Editor’s Note:
Dick Clark Tribute

We are re-running our initial column on Dick Clark as a tribute to the popular show biz legend so those of you who missed it when it first was posted, can share some of the fond memories of him we enjoyed.

Many readers have responded with emails, phone calls and letters following the news that the popular music icon had suffered some sort of a stroke incapacitating him a few days before he was scheduled to host his annual Rockin’ New Years Eve 2005 celebration in New York’s Times Square.

There were confusing reports issued at that time by various members of the press who were puzzled and saddened to hear about Dick’s medical condition. Part of that confusion was due to conflicting reports from medical officials, Dick’s publicist and his family.

Originally, Dick suffered what was described as “a minor stroke.”  Those who knew of Dick’s ambitious and zealous compassion to create and produce entertainment packages for TV like the Golden Globe Awards, the American Music Awards and many others, were not surprised. Stress has long been a menace for people like Clark, who strive for excellence and perfection in the competitive world of show business.

Many, perhaps confused by Dick’s perpetual youthful looks and physical appearance, (and maybe unaware that Dick had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a decade ago), did not take the medical reports too seriously, especially when the press leaked a quote from the former host of American Bandstand, that he would be at the New Year’s Eve celebration as usual.

Then, Dick had another stroke, this one more serious than the first. Conflicting reports again circulated throughout the industry as his publicist and family sought to “play down” his health issue. However, the truth of the matter was, for a while there, Dick was paralyzed and unable to talk. This was, most certainly, an agonizing, if not frightening, experience for a man who has become famous in his broadcasting career in show business communicating with the public.

When Dick failed to appear at the Times Square event, as promised, and Regis Philbin gallantly stepped in as a last-minute replacement, there was much speculation in the press and in show biz circles about how critical Dick’s condition really was.

We heard nothing for a while as doctors worked around the clock and fans and friends sent “get well” cards to Dick’s office and the hospital, and maintained dedicated prayer vigils as well. Dick spent approximately seven weeks in the hospital, and was eventually released to his Malibu home, where his wife Kari arranged for rehabilitation care.

We were told that Dick was still in “a serious condition,” but had made some improvement, and those of us !who know him and are familiar with his competitive spirit, were encouraged that he had made progress. Perhaps time, rest and a medical miracle or two might rejuvenate the popular show biz icon.

He did, indeed, make progress, and while this was admirable, the news we now hear is not so positive. Sadly to say, Clark, who, reportedly, still remains partially paralyzed and barely able to speak, continues to do rehab, and spends much of his time in bed.

Depending upon whom you talk to, you get conflicting reports about the reality of Dick’s condition. Clark, 75, many of his close friends fear, is now living on borrowed time. It has been almost impossible to get any concrete information from Clark’s family, and his publicist continues to insist that he has only suffered “a minor setback,” and will soon be his own vital self again. I certainly would like to think that is the case.

Those of us who have had the opportunity to work with Dick, in whatever endeavor, whether it be a charity benefit or a major national telecast, are spending more time on our knees lately, asking God to bless him (and his family) as he struggles to overcome this awful illness.

It is evident now that he is unable to leave the house or function on his own. Close friends think Dick may have lost his desire to live. One source indicated that Dick’s greatest fear has always been that he’d spend his last days debilitated and unable to work, and that if he was incapacitated by a heart attack or a stroke, he’d be a burden to his family. Just prior to his stroke crisis, Dick was even quoted that he hoped to die while he was still vital.

Recently, Paul Shefrin, Dick’s long-time publicist, denied that he had suffered any depression or expressed a will to die. It is a well known fact, however, that Clark’s condition is not good, and there isn’t a whole lot that medical doctors can do for him. It may, indeed, be !a matter of time, but Dick’s family, friends and associates are still holding out hope that he will make a miraculous recovery.

In the meantime, Dick’s daughter, Cindy, is running Dick Clark productions. She’s worked in the entertainment industry for a number of years and is considered to be “more than qualified” to step in and take over for her dad.

Thank you, God, for blessing him and his family, during this emotional experience.