History of Dick Clark in Timeline
Dick Clark was a prominent American television and radio personality and producer, best known for hosting American Bandstand for over three decades (1956-1989). He significantly shaped the landscape of popular music on television, showcasing emerging artists and trends to a wide audience. Clark also hosted various incarnations of the Pyramid game show and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, a New Year's Eve tradition that broadcast the festivities from Times Square, solidifying his place as a cultural icon.
November 30, 1929: Richard Wagstaff Clark Born
Richard Wagstaff Clark was born on November 30, 1929. He would later become a prominent American television and radio personality and television producer.
1945: Began Career at WRUN
In 1945, Dick Clark began his career working in the mailroom at WRUN, an AM radio station in Utica, New York. He quickly filled in as a weatherman and announced station breaks.
1949: Debut of This Is Show Business
In 1949, This Is Show Business, the CBS series that would inspire Dick Clark's World of Talent, debuted.
1951: Graduated from Syracuse University
In 1951, Dick Clark graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in advertising and a minor in radio. While at Syracuse, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Phi Gamma).
1952: Married Barbara Mallery
In 1952, Dick Clark married Barbara Mallery.
1952: Moved to Drexel Hill and Joined WFIL
In 1952, Dick Clark moved to Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and became a disc jockey at radio station WFIL. He also worked on a TV show called Bob Horn's Bandstand.
July 9, 1956: Became Permanent Host of Bandstand
On July 9, 1956, Dick Clark became the permanent host of Bandstand after Bob Horn's dismissal. This marked a turning point in Clark's career.
1956: Hosted American Bandstand
In 1956, Dick Clark began hosting American Bandstand, a role he held until 1989. The show became a platform for rock and roll music and youth culture.
1956: End of This Is Show Business
In 1956, This Is Show Business, the CBS series that would inspire Dick Clark's World of Talent, ended.
August 5, 1957: American Bandstand Debuts Nationally
On August 5, 1957, Bandstand was picked up by the ABC television network, renamed American Bandstand, and debuted nationally. This marked a significant expansion in audience reach.
February 1958: The Dick Clark Show began airing
In February 1958, The Dick Clark Show, also known as The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, began airing on ABC.
1958: The Dick Clark Show Added to ABC
In 1958, The Dick Clark Show was added to ABC's Saturday night lineup. By the end of the year, viewership exceeded 20 million.
December 20, 1959: Dick Clark's World of Talent ended
On December 20, 1959, Dick Clark's World of Talent ended its short run on ABC.
1959: Produced Caravan of Stars Concert Tours
Beginning in 1959, Dick Clark produced and hosted the Caravan of Stars, a series of concert tours built upon the success of American Bandstand. The tours reached a national audience of 20 million.
1959: Recognized as "America's Youngest Starmaker"
In 1959, on This Is Your Life, Ralph Edwards called Dick Clark "America's youngest starmaker", and estimated the show had an audience of 50 million. This marked recognition of Clark's influence.
September 1960: The Dick Clark Show ended
In September 1960, The Dick Clark Show ended its run on ABC.
1960: Senate Investigates Payola
In 1960, the United States Senate investigated payola. As a result, Dick Clark sold his personal investments in music publishing and recording companies to avoid conflicts of interest.
1961: Divorced Barbara Mallery
In 1961, Dick Clark divorced Barbara Mallery.
1963: Hosted The Dick Clark Radio Show
In 1963, Dick Clark began hosting a radio program called The Dick Clark Radio Show, produced by Mars Broadcasting of Stamford. It lasted less than a year.
1963: Show went weekly
In 1963, the show went from running daily Monday through Friday to weekly on Saturdays until 1988.
1963: Began Hosting The Object Is
In late 1963, Dick Clark branched out into hosting game shows, presiding over The Object Is. This marked an expansion of his television career beyond music programs.
1964: Owned KPRO Radio Station
From 1964 to 1978, Dick Clark owned KPRO (now KFOO) radio station in Riverside, California. This was under the name Progress Broadcasting.
1964: Hosted Missing Links
In 1964, Dick Clark began hosting Missing Links, replacing Ed McMahon. The show had moved from NBC.
1964: Moved Show to Los Angeles
In 1964, Dick Clark moved the show from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, influenced by the popularity of surf groups. The show became more diverse and featured more minorities.
1965: Produced Where the Action Is
In 1965, Dick Clark produced Where the Action Is, an afternoon television program.
1967: Appearance in Batman television series
In 1967, Dick Clark made an appearance in the Batman television series.
1967: Purchased KGUD-AM-FM Radio Stations
In 1967, Dick Clark purchased KGUD-AM-FM (now KTMS and KTYD, respectively) radio stations in Santa Barbara, California, expanding his radio station ownership.
1968: Starred in Killers Three
In 1968, Dick Clark wrote, produced, and starred in the film Killers Three.
1971: Divorced Loretta Martin
In 1971, Dick Clark divorced Loretta Martin.
