WASHINGTON – Dick Clark was called “the world’s oldest teenager” because of the boyish looks he carried into his senior years.
“This guy, he totally had TV in his blood. There were so many decades where it just seemed he was completely ageless,” says Matt Roush with TV Guide.
He was a beloved TV host, best remembered by an entire generation as the man who brought rock ‘n roll to the masses with “American Bandstand.”
The original “American Bandstand” was one of TV’s longest-running series from 1957 to 1987.
In the below clip, Clark interviews ABBA in 1975:
Born Richard Wagstaff on Nov. 30, 1929, Clark was a businessman, game-show host and radio/television personality.
He hosted the “$25,000 Pyramid” and “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes” with his longtime friend, Ed McMahon.
Roush says even when Clark wasn’t on TV as much, his production company was all over the place. His company produced the Golden Globes and the American Music Awards.
In the below clip, Clark is surprised on a classic episode of “This Is Your Life:”
Clark suffered a stroke in 2004, which impaired his speech ability.
“Even when he had his terrible stroke in 2004, it didn’t really impact his enthusiasm for still doing television,” Roush says.
In the clip below, the “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” show on Dec. 31, 2005 featured a montage of clips from his past shows.
Roush says Clark’s impact on television can’t be underestimated, even with TV personalities, such as Ryan Seacrest, modeling their careers after Clark’s.
“Without American Bandstand, you wouldn’t have American Idol, I’m quite sure,” Roush says. “He really loved television, and TV is better for it.”
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