dance to into the motivating force of a business empire and made singers into fares. the legendary aretha franklin will join us in a few minutes. but here a look back at his career by koreen wynter. >> reporter: he was known as the world's oldest teenager. dick clark began his career on the weekly dance party that would later be known as "american bandstand" in philadelphia in 1956. the show became a national and later an international sensation, after it was picked up by abc one year later. ♪ do the twist >> reporter: in spite of racial altitudes at the time, clark was a pioneer in promoting african-american artists, including percy sledge, the silhouettes, the supremes and gladys night and the pips. an appearance on "american bandstand" could launch their career. >> if you look at the history of dance, from the popular music to the -- through the rock 'n roll period, country music, rhythm and blues, rap music, it is everything. >> reporter: but music wasn't his only beat, clark proved a prolific businessman, hosting the game show, the 25,000 pyramid. tv's bloopers and practical skroeks and of course the annual new year's rockin' eve broadcast, he turned his dick clark productions into a multimillion dollar media empire. clark created the american music awards in 1987 as a rival to the grammys. clark also had a hand in the global fundraising, live aid and farm aid. >> reporte from the early days of rock, dick clark had a way of bringing us the tunes that had a good beat, were easy to dance from and memories of saturday afternoon sock hops. >> extraordinary clear, extraordinary life, our next guest needs no introduction, royalty rarely does, arrest aretha franklin. >> what did he mean to you personally? >> he was such a nice man--good evening, everyone, i'm sorry. such a nice and very easy man to work with, a very warm and classy and just an ageless person. and if you didn't go on "american bandstand" you just hadn't made it yet. you had to go on the bandstand. >> he was that important in america music. >> absolutely, if you didn't go on there, you hadn't made it. >> the appeal that spanned a nation, from music shows to game shows and new year's eve and more. it was a tough business, what made him such a success? >> i think that she was just so industry savvy and he was such a warm and personable kind of person, very well liked by everyone, the artists, industry people, everyone, even the parents loved watching the bandstand. as a teenager i loved it. i started with him when the band stand was in philadelphia and that was long before he moved out to los angeles. but i started with him there and just so likable. it's very sad to hear that. >> were you nervous the first time you were on the show? >> you know it. you know it. but i made it. i made it and i went back a number of times that ha s after. he made you very comfortable. >> he introduced so many musical acts to the american public including many african-american performers at a time when they were not being given equal treatment on the national stage? >> uh-huh, uh-huh. that is true. he as well as mike douglas, out of cleveland, who i saw when tiger woods first came on the scene, i ran into mike douglas and it was so great seeing him after all those years, but, yeah, they both were really, really fabulous. >> he also had integrated audiences, he had african-americans dancing with white couples as well, which again you just didn't see on tv at the time. >> no, you didn't an he very easy did it. he crossed that with no sweat. >> did you know at the time when you first started going on the show what a good businessman he was? a lot of people a good host, but he was very savvy. >> i had no idea, but as time went along, you began to see different things emerge, like the pyramid and his business enterprises, he had a beautiful office out in los angeles. i saw that. of course that was one of the highlights to see. and no one knew -- who knew, you know, that he was that savvy. >> ms. franklin, stay with us, also joining us from american bandstand, little richard joins us now. what did dick clark mean to you? >> oh, he was a real, real personal friend of mine. we had an office at 9000 sunset and he had the dick clark's productions right across the street from us. and i knew dick way back there when we first started with "american bandstand" in philadelphia. >> his move to integrate his show, his move to give voice to african-american artists when they weren't getting on television in the same way, do you think that was a risky move at the time? was it a surprising move to some? >> dick has always been a beautiful person. he loved everybody, he was an all around person and they was good people and they knew about it. if you had it, you had it, if you didn't, he still gave you a chance on the show. >> did you get nervous before a show? >> before i got to the piano, my hand gods es to shaking. >> it seemed like he was just talking to you, just talking to the viewers as well, but it's not that easy, i mean he was really, he had a very specific skill? >> yes, he just had it like that. very easy manner ato him. >> i also want to bring in dr. sanjay gupta. the statements from the agents say that he had a major heart attack while in the hospital for another procedure. >> well, after ten years, i'm -- this is the first time i have talked about it, larry, i've got type two diabetes, which isn't earth shaking news, but what got me shook up, ten, 11 years ago, i didn't think anything about it, watch my diet, take a little medication and all would be well. and about four or five months ago that 2/3 of the people with diabetes or heart disease die of a stroke. >> he suffered a stroke shortly after