March 25, 1972: Hosted American Top 40
On March 25, 1972, Dick Clark hosted American Top 40, filling in for Casey Kasem. This was a one-time hosting role on the show.
1972: Produced New Year's Rockin' Eve
In 1972, Dick Clark first produced New Year's Rockin' Eve, a New Year's Eve music special for NBC. The show aimed to challenge Guy Lombardo's dominance.
March 26, 1973: Hosted The $10,000 Pyramid Premiere
On March 26, 1973, Dick Clark became the first host of The $10,000 Pyramid, which premiered on CBS. This marked the beginning of his long-running association with the game show.
1973: Produced Soul Unlimited
In 1973, Clark produced the series Soul Unlimited, a risqué imitator of Soul Train.
1973: Guest appearance on Adam-12
In 1973, Dick Clark appeared as a drag-racing-strip owner in an episode of the procedural drama series Adam-12.
1973: Began producing the American Music Awards
In 1973, Dick Clark began producing the highly successful American Music Awards.
1973: Created American Music Awards
In 1973, Dick Clark created and produced the annual American Music Awards show. This show was created to be similar to the Grammy Awards.
1973: Hosted Pyramid Game Show
In 1973, Dick Clark started hosting five incarnations of the Pyramid game show. He continued this role until 1988.
1974: The $10,000 Pyramid Moved to ABC
In 1974, The $10,000 Pyramid moved to ABC. Dick Clark continued as the host after the move.
1976: Published autobiography
In 1976, Dick Clark's autobiography, which would later inspire the name of his radio show, was published.
1977: Popularity Surged
Following Guy Lombardo's death in 1977, New Year's Rockin' Eve experienced a surge in popularity and later became the most-watched annual New Year's Eve broadcast.
1978: Hosted Dick Clark's Live Wednesday
In 1978, Dick Clark hosted the short-lived Dick Clark's Live Wednesday for NBC.
1978: End of KPRO Radio Station Ownership
In 1978, Dick Clark no longer owned KPRO (now KFOO) radio station in Riverside, California, ending his ownership that began in 1964.
1979: Owned Westchester Premier Theatre
From 1979 to 1980, Dick Clark reportedly owned the former Westchester Premier Theatre.
1980: Owned Westchester Premier Theatre
From 1979 to 1980, Dick Clark reportedly owned the former Westchester Premier Theatre.
1981: Created The Dick Clark National Music Survey
In 1981, Dick Clark created The Dick Clark National Music Survey for the Mutual Broadcasting System. The program counted down the top 30 contemporary hits of the week.
February 1982: Began hosting longest-running radio show
In February 1982, Dick Clark began hosting his longest-running radio show, Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember, a four-hour oldies show.
September 1982: Pyramid Moved Back to CBS
In September 1982, The Pyramid moved back to CBS. Dick Clark continued to host the daytime version of the show.
1982: Launched United Stations Radio Network
In 1982, Dick Clark launched his own radio syndication group with partners Nick Verbitsky and Ed Salamon called the United Stations Radio Network.
1983: Mark Elliot co-hosted radio show
In 1983, Mark Elliot began co-hosting Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember with Clark.
1984: Hosted TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes
In 1984, Dick Clark produced and hosted the NBC series TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes with Ed McMahon.
July 1985: Hosted Live Aid concert
In July 1985, Dick Clark hosted the ABC primetime portion of the historic Live Aid concert.
October 1985: Left Mutual Broadcasting System
In October 1985, Dick Clark left Mutual Broadcasting System, and Bill St. James took over the National Music Survey. This marked a change in his radio career.
1985: Clark hosted entire radio show
By 1985, Dick Clark hosted the entire radio show 'Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember' by himself.
1987: Dick Clark Productions went public
In 1987, Dick Clark Productions went public.
1988: Hosted pageants
From 1988 to 1993, Dick Clark hosted various pageants on CBS.
1988: American Bandstand Aired Weekly Until 1988
In 1988, American Bandstand aired weekly until 1988.
1988: End of Pyramid Hosting
In 1988, Dick Clark concluded his run hosting the Pyramid game show, which he had been doing since 1973.
1988: Hosted Live! Dick Clark Presents
In 1988, during the Writers Guild of America strike, Clark hosted Live! Dick Clark Presents on CBS.
1989: American Bandstand Briefly Revived
In 1989, American Bandstand was briefly revived with David Hirsch as the host. By its cancellation, it was the longest-running variety show in TV history.
1989: End of American Bandstand Hosting
In 1989, Dick Clark's run as the host of American Bandstand concluded after a 33-year tenure, marking the end of an era for the influential music program.
1990: Hosted The Challengers
In 1990, Dick Clark hosted the syndicated television game show The Challengers, during its only season (1990–91). The Challengers was a co-production between the production companies of Dick Clark and Ron Greenberg.
1990: Interview with Henry Schipper
In 1990, during an interview with Dick Clark by Henry Schipper of Rolling Stone magazine, it was noted that over two-thirds of the people who've been initiated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had their television debuts on American Bandstand.
