There’s a wonderful scene in one of the Friends episodes (The One With The Routine) where Ross and Monica try to get onto Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Special with their wacky dance number. For this teenager watching in South Africa, the episode gave me a peak into something that had become a yearly fixture for many Americans, since 1972. I didn’t realize at the time that while I might not have been familiar with that particular show – because it didn’t air in my country – I was familiar with Clark’s work in other arenas. The American Music Awards was one of them. Through watching clips of American Bandstand years later, I would come to know more of his work.
He left an indelible mark on the world of music and entertainment, and influenced a host of TV stars today.
Dick Clark interviews Michael Jackson on American Bandstand Pics: dickclark.com
RIP Dick Clark 1929 – 2012.