I was taken back when I got the sad news that icon Dick Clark passed away.  Dick Clark, the man who seemed to never age, and was nicknamed the "World's Oldest Teenager," from TV Guide years ago, has passed away at the age of 82. I will never forget watching "American Bandstand" as a kid and knowing it was the coolest show ever! Dick Clark, has always been apart of my life, and his work in the music industry has literally changed the way we listen to pop music.  Dick Clark was innovated, to say the least, with  "American Bandstand," and his trademark "Rockin' Eve" show that became a fixture of New Year's celebrations.

According to ABC News,  Clark pursued his passion at Syracuse University, working as a disc jockey at the student-run radio station while studying for his degree in business. After graduating in 1951, Clark went back to his family's radio station, but within a year, a bigger city and bigger shows were calling.

It's hard to believe he is gone. I was devastated, like most of America in 2004, when we got the news that Clark had suffered a stroke that kept him from hosting "Rockin' Eve" that year. Regis Philbin stepped in, but by the next New Year's Eve, Dick Clark was back. It was hard for me to see him that night with his speech still impaired. 'll never forget when he told the audience - "I had to teach myself how to walk and talk again. It's been a long, hard fight. My speech is not perfect but I'm getting there."

Some of my favorite Dick Clark memories besides, "American Bandstand" and "Rockin Eve" are the 10,000 Pyramid, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Scattergories and the Miss USA and Universe Pagents. He was the perfect example of what a great television host should be.

I will miss Dick Clark, but I will treasure the memories he has given me.

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