1991: Message to John Davidson
In 1991, during the premiere of the John Davidson version of Pyramid, Dick Clark sent a pre-recorded message wishing Davidson well in hosting the show.
1993: Hosted pageants
From 1988 to 1993, Dick Clark hosted various pageants on CBS.
1993: Hosted Scattergories on NBC
In 1993, Dick Clark hosted Scattergories on NBC. This expanded his game show hosting roles.
1994: Unistar Sold to Westwood One Radio
In 1994, Unistar, which had merged with the Transtar Network, was sold to Westwood One Radio. This marked a change in ownership for the radio network.
1995: Countdown America continued until 1995
Dick Clark's show Countdown America continued until 1995
1995: Announcer on The Jon Stewart Show
In 1995, Dick Clark did a brief stint as an announcer on The Jon Stewart Show.
1995: Start of rerun era for radio show
In 1995, Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember entered its rerun era, continuing until 2004.
1997: Hosted It Takes Two on The Family Channel
In 1997, Dick Clark hosted The Family Channel's version of It Takes Two, adding to his portfolio of game show hosting positions.
November 1999: Executive Producer of Greed
In November 1999, Dick Clark was one of the executive producers of Fox's TV game show Greed. The show ran from November 5, 1999, to July 14, 2000.
February 2000: Hosted Winning Lines
From January 8 through February 12, 2000, Dick Clark hosted the Stone-Stanley-created Winning Lines, which ran for six weeks on CBS. He was selected to host after Geraldo Rivera couldn't agree on the contract.
July 2000: Executive Producer of Greed
In July 2000, Dick Clark was one of the executive producers of Fox's TV game show Greed. The show ran from November 5, 1999, to July 14, 2000.
November 2000: Broadcast Challenge of the Child Geniuses
In November 2000, Dick Clark concluded his game show hosting career with Challenge of the Child Geniuses, a series of two two-hour specials broadcast on Fox.
2000: Hosted Challenge of the Child Geniuses
In 2000, Dick Clark created and hosted two Fox television specials called Challenge of the Child Geniuses.
2000: Special Correspondent for ABC 2000 Today
In 2000, Dick Clark served as a special correspondent for ABC News's ABC 2000 Today broadcast, covering the arrival of 2000. This was another role in his broadcast career.
2001: Co-hosted The Other Half
From 2001 to 2003, Dick Clark was a co-host of The Other Half.
2002: American Dreams series ran
From 2002 to 2005, Dick Clark produced the television series American Dreams.
2002: Appeared in Dharma & Greg episode "Mission: Implausible"
In 2002, Dick Clark appeared in a Dharma & Greg episode called "Mission: Implausible."
2002: Appeared in interview segments in film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
In 2002, Dick Clark appeared in interview segments of a film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
2002: Celebrity Guest on Pyramid
In 2002, Dick Clark played as a celebrity guest for three days on the Donny Osmond version of Pyramid. This marked a return to the show in a guest role.
2002: 50th Anniversary Special for American Bandstand
In 2002, many of the bands Dick Clark introduced appeared at the 50th anniversary special to celebrate American Bandstand. Clark noted the show was in the Guinness Book of Records.
2003: Co-hosted The Other Half
From 2001 to 2003, Dick Clark was a co-host of The Other Half.
April 2004: Revealed he had type 2 diabetes
During an interview in April 2004, Dick Clark revealed that he had type 2 diabetes.
December 6, 2004: Hospitalized after suffering a stroke
On December 6, 2004, Dick Clark was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, which affected his ability to speak clearly for the remainder of his life.
December 2004: Suffered Stroke
In December 2004, Dick Clark suffered a stroke, which impacted his ability to host radio shows. He had been hosting The U.S. Music Survey until then.
2004: Prevented from appearing on the 2004-05 edition
In 2004, Dick Clark suffered a stroke which prevented him from appearing at all on the 2004–05 edition
2005: American Dreams series ran
From 2002 to 2005, Dick Clark produced the television series American Dreams.
2005: Returned to New Year's Rockin' Eve after Stroke
In 2005, Dick Clark returned to make brief appearances on the 2005-06 edition of New Year's Rockin' Eve after his stroke, with Ryan Seacrest taking on most hosting duties.
April 2006: Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater opened in Branson
In April 2006, "Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater" opened in Branson.
2010: American Bandstand Honored at Daytime Emmy Awards
In 2010, American Bandstand and Dick Clark himself were honored at the Daytime Emmy Awards, recognizing the show's lasting impact on television and music.
April 18, 2012: Dick Clark's Death
Dick Clark passed away on April 18, 2012. He was known for hosting American Bandstand from 1956 to 1989 and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
2020: United Stations Radio Networks Still in Operation
As of 2020, United Stations Radio Networks, which Dick Clark co-founded in 1982, continues in operation. This demonstrates the lasting legacy of his venture.
2020: USRN withdrew the radio show
In 2020, USRN withdrew Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember show from syndication.
