On the recordMay 7, 2012
today I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of Dick Clark, one of our country's most beloved cultural icons who entertained grateful viewers in America and around the world for more than 60 years. He passed away on April 17, 2012, at age 82. Richard Wagstaff Clark was born on November 30, 1929 in Mount Vernon, NY. As a child, Dick looked up to his older brother, Bradley, who became a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. Dick became depressed after his brother's death, and the only thing that lifted his spirits was music. In some ways, Dick Clark was destined to work in the broadcasting industry. As a child, he became interested in radio after his parents took him to a live broadcast of the Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore show. Ever the affable young man, Dick participated in A.B. Davis High School's drama club and was elected class president. After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in business administration, Dick began working on ``Bandstand'' at Philadelphia's WFIL Radio. The popularity of this program led WFIL TV to begin broadcasting it as an afternoon television show, which Dick started hosting in 1956.…





