Rock, Roll & Remember

For many years.The fans of rock music and the tv rock and roll dance and music show that exemplified the music:"American bandstand"have wanted to know about it's creation and influence on the music scene.Finally Dick Clark tells all of his fans about the creation of TV's most famous dance and music series in his memiors:"Rock Roll & Remember!".Here Mr.Clark recalls how his parents took him to see a radio program being broadcast from NYC:"The Jimmy Durante/Gary Moore Show".Clark was so fancinated with the workings of radio.That he decided to make broadcasting his career.He started out in collage broadcasting.Before he went to work for a station in Utica,New York.But it wasn't long before he became aware of the growth of tv and he left radio for work at small tv stations in the northeast on a varety of shows.In l956.Clark joined WFIL radio in Philadelphia,Pa. and worked on the radio version of a popular dance and music tv show for teens:"American Bandstand!".The series .Which debuted on WFIL TV Ch.6 in Philly,Pa. 50 years ago was originally created to screen old jazz music films from the l930's and 40's.The station execs were not happy with the idea of someone simply hosting reruns of old jazz music films for 30 minutes to an hour.So it was decided to have some local jazz music groups perform on the show,have a studio audience of kids dance to the music.Have a host interview the kids and the guest performers rate the record that is being played on the show and plug the records.Contrare to public belief.Dick Clark was not the first host of "AB".The series first Mc was a local Philly DJ and record promoter named Bob Horn.Who Mc'd the show from l952 to l956.(reportedly with another DJ Lee Stewart).Horn was abruptly outsed from the show in l956 and Dick Clark took over the show for the next 30 years.Clark recalls the problems with trying to maintain a successful rapport with Horn's devouted fans and in trying to understand the music.He also talks about his dealing with the infamous Payola scandel that ruined many DJ's careers and sidelined Rock & Roll music for a time.But the music returned and Clark was able to prove that he didn't accept payola or any favors to play a record or get any performers on his show.Clark also recalls the staging and the successful performances of many of Rock music's most popular stars in "Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars"Rock concerts and his other endeavours in tv producing ,creation and hosting.He also gives some insight into his private life and his loving relationship with his wives and his three kids.For those persons.Who wanted an autobiography that doesnot border towards scathology and for those who want to know the history of Network TV's longest running and most famous Rock and Roll dance and music tv show? This is one book to have in your private library.Thanks For the music and the memories Dick and Hopefully..You'll be honoring "American Bandstand's 100th Anniversary"on January l8,20052! Kevin S.Butler at Stanba

I was very happy with the book Rock, Roll, and Remember by Dick Clark. This has many qualities that made this book as good as it was. I am not that big of a fan of autobiographies but I found that this was much better then most of the autobiographies that I have read earlier. This book gives and in depth look at how Dick Clark got his start. It also give some in depth information on his down falls, describing the ''Payola'' scandle and the Congressional inveestigation. The only problem that I had with this book was that the years jumper around to much. On Chapter nine you will be reading about the late fifties while on chapeter ten you will be reading about the earliy fifties. This did not bother me that much and I am very glad and impressed with this book and I personally recommend this book to anyone one of any age. Rock and Roll lives on.