Legendary entertainment producer and icon Dick Clark has died. Clark was 82, and suffered a massive heart attack. Clark is most recently remembered for his Rockin’ New Year’s Eve party, which now has several imitators. For African-Americans, however, Clark may be most remembered for bringing R&B to the masses on “American Bandstand.” He helped expose artists such as Percy Sledge, The Silhouettes, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Gladys Knight & the Pips and countless others.
“If you look at the history of American Bandstand, it covers everything,” Clark said in a CNN interview.
According to CNN and TMZ, Clark was undergoing an outpatient procedure in a Los Angeles hospital on Monday evening. He suffered a “massive” heart attack and died. His death follows a decline in his health including a stroke in 2004. Thirty-four years after starting “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” Clark turned over the reigns to Ryan Seacrest in 2006.m His impact on the entertainment industry is evident today with the plethora of music shows and New Years’ Eve countdowns. Clark may be gone, but his legacy lives on.
