Dick Clark has been in front of television cameras for over 61 years, and for 36 of those years his name has been synonymous with New Year’s Eve celebrations. It came as no surprise that he would not let a stroke four years ago sideline him from taking part in the annual celebration of "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve." Like the Energizer Bunny of the entertainment world, Dick Clark - nicknamed "The World’s Oldest Teenager" - just keeps going and going.
Clark, who turned 79 last month, has said that his appearance on the show, which is now called "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest," is a labor of love and not really work. "Obviously I’m not able to be as actively involved as I used to be out on the street, up on a platform and interacting with the crowds in Times Square," Clark has said. "Thank goodness my friend Ryan Seacrest is able to handle that end of the activity on the show these days."
From the birth of rock and roll, Dick Clark has had a profound impact on the American music scene. When the weekly entertainment show "Bandstand" was picked up by ABC in 1957, Clark changed the show’s 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 viewers.
Clark has been at the center of the music industry ever since. He has watched as dramatic changes have taken place, and he has even predicted some of the changes that are taking place in today’s music arenas. "I can remember writing an article several years ago where I let my imagination run wild," Clark wrote in a recent e-mail interview. "I said we'd see the day when music is delivered directly to our homes, and delivered to us in some form of wireless communication. The fun of actually holding a record in our hands will disappear and we'll all have our own individual library of our favorite songs that we'll listen to at home, at work, in the car wherever we happen to go."
On December 6, 2004, Clark woke up in the morning to find that the right side of his body was paralyzed as the result of a mild stroke he suffered while sleeping. "Your life changes overnight," he said. On the New Year’s Eve show that year, the first one Clark had missed in 32 years, his friend Regis Philbin filled in for him. But two years later, on the 2006 show, Clark was back co-hosting the show with Ryan Seacrest. Clark still uses a wheelchair and speaking is sometimes difficult, but he is still going strong. "I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and have been minimally impaired," he said, "so I’m just thankful I’m still able to enjoy this once-a-year treat of bringing in the New Year."A longtime producer of the Golden Globes, American Music Awards, and Academy of Country Music Awards, Clark has watched as the ratings of the awards shows have plummeted in recent years. He has always considered the shows to be his "television kids," and there was a time when the shows attracted a huge audience. But Clark admits that increased competition in the television industry has caused viewers to drop off and the awards shows have gradually been reformatted to try to keep up with the competition. "What we are seeing is more talent and less emphasis on people getting awards," Clark said. "Television’s award shows have now become gigantic showcases for variety."
Clark spends most days at his office in Burbank or the home in Malibu that he shares with his devoted wife, Kari. Each morning he has an hour long therapy session, then handles meetings, phone calls, and mail. His social calendar remains full with dinners out, movie or concert events, or just a quiet evening at home. But each year on December 31, he has a standing meeting written in ink on his social calendar - a meeting with legions of fans throughout America. One of his most famous quotes is, "Music is the soundtrack of our life." And for Dick Clark, that soundtrack is still being recorded.
No comments:
Post a Comment