- He and his wife, Kari Clark, were married on 7/7/77 in a ceremony that started at 7:00 pm. His address in Burbank, CA at that time was PO Box 7777.
- When he was new to Hollywood, Ryan Seacrest went to Clark's office to talk to him about breaking into show business. Clark's secretary initially turned him away, but Clark stopped her, inviting Seacrest into his office. The two became good friends and Seacrest credits Clark for being his mentor and helping launch his career.
- Was close personal friends with singer Connie Francis. Her music label was going to drop her if her last recorded song didn't sell. He played it, "Who's Sorry Now", on American Bandstand (1952) and it became an instant hit. He stayed by her side even through her personal tragedies and she thanks him in every single one of her shows.
- Rarely consumed alcoholic beverages, and every December 31, when he and his wife hosted "Rockin' New Year's Eve", she didn't drink, either.
- In one of his few dramatic roles, he played against his nice guy image to portray the murderer in the final episode (airdate 5/2/66) of Perry Mason (1957). The episode was appropriately titled, The Case of the Final Fade-Out (1966). He also played against type as a nerdy guy who turns out to be a psycho killer in the film Killers Three (1968).
- Graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in business administration (1951).
- Filed suit in federal court in Los Angeles on 12/19/01 alleging that Michael Greene, president and chief executive of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, maintains a "blacklist" policy that prevents stars--including Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Toni Braxton--from performing on both Greene's Grammy Awards and Clark's American Music Awards. The suit seeks $10 million in damages.
- On an episode of American Idol (2002), host and good friend Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to him, along with another television host, Don Cornelius, who died 2-1/2 months before him.
- John Davidson's father was the man who performed Dick and Kari Clark's wedding vows.
- He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame (1990), the Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame (1992), the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame (1992), the Television Academy Hall of Fame (1992), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1993).
- Because he was hosting The Challengers (1990) at the time, he was unavailable to host the revamped version of The $10,000 Pyramid (1973) in early 1991, when John Davidson became the new host. On the premiere episode, he sent a pre-recorded message wishing Davidson well in hosting the show.
- Over the years, his show American Bandstand (1952) gave many new music artists their first exposure to national audiences, including those of Ike Turner and his ex-wife Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Melba Moore, Donna Summer, Madonna, Michael Damian, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper, Talking Heads, The Beatles, The Monkees, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Anka.
- First wife Barbara Mallery (aunt of composer Billy Mallery) was his childhood sweetheart.
- In 1959, the US Senate began investigating the practice of "payola", in which record companies bribed radio personalities to play new records. Clark admitted he accepted a fur stole and jewelry and held financial interests in artists and songs that were frequently on American Bandstand (1952). Even though he was cleared of any wrongdoing, he was ordered to either leave ABC or sell his interests; he sold.
- In 2005, for the first time in 32 years, he was not around to see the New Year in with his "Rockin' New Year's Eve" celebration on television. It was hoped that after he had suffered his mild stroke in early December 2004 that he would recover enough to host the festivities. With Clark still in his hospital bed on New Year's Eve, Regis Philbin filled in for him.
- Met Ed McMahon, when the two were both living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and McMahon praised him for first bringing him together with future television partner Johnny Carson when all three worked at ABC in the late 1950s. More than a quarter of a century later, Clark would be re-teaming up with McMahon hosting Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes (1984). The two remained friends, until McMahon's death in 2009.
- Child with first wife Barbara Mallery, Richard Clark Jr., was born 9 January 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- At the beginning of his 31st year (1986-87) of hosting American Bandstand (1952), ABC had reduced the series from a full hour to 30 minutes, and the guest list was dropped from two artists to one for each show, and he was very disappointed in the direction the show was going; therefore, it moved from ABC to syndication to The USA Cable Network, with David Hirsch replacing Clark as host, in the final season of 1988.
- Disco singer Donna Summer once guest hosted American Bandstand (1952). On that day, it was an 'All Salute to Disco'.
- His elder brother, Bradley, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
- Made two cameo appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990). In one episode, he plays himself at a Philadelphia diner, and in the other he helps Will Smith's character host bloopers from past episodes of that sitcom.
- Co-owner of Swan Records.
- He noted during the special that American Bandstand (1952) was listed in the "Guinness Book of Records" as "the longest-running variety show in TV history".
- He began his career in 1945, in the mailroom of WRUN in Utica, N.Y., working his way up to weatherman and then newsman. WRUN was owned by Dick's uncle and run by Dick's father.
- Had been in St. John's Hospital in Los Angeles after undergoing an outpatient procedure the night of 4/17/12. He suffered a massive heart attack following the procedure. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful and he died the next morning.
- He was a lifelong Republican and conservative.
- Attended and graduated from A.B. Davis High School in Mount Vernon, New York (1948).
- On 2/14/02, Dick Clark Productions announced it will be acquired for $140 million by Mosaic Media Group Inc., Capital Communications CDPQ Inc., and Jules Haimovitz, a senior television executive. Stockholders will receive $14.50 per share in cash. Clark himself will receive $12.50 per share in cash for a portion of his shares. Dick Clark Productions was founded in 1957.
