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in: Clark (surname), Born in 1929, Died in 2012

Richard Augustus Wagstaff Clark (1929-2012)

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America's Oldest Teenager

"Dick" Clark, Jr. was born 30 November 1929 in Mount Vernon, Erie County, New York, United States to Richard Augustus Clark (1896-1989) and Julia Fuller Barnard (1897-1974) and died 18 April 2012 Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California of unspecified causes. He married Barbara Mallery (1930-) 1952 . He married Loretta Martin (c1930-) 1962 . He married Kari Wigton (c1930-) 1977 .

Biography

Richard Augustus Wagstaff "Dick" Clark Jr. was an American radio and television personality, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting American Bandstand from 1957 to 1987. He also hosted the game show Pyramid and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which transmitted Times Square's New Year's Eve celebrations. Clark was also well known for his trademark sign-off, "For now, Dick Clark — so long!", accompanied with a military salute.

As host of American Bandstand, Clark introduced rock & roll to many Americans. The show gave many new music artists their first exposure to national audiences, including Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads and Simon & Garfunkel. Episodes he hosted were among the first in which blacks and whites performed on the same stage and among the first in which the live studio audience sat without racial segregation. Singer Paul Anka claimed that Bandstand was responsible for creating a "youth culture." Due to his perennial youthful appearance and his fame as the host of American Bandstand, Clark was often referred to as "America's oldest teenager" or "the world's oldest teenager".[2]

In his capacity as a businessman, Clark served as Chief Executive Officer of Dick Clark Productions, part of which he sold off in his later years. He also founded the American Bandstand Diner, a restaurant chain modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe. In 1973, he created and produced the annual American Music Awards show, similar to the Grammy Awards.[2]

Clark suffered a stroke in December 2004. With speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show a year later on December 31, 2005. Subsequently, he appeared at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006, and every New Year's Rockin' Eve show through the 2011–12 show. Clark died on April 18, 2012 of a heart attack at the age of 82 following a medical procedure.

Family Life

Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York,[4] the son of Richard Augustus Clark and Julia Fuller (née Barnard) Clark. His only sibling, older brother Bradley, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Through his mother, Clark is a descendant Mayflower pilgrims Edward Fuller (1575-1621) and Samuel Fuller (1608-1683).

Clark was married three times. His first marriage was to Barbara Mallery in 1952; the couple had one son, Richard A. Clark, and divorced in 1961. He married Loretta Martin in 1962; the couple had two children, Duane and Cindy, and divorced in 1971. His third marriage, to Kari Wigton, who he married in 1977, lasted until his death.


Children


Offspring of "Dick" Clark, Jr. and Barbara Mallery (1930-)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Richard Augustus Clark (c1954)


Offspring of "Dick" Clark, Jr. and Loretta Martin (c1930-)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Duane Clark (1965) 1965 Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Cindy Clark (c1967)



Siblings


Offspring of Richard Augustus Clark (1896-1989) and Julia Fuller Barnard (1897-1974)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Bradley Clark (1925-1944) 1925 Mount Vernon, Erie County, New York, United States 23 December 1944 Lorraine, France
Richard Augustus Wagstaff Clark (1929-2012) 30 November 1929 Mount Vernon, Erie County, New York, United States 18 April 2012 Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California Barbara Mallery (1930-)
Loretta Martin (c1930-)
Kari Wigton (c1930-)


References


Residences

Footnotes (including sources)

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