Dick Clark, Requiescat in Melodiam
My daughter's uncle's business partner of 55 nearly 50 years [from when the former was a boyish Al Pacino-ish appearing CPA and the latter a raffish rogue radio personality from NYC], who became the Young Turks of the Philly Scene and the later Boy-Conquerors of the American Music Nation, died today.
He was 82.
Rock & Roll is said to have started, if the disparate charges can be hazarded to have any single ignition point, across from Philly in Gloucester City, NJ, where from 1951 Bill Haley & His Saddlemen [later rechristened the Comets] played an 18-month engagement as the Twin Bar house-band, fine-tuning their sound. Wildwood politely disagrees, asserting priority.
Regardless, if South Jersey offered reasonable claim to be the lead torch-bearer of a national movement, its metropolitan brother Philadelphia [of all cities, Philly cannot be said to be sisterly] sealed the deal in 1957 with Dick Clark and American Bandstand. It's early emcee forgotten, Dick was the face of vibrant youth and a youthful sound.
Farewell and thank you for bringing the music into our homes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5xy6gjnt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR_rYLx_2RQ
and an article quoting my daughter Kayleigh's elusive, camera-shy great-uncle:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47100931/ns/business-us_business/
JJB
He was 82.
Rock & Roll is said to have started, if the disparate charges can be hazarded to have any single ignition point, across from Philly in Gloucester City, NJ, where from 1951 Bill Haley & His Saddlemen [later rechristened the Comets] played an 18-month engagement as the Twin Bar house-band, fine-tuning their sound. Wildwood politely disagrees, asserting priority.
Regardless, if South Jersey offered reasonable claim to be the lead torch-bearer of a national movement, its metropolitan brother Philadelphia [of all cities, Philly cannot be said to be sisterly] sealed the deal in 1957 with Dick Clark and American Bandstand. It's early emcee forgotten, Dick was the face of vibrant youth and a youthful sound.
Farewell and thank you for bringing the music into our homes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5xy6gjnt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR_rYLx_2RQ
and an article quoting my daughter Kayleigh's elusive, camera-shy great-uncle:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47100931/ns/business-us_business/
JJB