I’m sad today. Lost a piece of my childhood, which ended up ironically as part of my adult life in much bigger ways than I could ever imagine.I remember watching early American Bandstand shows when I was 5 or 6 living in Salem. Frankly, it was the closest thing to pop culture on TV back then, one hour a week on a Saturday. The man hosting the show, Dick Clark, was that era’s Ryan Seacrest.As I continued through my career in radio, I worked for and programmed stations, including KKRB, which carried Clark’s weekly countdown shows and a program called “Rock, roll, and remember”. If the station I was hired to program didn’t carry it, it soon would. His annual “Rockin’ New Years Eve” continued even after a stroke took much of what we remember as the young, vivacious guy that never seemed to look any older. Still, speech slurred and all, he remained for years in front of the camera.About 10 years ago, I met Debi Fee through my connections with New Music Weekly and Larry Weir, Tom Weir, Paul Loggins, and Michael Damian. Turns out Debi knew Clark a little more than casually, as she worked for him for many, many years when he was in his prime on radio and TV stations worldwide. My desire to get into radio was partly due to the smiling face and warm voice of Clark.Clark passed away due to a reported massive heart attack. He was 82. Our industry lost a true rock today, a man that helped start so many entertainers careers. He’s produced the American Music Awards, America’s Funniest Bloopers, and so many others. He hosted the $10,000 Pyramid (his creation) which was so successful it quickly became the $100,000 Pyramid. That was when six figures really was a good chunk of change.

Perhaps the biggest impact Clark left on all of us was that, in an industry of movers and shakers, overnight record deals, acts that came and go seemingly by the month, Clark was one that bucked the trend of the stereotype. Bigger than life in all he was involved in, he always dealt with people professionally. If he knew you, that came with a warm smile and sincerity. I don’t have to tell anyone that’s been in radio or records for any length of time that for many, that’s an exception rather than the rule. Not all played the game fair. Clark never knew any other way to play the game.

Many would have simply steered clear of the public eye after his stroke, which left him with slurred speech and unable to do many of the on-air work he had done for decades. Clark worked anyway. Admittedly, when I saw him for the first time after the stroke, it made me feel a little uncomfortable. But as a friend said at the time, “He’s obviously fine with it. Maybe you should be too.”

Another lesson learned from a man responsible directly and indirectly for so many of us to be successful in this crazy industry.

So Dick, a thousand salutes, and for now, “So long”. What you leave behind will be impossible to duplicate.