REMEMBERING  DICK CLARK…

Other than New Years, We don’t

hear much about Dick Clark

BUT the man once known as ‘America’s oldest living teenager’ who almost single- handedly carried rock and roll through the ages is very much alive and still putting in his typical long days at work. But other than his brief annual appearances on his New Years Eve ABC program, we seldom see Dick Clark in the news since he suffered a stroke in 2004. Though, today, many of his programs are still running, from ‘Rock, Roll Remember’ in radio syndication, to his award and game shows. Recently , the Emmys paid a well deserved tribute to Clark . Ryan Seacrest – who is said to be Clark’s eventual successor – MC’d the program; you can see Clark and his wife in the audience for a brief moment. For Clark’s daily blogs and recent activities go to DickClarkOnline.com Here, many of Clark’s proteges pay tribute, from Donnie Osmond to Barry Manilow, who wrote the lyrics to Clark’s American Bandstand theme. Clark , himself, makes an appearance;. Clark has come a long way since the diabetic stroke, which left him with impaired speech – but nothing will probably ever stop ‘America’s oldest teenager’ until his final breaths, which are, hopefully, many years away. Most or all of the syndicated Rock Roll and Remember is comprised of early interviews with the many stars Clark worked with – and there’s a llot of this in the vaults. Recent features include a clip on John Lennon, whose recent’30 year passing’ was honored and some clips and interviews with Neil Diamond, who talks about those early days working at the Brill Building. Clark has brought in veteran DJ GaryBryan to help out – check out the REWIND blog, where Bryan talks about then and now with the stars….

DICK CLARK PERSONIFIES ROCK AND ROLL PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYONE

By the way, REWIND is also the name of what we believe is the finest interview program today featuring ‘ the stars you grew up with,’ t syndicated and online from Jimmy Jay http://rewindshow.com For us, Jay is doing today what Clark has been doing for years… schmoozing with the rock and roll artists we grew up . Jay offers full length, hour long entertaining interviews now online and in syndication. …

