Legendary US television presenter and producer Dick Clark, known for introducing rock and roll music to millions of Americans, died of a heart attack Wednesday at age 82, his family said. President Barack Obama led the tributes to the entertainer, hailing his “groundbreaking achievements” which “reshaped (America’s) television landscape forever.”
Clark, famous for shows including American Bandstand and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve suffered a cardiac arrest after being admitted to hospital in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday. “Entertain-ment icon Dick Clark passed away this morning at the age of 82 following a massive heart attack,” said the family statement, released by his publicist Paul Shefrin.
Clark “entered St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica last night for an outpatient procedure. Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful,” it added. The entertainer, whose Dick Clark Productions remains a key force in the industry, was known to generations of US television viewers as “America’s oldest teenager.”
Clark suffered a stroke in 2004 which forced him into retirement, although he continued to appear on the New Year’s Eve special alongside celebrity host Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest, the host of “American Idol,” was among the first to pay tribute to Clark. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life,” he said on Twitter.