DICK CLARK (1929 - 2012)

Another sad day in the world of music as we lost, Dick Clark, the host of the long-running and influential musical variety program, "American Bandstand" yesterday. The show (which was on the air from 1957 until 1987) was not only a showcase for all of the top pop acts of the day but introduced many new artists to America as well as helped put an end to musical segregation by having the original African-American singers perform their songs on the show instead of the white artists who covered their hits.

Known as "America's Oldest Teenager" because of his boyish appearance, Clark was also responsible for bringing to the airwaves other popular television shows such as "The 25,000 Pyramid", ''TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes","New Year's Rockin' Eve" and the American Music Awards.

"American Bandstand" was part of my Saturday ritual (along with "Soul Train") as I looked forward to either seeing one of my favorite bands or falling in love with a new performer. I remember the first time seeing Teena Marie, Prince (and his juvenile interview) and Madonna (proclaiming she was ready to "rule the world") on the program and immediately went out and bought their music afterwards.

Dick Clark came across as a genuinely nice person and his love of the music always came through. He was truly one-of-a-kind and what he brought to television can never be replaced.

Here are some video highlights from "American Bandstand":

TEENA MARIE (1956-2010)

It is a very sad day in the world of music for the loss of r&b singer, Teena Marie.

I always loved her music and my favorite album was her 1983 album, "Robbery (Expanded Edition)".  She had a strong and passionate voice but I don't think her talent ever got the proper recognition she deserved.

She was born Mary Brockert in Santa Monica, CA, and began singing at the age of 2. She was heavily influenced by the sounds of Motown and other African-American artists and could convincingly sing in that style.

She would eventually sign with Motown Records where she met the late Rick James who would help write and produce her first album, "Wild and Peaceful" in 1979. She had success right away with her first single, "I'm A Sucker For Your Love" which hit number eight on the r&b charts although her picture did not appear on her album because the label was unsure how audiences would react to her being a white artist. The world did find out by her second release, " Lady T" the following year and it would be perfectly fine as she would later be dubbed, "The Ivory Queen of Soul ".

She completed thirteen albums during her career with her last, "Congo Square" being released last year. Although she had only one song, "Lovergirl" hit the top ten on the pop charts, she got plenty of airplay on the r&b charts with thirteen top forty with seven reaching the top ten there.

The glorious sounds of Lady T will truly be missed.

It Must Be Magic

Square Biz

Can't Last A Day (featuring Faith Evans)