BANDSTAND LIVES IN PHILLY

DICK CLARK MEETS JIMMY JAY

http://rewindshow.com Jay done interviews with virtually everyone from the era – even a touching tribute to Gene Pitney, done weeks after Pitney’s passing and what would have been scheduled live interview with Gene. HEAR great programs from Branson and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre featuring artists like Bill Medley and Paul Revere. Jay has done over 100 shows , with some artists more than once. Here are just some of the stars Jay has interviewed and/or featured in programs: Gordon Waller (perhaps last interview with him), Bobby Vinton, Chubby Checker, Brian Hyland, Gary Puckett, BJ Thomas, Tony Orlando, The Turtles, Bobby Goldsboro, Connie Francis, The Skyliners, Maurice Williams, Kenny Vance, Kathy Young, Duprees, Marvelettes, Petula Clark, DeeDee Sharp, Stevie Wonder,Sam Moore, The Crests (Johnny Maestro?) Jay uses the program also to raise money for good causes including stars down on their luck and the MDA. He’s currently offering a spectacular tribute to Tony Orlando featuring a nultitude of stars…. all available at his website. There are also a few podcasts offered at Rewind.com including an interview with Peter of Peter and Gordon, perhaps the last interview Peter ever did, which became part of a touch tribute that Jimmy Jay has put together. Jay even interviewed the man, Dick Clark, himself, in 2008. Here’s what Clark and others had to say about Jimmy Jay and his Rewind Show… Dick Clark 4-3-2008: “Jimmy Thank you so much for having me on your show!” Tony Orlando (64th Birthday Party 2008): “Jimmy You are a master at making sure everything goes well, you are a talented and incredible host, you did a job there and I’ve never seen anybody quite steer a show like that! Again Mr Jay you are the man! God Bless You and your Family believe me when I tell you I will never forget that night.” Andy Kim (Rock Me Gently): “I am honored to finally do this with you cause you’ve been carrying all of us on your shoulders playing the greatest songs of all time from this wonderful era that we happened to have grown up in it’s just an honor to be on your show!” Jerry Lewis: “Jimmy thank you for all you do for MDA, and it’s a real nice thing you are doing for Tony Orlando. I Love You Back Jim.” Bobby Vee: “Great Show, and I Love your web site! I have it bookmarked in my favorite places, Keep Rockin’…” MORE DICK CLARK, BEATLES AND GREAT OLDIES From Wikipedia: Richard Wagstaff[1] “Dick” Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American businessman;[2] game-show host; and radio and television personality. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years. Clark is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand,[2] five versions of the game show Pyramid, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Clark has long been known for his departing catchphrase, “For now, Dick Clark…so long,” delivered with a military salute, and for his youthful appearance, earning the moniker “America’s Oldest Teenager”, until he had a stroke in late 2004. With some speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show on December 31, 2005/January 1, 2006. Subsequently, he appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006, and every New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show since then. On November 30, 2009, disc jockeys throughout the U.S. paid tribute to Clark on his 80th birthday. Early life, education and early career Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, the son of Julia Fuller (née Barnard) Clark and Richard Augustus Clark. His only sibling, older brother Bradley, was killed in World War II. His career in show business began in 1945 when he started working in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station owned by his uncle and managed by his father in Utica, New York. Clark was soon promoted to weatherman and news announcer. Clark attended A.B. Davis High School (now A.B. Davis Middle School) in Mount Vernon and Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Phi Gamma); he graduated in 1951 with a degree in business. Clark began his television career at station WKTV in Utica and was also subsequently a disc jockey on radio station WOLF in Syracuse. His first television-hosting job was on Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders, a country-music program. He would later replace Robert Earle (who would later host the GE College Bowl) as a newscaster.[4] Main article: American Bandstand In 1952 Clark moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, more specifically to Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania,[5] and resided within the Drexelbrook Community where he was neighbors with Ed McMahon. There he took a job as a disc jockey at radio station WFIL. WFIL had an affiliated television station (now WPVI) with the same call sign which began broadcasting a show called Bob Horn’s Bandstand in 1952. Clark was a regular substitute host on the show and when Horn left, Clark became the full-time host on July 9, 1956. The show was picked up by the ABC television network, renamed American Bandstand, and was first aired nationally on August 5, 1957. On that day, Clark interviewed Elvis Presley. Clark also began investing in the music publishing and recording business in the 1950s. In 1959, the United States Senate opened investigations into “payola”, the practice of music-producing companies paying broadcasting companies to favor their product. Clark was a shareholder in the Jamie-Guyden Distributing Corporation, which nationally distributed Jamie and other non-owned labels. Clark sold his shares back to the corporation when ABC suggested that his participation might be considered as creating a conflict of interest. In 1960, when charges were levied against Clark by the Congressional Payola Investigations, he quietly divested himself of interests and signed an affidavit denying involvement.[7] Clark was not charged with any illegal activities. Unaffected by the investigation, American Bandstand was a major success, running daily Monday through Friday until 1963, then weekly on Saturdays until 1987. In 1964, the show moved from Philadelphia to Hollywood, California. A spin-off of the program, Where the Action Is, aired from 1965 to 1967, also on ABC. Charlie O’Donnell, a close friend of Clark’s and an up-and-coming fellow Philadelphia disc jockey, was chosen to be the announcer, which he served for ten years. O’Donnell was one of the announcers on the 1980s versions of Clark’s Pyramid game show; he continued to work with Clark on various specials and award shows until his death in November 2010. Clark produced American Bandstand for syndicated television and later the USA Network, a cable-and-satellite-television channel, until 1989. Clark also hosted the program in 1987 and 1988; David Hirsch hosted in 1989, its final year. American Bandstand and Dick Clark himself were honored at the 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards.[8] [edit] Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Main article: Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest In 1972, Clark produced and hosted Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the first of an ongoing series of specials still broadcast on New Year’s Eve. Segments of the first broadcast can be seen in the motion picture Forrest Gump. The program has typically consisted of live remotes of Clark in Times Square in New York City, New York, counting down until the New Year ball comes down. After the ball drops, the focus of the program switches to musical segments taped prior to the show in Hollywood, California. The special is live in the Eastern Time Zone, and it is delayed for the other time zones so that they can ring in the New Year with Clark when midnight strikes in their area. ABC broadcast the event on every New Year’s Eve since 1972 except in 1999 due to the airing of ABC 2000 Today, news coverage of the milestone year hosted by Peter Jennings. In the more than three decades it has been on the air, the show has become a mainstay in U.S. New Year’s Eve celebrations. Before then, Guy Lombardo (a.k.a. “Mr. New Year’s Eve”), along with his big band orchestra, the Royal Canadians, had long been the main draw for New Year’s Eve broadcasts for radio and, later, for television (on CBS). Watching the ball in Times Square drop on Clark’s show is considered an annual cultural tradition for the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day holiday. Twice, Clark was not able to host his show. The first time happened at the end of 1999, going into 2000, due to ABC 2000 Today’. However, during that broadcast Clark, along with ABC News correspondent Jack Ford, announced his signature countdown to the new year. He was a correspondent, according to the transcript of the broadcast released by ABC News. Ford had been assigned to Times Square during the broadcast and thus Clark’s role was limited. Nevertheless, he won a Peabody Award for his coverage. The second time happened at the end of 2004, as he was recovering from his stroke; Regis Philbin substituted as host. The following year Clark returned to the show although Ryan Seacrest served as primary host. From December 31, 2005, Clark co-hosted New Year’s Rockin Eve with Seacrest. [edit] Pyramid game shows Main article: Pyramid (game show) Before Pyramid, Clark had two brief runs as a quiz-show host, presiding over The Object Is and then Missing Links. In a near twist of irony, on Missing Links, he replaced his former Philadelphia neighbor and subsequent TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes co-host, Ed McMahon, when the game show switched networks from NBC to ABC; NBC replaced Missing Links with Jeopardy!. Read more

Last King of the Piano Bars?