that interview. how is a person with a history of massive stroke for a heart attack? >> a pretty significant risk. i'll add a couple of more things, once you get beyond 70, and you go from 70 to 80, and you have an event like this, a significant heart understand debt goes. putting you at diabetes puts you at the same risk of a heart as having a previous heart attack. as you saw, anderson, it was ten years at the point he was talking about it, he already had the disease for ten years, and also the fact that he had a stroke, he had arthrosclerosis. even back at that time, several years ago and then he had this outpatient procedure, that could put him at significant risk, you start adding things up, it's something that doctors would be very concerned about because of his age and his past history. >> ms. franklin, did you surprise you, even in the last few years, even after his serious stroke, he still did the new year's celebrations, did it surprise you that he wanted to keep on working? >> no, it did not. the industry is something that keeps one young and of course he had to have had a love for it to have done it as long and as well as he did it. oh, no i was not really surprised when he made such a courageous effort in coming back to the rockin' new year's eve, i did see that. and i just wished him well. >> ms. franklin, i have never seen anyone who stayed as youthful looking as dick clark did decade after decade after decade. we're going to take a short break, and we'll be back with more. ryan sechrest who's lucky enough to work long side him. it's been a joy to work with him for the last six years, he was a remarkable host and businessman. we will all miss him. president obama also paying tribute tonight, quote, he reshaped the television landscape forever and for 40 years we welcomed him into our homes to ring in the new year, and more important than his ground breaking achievemenaek e. [♪...] >> announcer: with nothing but his computer, an identity thief is able to use your information to open a bank account in order to make your money his money. [whoosh, clang] you need lifelock, the only identity theft protection company that now monitors bank accounts for takeover fraud. lifelock: relentlessly protecting your identity. call 1-800-lifelock or go to lifelock.com today. let's start with car insurance x. this one does save people a lot of money and it's very affordable. it was very delicious. could you please taste car insurance y? this one is much more expensive. ugh. it's really bad. let's see what you picked. oh, geico! over their competitor. you are a magician right? no., oh. you're not?, no., oh, well, give it a shot. i am so, so sorry. it was this close. on december 21st polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space. which would render retirement planning unnecessary. but say the sun rises on december 22nd, and you still need to retire. td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans? breaking news tonight, the passing of dick clark died today at 82, he was part of perhaps the only legal pyramid scheme in american history, the $10,000 pyramid, also bringing the golden globes, and to put together a collection of his own bloopers on american bandstand? >> what do you think about girls in bikinis, do you endorse it? >> i like it. >> i'm with you, but it will be interesting. i honestly don't think american girls are going to go for this stuff. >> then there's some good old everyday mistakes. >> and now we roll along once again, this should be jerry lee -- no, zandie and the juniors. we have so much to remind you about. the monkeys on the bandstand, the beetles today on bandstand and we have two of the top ten stars here tonight. you have heard johnny b. good. no? i gave it away how about the manual dexterity. take a look at a very nice machine provided by the ross electronics company of chicago. you can run it on batteries too, let's take the little top off, i have got this microphone tucked under my arm and i can't do anything. >> some moments of the early days of what we howle would tur into a media empire. >> dick clark was from the very start of "american bandstand" a fresh faced young man who had an eye for business. he wanted to take his local tv aud show to -- clark who played off of his rising fame by hosting dances offcamera to make extra money. mike, can i have the mike back? just for a second? >> making money was always clark's admitted goal. he graduated from syracuse university with a degree in business administration and formed his own company the very year bandstand went national, investing in music publishing, record production and distribution. he said i knew being a performer does not necessarily carry with it a lot of longevity, that's why i became a producer. and what a producer. dick clark productions grew into a hollywood power house, clark over the decades became involved in hit game shows, prime time reality shows, awards programs, holiday specials, feature films and tv dramas, by the late 1970s, he had signed one of the biggest production deals ever with nbc. the museum of broadcast communications estimates that clark's company produced 7,500 hours of programming, and there is, of course, new year's rockin' eve. that has been a mainstay of every audience since 1972. at times there seemed to be no end to how big dick clark's empire might grow. he hosted radio shows, opened restaurants, bought real estate, but he was a no nonsense stickler or details who started and ended meetings on time. he put one of his homes on sale in malibu for an estimated 60 million. tom foreman, cnn, washington. >> back now joining us on the phone, the legendary aretha franklin. end for you, how influential