- Was considered as host of Las Vegas Gambit (1972), but lost the job to fellow game show host Wink Martindale. Clark would do The $10,000 Pyramid (1973), nearly seven months later.
- Had hosted his "New Year's Rockin' Eve every year from 1972-99 (when it was pre-empted for ABC 2000: The Millennium (1999)), then from 2001-03, just the year before he suffered a massive stroke, which reduced his role, between 2005-11.
- When he was very young, his idol was Bill Cullen.
- Met another disc jockey, Casey Kasem, on KTLA's after-school dance show, 'Shebang', in 1963. The friendship lasted 49 years, until Clark's death on 4/18/2012.
- Though he never retired from hosting or producing television, he took a medical leave, at age 75, after a stroke.
- At age 22, he moved to Drexel Hill, PA, in 1952, to pursue a career as a radio disc jockey and a television personality. He lived there until 1962.
- Episodes he hosted on American Bandstand (1952) were among the first in which blacks and whites performed on the same stage and among the first where the live studio audience sat without racial segregation. Singer Paul Anka claimed that "Bandstand" was responsible for creating a "youth culture". Because of his perennial youthful appearance, Clark was often referred to as "America's Oldest Teenager".
- In its first season (1957), ABC presented a nighttime version of American Bandstand (1952). It ran for a half-hour for 13 weeks on Monday nights (Oct. 7-Dec. 30). Dick's guests included The Everly Brothers, Mickey & Sylvia and The Billy Williams Quartette. Ironically, the nighttime "American Bandstand", hosted by Clark, would finally end the night before New Year's Eve 1957. Beginning in 1972 and for four decades, Clark would be a welcome guest in American households as host of "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve".
- He passed away on 4/18/12, at age 82. This was just 2-1/2 months after Don Cornelius committed suicide. Both Clark and Cornelius had a feud when Clark created and produced the short-lived series 'Soul Unlimited', which was a more risqué and controversial imitator of the then-popular series Soul Train (1971).
- Was featured in the documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002). He was criticized for hiring poor, unwed mothers to work long hours in his chain of restaurants for little pay. The mother featured is shown to work over 80 hours per week and still unable to make her rent, then gets evicted, which results in her having to have her son stay at his uncle's house. At that house, the boy finds a gun and brings it to school, where he shoots another first-grader. In the documentary footage, Michael Moore, with cameraman in tow, approached Clark as he was pulling into his work parking space and attempted to question him about welfare policies that allow for those conditions. Moore tried to query him about the people he employed and the tax breaks he allegedly took advantage of, in employing welfare recipients; Clark refuses to answer any of Moore's questions, shutting the car door and driving away.
- Had appeared on the second-to-last episode as himself, in The Weird Al Show (1997), where he did a countdown to the end of the show. He did this every time he hosted "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve".
- Attended the funeral of Ed McMahon, when the television personality/announcer passed away on June 29, 2009.
- When American Bandstand (1952) was picked up by ABC in 1957, he changed its name to "American Bandstand", ended the show's all-white policy and began introducing black artists. By 1959, it was broadcast by 101 affiliates and reached an audience of 20 million.
- Had type-2 diabetes.
- Filled in for Casey Kasem once on American Top 40 in 1972.
- When American Bandstand (1952) was first televised by ABC in 1957, the program started a half-hour earlier at 2:30 pm weekdays on local affiliate WFIL in Philadelphia, then joined the network at 3:00 pm. At 3:30 pm, the telecast broke away for a half-hour and was replaced by the quiz show Do You Trust Your Wife? (1957) starring Johnny Carson, televised from New York. "Bandstand" returned to the air from 5:00-6:00 pm. This was a rarity, even by today's standards: a 90-minute live show, with another program serving as an intermission.
- In the history of American Bandstand (1952), only two recording artists performed the same song twice, in one appearance. This occurred in 1958, when Chuck Berry, in his network television debut, sang "Rock and Roll Music" and in 1961, when Gary U.S. Bonds performed "A Quarter to Three".
- He hosted The Dick Clark Show (1958) on ABC, from New York City's Little Theater (renamed, in 1983, The Helen Hayes Theater). The half-hour weekly show headlined five top pop/rock acts each week. Many of the regular teens who appeared on American Bandstand (1952) made the trip from Philadelphia to New York City and were seated in the audience.
- Before he was a successful game show host, television personality and producer, he worked as a principal in pro-broadcasters operator of 1440 KPRO in Riverside, CA, for 20 years.
- Ranked #7 on "Life"'s 15 Best Game Show Hosts.
- He passed away on 4/18/12, at age 82. His former television boss Bob Stewart, passed away, just two weeks after Clark, at age 91.
- Had appeared in the final episodes of Perry Mason (1957), and Police Squad! (1982), and the second-to-last episode of Honey West (1965).
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