His first job in television was as newscaster for WKTV in Utica, New York. Shortly afterward he went to work for radio station WFIL in Philadelphia where he played records on the air. This was a new trend for radio announcers. The same format was soon after tried on television by Bob Horn, a WFIL deejay. Young people were invivited to come and dance to the records - it was called Bandstand. The show was soon very popular with teenagers. Hosting position was offered to Dick Clark in July of 1956 when Horn was arrested for drunk driving. Dick accepted the challenge, and a legend was soon in the making.
He was popular with the teenagers. He kept up with styles and fads, being sure to relate to the kids. Dick was only 26 years old, not all that much older than the group of local highschool students who came to dance on his show.
American Bandstand was first broadcast on August 5, 1957 on ABC from 3:00 to 4:30. It was aired every weekday afternoon - perfect after school programming. The show soon had a national following. The show became a launching pad for many a musician who performed for the national audience. And who could forget the music that the kids were grooving to every week? It had a good beat and was always easy to dance to!
My parents grew up with American Bandstand. Watching their favorite performers like Ricky Nelson and Little Richard. I grew up with American Bandstand too, I never missed the chance to see my own favorites like John Mellencamp and Rod Stewart. The show allowed artists to put their music in the spotlight, gave the public the opportunity to see them perform. And it sold records! The show taught us how to dance, how to dress and how to be teenagers. I cannot think of music without thinking of American Bandsand. And I wonder where American music would be today without it, or the incredible influence of Dick Clark.
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