Dick Clark’s Passing Leaves a Huge Void [VIDEO]

Personally I didn’t think it would ever happen. I always thought Dick Clark would live forever and always look like “Alphaville” sings “Forever Young”. Dick Clark was many things to many people in music and television. He was a graduate of Syracuse with a business degree that new how to manipulate the birth of rock n roll to his advantage. You can learn more about that in the PBS documentary “The Wages Of Spin” He was a visionary who created some of the best games shows of their time on television.

I think first and foremost, I will remember Dick Clark as one who understood the need to find new talent and get them started. “American Bandstand” gave many new artists their first exposure to national audiences. It also helped launch the careers of Buddy Holly, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Johnny Maestro among countless others. He brought the music to the kids at a time when their parents were not too crazy about the idea. Dick also created and produced The American Music Awards.

Clark’s passing reminds us of a huge void that still exists in the music business. Without shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train, The Midnight Special, In Concert., New artists really have no place to break to a national audience. The social media has yet to come close to what television and radio and done for these people. As one former rock PD told me “It’s never been easier to sell 10 thousand units but never harder to sell 10 million. Here’s hoping someone can take the torch of what Dick Clark did and advance it. The music business has never needed it more.