Dick Clark was an exemplary human being. I first met him when he was the announcer and Tootsie Roll pitch man on PAUL WHITEMAN'S TV TEEN CLUB on ABC-TV, telecast live from Philadelphia. I was one of the dancers on that show for eight months every Saturday night in 1952. For those who don't remember Paul Whiteman, he was, among other notes of interest, George Gershwin's favorite conductor, and conducted the first performance of Gershwin's RHAPSODY IN BLUE. PAUL WHITEMAN'S TV TEEN CLUB was a dance and talent show for teenagers, and was the predecessor of AMERICAN BANDSTAND. Maestro Whiteman was dubbed "the King of Jazz" in the 1920s. He, like Dick Clark, was also one of the most unaffected people in show business. Among those who got their big show business breaks on that show were Eddie Fisher and Bobby Rydell. Dick credited Mr. Whiteman for giving him HIS big break too, as our announcer.

We dancers used to take the train from New York's Penn Station to Philly every Saturday afternoon, do the show at 7 p.m., then hop back aboard the train to reach home (New York) by 11 that night. That year was also one of the two years I played a student on MISTER PEEPERS, starring Wally Cox and Tony Randall, which meant I had to be at the RKO Center Theater in Rockefeller Center to begin the PEEPERS rehearsals the next morning at 7 o'clock. No wonder I was so skinny in those days. Everything was "live" in those days. No tape, no film.

I was with Dick occasionally, as well as his son Rac, throughout the years at various broadcast functions, but the most memorable time is when Dick called my house here, and my wife answered. She's not star-struck, but that caller was a very impressive one for her. Dick was going to help me produce a New Year's Eve special event for 2000-2001's turn of the clock, but sadly it never materialized.

Dick survived his stroke in past years, and was, of course, Mr. New Year's Eve every year for decades from Times Square. Dick's widow Kari (nee Kari Wigton) is a St. Cloud, Minnesota, native and they were married from 1977 until today.

Sincere condolences to Kari, Rac and all the Clarks, as well as to all of us to whom he brought so much genuine joy and enthusiasm to all he did.