Dick Clark of ‘American Bandstand’ Suffers Stroke
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Longtime “American Bandstand” host and rock music pioneer Dick Clark has suffered a stroke and is being treated at a Los Angeles area hospital, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
“He did have a minor stroke and he’s in the hospital for that reason but he’ll be fine,” spokeswoman Amy Streibel told Reuters.
Often called “America’s oldest teenager” because of his youthful appearance and dedication to rock music, Clark suffered the stroke earlier this week.
The 75-year-old, who has for three decades hosted “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” from New York City each Dec. 31, said in a brief written statement that he planned to be back at work in time for this year’s show.
“The doctors tell me I should be back in the swing of things before too long so I’m hopeful to be able to make it to Times Square to help lead the country in bringing in the New Year once again,” he said.
Clark, who grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, got his start in show business working in the mailroom of a radio station partly run by his father and uncle.
He became a household name in the late 1950s after “Bandstand,” the local Philadelphia dance program he hosted, went national, becoming the first network TV show devoted to rock music.
He had taken over the Philadelphia program after its original host was arrested for drunken driving.
The national show became hugely influential with American teens and, with Clark’s insistence on a clean-cut look, made rock palatable to Middle America.
At the same time “Bandstand” gave a well-timed boost to the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker by giving them national television exposure.
Clark parlayed his success at “Bandstand” into a multifaceted career in music and television, launching a series of shows and the American Music Awards.
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