Dick Clark, the music industry maverick, longtime TV host and powerhouse producer who changed the way we listened to pop music with AMERICAN BANDSTAND, died today at the age of 82.
Clark's agent Paul Shefrin said in statement that the veteran host died this morning following a "massive heart attack."
Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on November. 30, 1929, Clark pursued his passion at Syracuse University, working as a disc jockey at the student-run radio station while studying for his degree in business. After graduating in 1951, Clark went back to his family's radio station, but within a year, a bigger city and bigger shows were calling.