elements. Clark was even able to integrate
the show, letting black and white kids dance beside one another, with little
fuss in 1957. In this clip, Dale Hawkins, best known for "Suzie Q," sings about
huffing and puffing on a little pig, but the malt shop set pretty much cancels
out any double entendres.
2. "The
blemish medicine that drinks up oil"
Clark was,
from the start, a shrewd businessman and a charming character. The payola
scandals that brought down other DJs bounced right off him and he fit in well
in a television era where, as in radio, on-air endorsements were part of the
scenery. Clark could even make an unglamorous product like Clearasil seem
vaguely neat.
3.
"I thought it was weird."
American
Bandstand's heyday as a tastemaker lasted through the early '60s.
Later, Clark was slow to adapt to the changing scene and as the British
Invasion, soul, and psychedelic music became the dominant forms, the show
seemed a little out of step. But Bandstand would carry on
for decades and remain an important promotional platform for acts. It also
continued Clark's tradition of talking to actual teens and getting their
opinions on the music of the day. Here the conversation moves beyond, "It has a
good beat and you can dance to it," to discuss The Beatles' unsettling new
mid-'60s look.
4.
"Would you like the audience here or in their seats again?"
Bandstand
kept going through 1989 with Clark staying on as host until 1987. His
ever-youthful appearance became a running joke for everyone from late-night
comics to The Far Side. But though he remained virtually
unchanged, the music kept changing, sometimes in ways that Bandstand couldn't figure out. In this 1981 appearance,
Public Image Limited makes a mockery of the show as John Lydon makes no attempt
to lip-synch to his band's "Poptones" while trying to stir up a tiny riot by
dragging the audience up on stage.
5.
"Cybill Shepherd bloopers from The Long Hot Summer!"
In
time, music would become just one element of Clark's career. He became less an
identity than an ever-present television personality. If you didn't see him
hosting the American Music Awards, created by Clark in 1973 to compete with the
Grammys, you'd see him hosting The $10,000 Pyramid or one of
its inflation-retitled later incarnations. Throughout much of the '80s, Clark
co-hosted TV's Censored Bloopers And Practical Jokes with Ed
McMahon, another veteran of Philadelphia television. If nothing else, the show
is a credit to Clark's ability to turn the showbiz equivalent of wood shavings
into a popular program.
6.
"Not just one gold box but two!"
All
the while, Clark sat atop a growing concern that included a production company
and a restaurant chain. And of course, more smiling endorsements, including
frequently aired spots for the Columbia Record And Tape Club.
7.
"Okay, pass!"
Clark
has always been proud of his business savvy, never suggesting that he was
driven by a passion for music or teen culture. "As a storekeeper," he told The A.V. Club in a 2003 interview, "you've got to learn what
you're going to put on the shelves. That's always been my role, even when I was
in my 20s. I was a storekeeper. It didn't reflect my personal tastes or my
personal preferences. You just look at the audience, listen to what they want,
and put it up there and see if they come in and buy it." Still, whether
introducing a collection of flubbed lines from Webster or
hosting the Miss USA pageant, he remained always in the moment and a model of
geniality, as in this clip in which a surprisingly slow-witted Tom Poston helps
a Pyramid contestant win zero dollars.
8.
"5!…4!…3!…2!…1!"
A
new tradition began in 1972 with the introduction of Dick Clark's
New Year's Rockin' Eve, an annual New Year's celebration with musical
guests. Clark counts down to the New Year in New York's Times Square between
appearances by the year's au courant celebrities and musical acts. It's a
simple, winning formula that doubles as a time capsule for the year it ushers
out.
9.
"I've been truly blessed"
The Rockin' Eve tradition has been interrupted only twice. At
the turn of the millennium, ABC replaced it for one year with ABC
2000 Today, but even then Clark was there to ring in the New Year's in Times
Square. In 2004, however, a stroke sidelined him. He was replaced that year by
Regis Philbin but returned to co-host with Ryan Seacrest in 2005. Though
visibly affected by the stroke, Clark retains the air of a lifelong television
host during his now-infrequent on-air appearances. But something else has crept
in. Speaking at the 2006, he put aside his trademark grin and lets audience see
an emotion he's rarely displayed: Unfiltered sincerity.