Rod Dibble Still Tickling Them 50 Years Later

When one passes by the Alley on Grand Ave in Oakland, CA you hardly notice the place. It’s always looked kind of dingy from the outside. Come to think of of it, it’s pretty dingy-looking on the inside, too,but the good kind of dingy.

As a kid growing up in Oakland , the Alley was all but ignored as a place for older folks, with a bohemian bent- weirdos back then . Over the years the neighbor hood changed -especially the parallel-running Lakeshore Ave, where perhaps only 1 or two original businesses remain out of the 50 or so… Grand isn’t much differrent. But, somehow, The Alley has survived. Lots of down years and population changes as Oakland has gone from all white to a largely minority city. Original owners have passed on and most of the original followers. However, the daughter of the original owners still runs the place, we are told, which probably explains, in part, how the Alley has stood the test of time. Kudos to her.

But through it all , there’s one constant – Rod Dibble at the Piano, now going on 50 years.

PIANO BARS – DIBBBLE STILL TICKLIN’ THEM 50 YEARS LATER

Dibble began his stint in 1963 . And, it’s as if time has stood still since then. While the crowd may have changed, the place hasn’t and , of course, Dibble’s still there, and he says he doesn’t play any music after 1963. If that’s not time warp , what is? But, we love it. In today’s fast-paced world of quickening technology , media hype and disfunctional or non-existent families its kind of nice to see a that a place like the Alley – and it’s current family of regulars – can still exist in 2910.

If there’s another place like this in America that hasn’t changed a lick, with a veteran piano player of 50 years, I’d like to see it. And there well may be one or two somewhere .However, piano bars, themselves , are pretty rare these days, having been replaced by automated Kareoke .

We say there’s nothing like the real thing, and , apparently, so do a lot of others, as seen by a resurgence at the Alley in recent years, with the current crowd of mostly 20-somethings. However, this recent night we were there we witnessed a number of spirited seniors , like Frank, as animated in his singing as any of other younger folk , who gather at the 9 or 10 seats around the grand piano and take turns singing into the nicraphones. Frank ended ever classic song with a high-pitched last note; so what if it was off-key. That’s what makes this place so special. It’s all off key by today’s standards. And that’s good.

There’s a book of hundreds of songs, with lyrics to choose from. It was refreshing to hear song after song from the great American song book, when melody and lyrics seemed to have more to do with music. Each song told a story – take Route 66 for example – and the unique singer behind the mike. No generics as you get at a Karaoke bar. Only real personality here. And Dibble, now   in his  late 70s  but still with a youthful spark, is able to tackle most every song but, again, it’s gotta behind pre-1963. He still sings, too, and in a whiskey-inspired voice one might expect for a guy who has spent thousands of nights singing, playing and, yes -drinking the night away at the Alley.

FIND ALMOST ANY GREAT , OLD, VINTAGE MUSIC – LPS, CDS, DVDS:

I try to get to the Alley now as often as possible as I’m afraid this fun can’t last forever. Dibble’s doing great but he won’t be there forever. And , one must wonder, how the alley has escaped the fire inspectors , with all the old business cards, flyers and paper lining the walls and ceiling, much of which has probably been there the whole time .

So, if you live anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s worth a trip to see this place. Even if you live in another state, its work a trip to spend a weekend with Rod and the gang… Pick a weekend night or two when you’re sure to see Dibble at the ivories — there’s a new young upstart singing weeknights – and a full host of singers at the piano bar; this place makes Cheers pale. I will go in and sit in the back corner and just take in the whole atmosphere. Talk about time standing still. I love this place – and to think we would have nothing to do with the place as kids in the 60s and 70s…

If you know of any special vintage piano bars that might possibly rival the Alley please comment…

VIDEOS : Top Video from 2009 features Dibble going solo, Bottom Video gives a more real ‘vibe’ of the Alley experience…

More Oldies

The Best Fake Book Ever: For Keyboard, Vocal, Guitar, and All “C” Instruments (4th Edition)

Stardust Piano Bar by Ralph Burch – Fine Art Print / Poster – 18.00 x 22.00

Lounge Music: Exotica, Easy listening, Space age pop, Mood music, Beautiful music, Electronica, Chill- out music, Nu jazz, Downtempo, Space Age, Light … Piano bar, Camp (style), Tiki culture

Piano Bars – Nothing Like the Alley, Oakland, CA

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