Dion & The Belmonts perform on American Bandstand (Airdate: April 3, 1959)
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Conway Twitty Chubby Checker and Dick Clark Doing the Twist My very first memory of rock n roll was watching Chubby Checker doing the Twist on American Bandstand. This was probably 1959-60. I was about 3 years old and I remember "teaching" my mother how to do the "Twist". I still love that song and Chubby Checker too. Dick Clark was probably more familiar to me than most of my family! I felt like I "knew" Dick... am sure I was not the only fan to feel that way... My Mom was young and loved to dance too. Watching Dick and American Bandstand with my Mom is one of my very happiest memories. Thank you Dick Clark... News just in.... (CBS/AP) Host and TV producer Dick Clark has died. He was 82. TMZ first reported the news Wednesday afternoon. A rep told the site that Clark underwent surgery Tuesday night and suffered a "massive" heart attack following the procedure. Clark started his career as a radio announcer at WRUN in Utica, N.Y., when he was 17. His long-running show, "American Bandstand," was on the air from 1957-1989. "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" began in 1972 and continues to this day with Ryan Seacrest. Clark launched the American Music Awards in 1973. He became a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1993.Clark suffered a stroke in December 2004. He continued performing even after the stroke, even though it had affected his ability to speak and walk. Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012) was an American game-show host, radio and television personality, and businessman. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he sold part of in recent years. Clark is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand, five versions of the game show Pyramid, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Clark was long known for his departing catchphrase, "For now, Dick Clark...so long," delivered with a military salute, and for his youthful appearance, earning the moniker "America's Oldest Teenager." Clark suffered a significant stroke in late 2004. With speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show on December 31, 2005/January 1, 2006. Subsequently, he appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006, and every New Year's Rockin' Eve show through the 2011/2012 show. American Bandstand was an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer. The show featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical act—over the decades, running the gamut from Jerry Lee Lewis to Run DMC—would usually appear in person to lip-sync one of their latest singles. Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon holds the record for most appearances at 110. The show's popularity helped Dick Clark become an American media mogul and inspired similar long-running music programs, such as Soul Train and Top of the Pops. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2012 STATEMENT FROM ‘THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN EARS,’ KAL RUDMAN, PUBLISHER OF THE FRIDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK, BIBLE OF THE BROADCAST AND MUSIC INDUSTRIES, ON THE DEATH OF HIS CLOSE FRIEND AND MENTOR, DICK CLARK CHERRY HILL, NJ - “The passing of Dick Clark removes one of the largest foundation stones of the entire pop music industry for the latter half of the 20th century. Starting with ‘Bandstand,’ his shows absolutely made most of the hits from the beginning. Others in radio might aspire to the title, but they had to follow what Dick Clark played - especially, and obviously, dance music. I mourn his death. He took me under his wing and became my guide in reaching the tastemakers of the record and radio industries. On behalf of the staff of the Friday Morning Quarterback, we send our deep condolences to Dicks’s wife, Kari, and the entire Clark family.
American Bandstand was the perfect place for superstars to belt out their latest hits for nearly four decades. It was a safe place where teens could dance in the hopes of making it on television for a moment or two. The classic show was airing a preview of Jefferson Airplane’s new song, “Somebody to Love”
In 1963, a magical dance floor at the heart of Philadelphia welcomed the mesmerizing performance of The Four Seasons, charming the audience with the iconic “Walk Like a Man.” The American Bandstand stage, gleaming under the weight of expectancy and excitement, set the scene for a performance that would linger in the minds and hearts
From his ‘American Bandstand’ days to his last ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,’ see photos of the TV legend.
When cute young teenagers Arlene Sullivan and Kenny Rossi slow danced together on “American Bandstand” back in the late ’50s and early ’60s, kids across the country swooned. They wrote thousands of…
Are you ready for a blast to the past? If so, let's go back to the year 1964.
Dancing continuously changes as the years pass by, but nothing has been quite as entertaining as American Bandstand. With famous musicians, popular celebrities, and dancing competitions, American Bandstand is a classic look into American culture. In 1967, teenagers and young adult pairs signed up for a dance competition on the iconic show. The legendary host,
