Dick (1929) Clark

American radio and television personality frequently called "the oldest living teenager," also noted as a television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon. Dick Clark introduced three generations to pop music, running the gamut from Elvis Presley to Madonna, as the host on the television show "American Bandstand." The role of emcee served him well, as over the years Clark simultaneously hosted hit shows on all three major networks and syndication, most notably the "Pyramid" game shows.

Clark, one of two sons of a cosmetic salesman and a homemaker, grew up in Mount Vernon, New York and demonstrated his talent for being in the center of a social whirlwind from his earliest days. At age five he published a neighborhood gossip sheet and sold it for two cents a copy. He idolized radio personality Arthur Godfrey and at age 13, his father took him to a live radio broadcast featuring Gary Moore and Jimmy Durante. Clark was instantly hooked.

Along with discovering his niche, Clark's teenage years held family tragedy. His brother Brad, five years his senior, joined the Army Air Corps after graduating high school and became a fighter pilot. "He flew a P-47 mission one day during the Battle of the Bulge and ...he crashed. He didn't reach his 21st birthday. I miss him to this day. Even now I fantasize that they made a mistake and my brother will come walking through that door. My mother did that till the day she died."

After the war, Clark's father took a job managing a radio station in Utica, New York so his only living son could have a shot at broadcasting. Clark enrolled in Syracuse University as a radio and worked at the station during the summers, serving as his Dad's assistant and part time announcer. His television debut came in 1951 as "Cactus Dick," hosting a local country music show.

One year later Clark was employed at WFIL in Philadelphia with his own radio show and commuted to New York to do beer commercials.