Iconic television and music personality Dick Clark passed away Wednesday after suffering a heart attack in a hospital in Santa Monica, California, where he had been admitted the day before for an outpatient procedure. He was 82. Clark became an American icon as the host of American Bandstand. He is also the face of a New Years Eve tradition, "Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve," and even continued participating in the show after suffering a stroke in 2004. For a short time in the 80s, Clark had TV shows on all three networks and at one time was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the nation's 400 wealthiest people.
Here are some recent Tweets, plus a statement from Alice Cooper:
Three Dog Night (@threedognight): Very saddened about the loss of Dick Clark. We hosted the very first Rockin' New Years Eve; truly honored to have worked with him.
Heart (@officialheart): Back in the 1960s the pop culture catchphrase was “Never trust anyone over 30?. Dick Clark was trustworthy all the way home. Rock on Sir! AW
KISS (@KISSOnline): REMEMBERING OUR FRIEND DICK CLARK “As a little boy I sat transfixed to our television every afternoon and…http://fb.me/1DMjvqU6Q
Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones): Rest in Peace my good friend Dick Clark. A pioneer who’s mark on American culture will be felt forever.
Nikki Sixx (@NikkiSixx): RIP Dick Clark. For so many of us, you set the standard for music, radio and business.
Statement from Alice Cooper:
“I used to come home from elementary school to watch American Bandstand. It had all the new songs, all the new dances, and it had the happiest guy in the world presenting them to you. I had no idea that later in my career I would know Dick Clark on a professional level. I ran into him some years ago, and he said to me “Hey Coop, if you had your own radio show, what would it be like?” I told him it would be more like the free form FM stations of the 60’s, where the DJ’s actually played what they liked and demographics didn’t play a role. He said ‘Alice, why don’t you do it then?’. Just like that, my radio show Nights With Alice Cooper was born. It's been 9 years later and I’m still on the air! And let me just add that NOBODY loved rock n roll more than Dick Clark!”