is dick clark? >> he is amazingly so, because he was not only a greet host he was a great producer as you just saw. if you look at the breadth of awards, he came up with the -- the american music awards which is a huge show for abc, everything he did was an incredible breadth of work. >> were you surprised when he came up with the american music awards, in competition with the grammys and yet he made it a success. >> if dick clark did, if he touched it, it turned to gold. and after the american music awards, everything was wonderful as the american music awards after party. >> tell us, i want to hear the details on this, ms. franklin. >> really good, really good. >> little richard, do you remember these after parties as well? >> i didn't ever attend any because of the traveling and going to other places, but anything dick clark touched, it becomes a success f it becomes gold. >> uh-huh. >> overnight because he's a very successful businessman, he's a tycoon in business, and he knows what he's doing and he knows how to do it. >> little richard did you know when you started being on the show that he was as savvy a businessman? >> yes, i did. i had just made 7 to 9 myself. >> that's amazing. i have had two heart attacks and god brought me through and dick clark told me what i needed to do. i had pain and he told me what i needed to to do amend i started doing it. dick clark is a great businessman, he knows what he's doing. >> one of the best things that's happened to me in the last couple of weeks, was just listening you and ms. franklin talking to you during the break. richard, do you remember the first time you met aretha, frankl franklin? >> i always loved aretha frankl franklin, she got so much feeling, you must move when she sings, she makes my toes move. >> ms. franklin, 2k50urdo you rr the first time you saw little richard? >> yes, many years ago i met richard at the apollo theater, he came backstage and we met. there was something he wanted me to record and i think it was "you saw me crying in the chapel" that was it. >> wow. but that's where we met. not that many years ago. >> not that many years, five years ago, maybe. >> she's way way younger than me. >> yeah, i was a baby then. >> she was way younger. she was a young girl. >> richard, what do you think dick clark's legacy is going to be? >> oh, my god, i think that he made such a great contribution to the health and welfare of the young adults across this country and in and out of the country. >> we have got a digital dashboard question from one of our viewers from facebook. shirley asks was he as kind off set as he was on set? >> he was the same man on camera as he was off camera. he was just a warm and beautiful man. >> i think that's one of the things that kimberly came across on the screen, if viewers really didn't know who he was in person, but he came off as sort of the every man that was just very likable, a person you wanted in your home. >> what you see is what you get, what you see is it for dick, he's a real, real, real good man. and i'm not just saying that because he's passed away, i hate that he's passed away but he is a good man that loved people and he shows his love and his joy to you. the last date i did with him- - him- ---i played for the party. >> that must have been quite some party. little richard, aretha franklin, thank you so much for talking with us tonight, i know you got to go. >> richard it sounds like you paid for the party. >> i been screaming, aretha. >> okay. >> all right, have a good night. >> nice hearing you, baby, i love you, god bless you. >> thank you so much anderson, it's a pleasure speaking with you, i'm sorry that it had to be on such a sad occasion. >> i do too but it was honor for bringing you on here. >> thank you very much, i would love to have you back sometime. eddy coons is going to stick around. there are very few people that are broadcasters in the way he was. >> there was an oomt missile about him that i think spanned his entire career. when i was a producer at cbs news, he was creating a show called, it was a competition for the view. and it was an all male version. >> danny bonaduce and mario lopez. >> i became a final his on this show and wound up with dick clark and spent a day with him in a room. had never met him before, he was so nice to me and so kind. and he also was on air, but he was really there as a producer. so he was going to be the barbara walters of the show and it did, it ran for a couple of years on abc. he was bringing amazing things out of me and i didn't even know how to be or act. he was just incredible in that room and he was so nice. >> we have also got bare gordy, another legend on the phone. we'll be right back. cuban cajun raw seafood pizza parlor french fondue tex-mex fro-yo tapas puck chinese takeout taco truck free range chicken pancake stack baked alaska 5% cash back. right now, get 5% cash back at restaurants. it pays to discover. according to the signs, ford is having some sort of big tire event. i just want to confirm a w things with fiona. how would you describe the event? it's big. no,i mean in terms of savings how would you sum it up? big in your own words, with respect to selection, what would you say? big okay, let's talk rebates mike, they're big they're big get $100 rebate, plus the low price tire guarantee during the big tire event. so, in other words, we can agree that ford's tire event is a good size? big big wanted to provide better employee benefits while balancing the company's bottom line, their very first word was... [ to the tune of "lullaby and good night" ] ♪ af-lac ♪ aflac [ male announcer ] find out more at... [ duck ] aflac! [ male announcer ] ...forbusiness.com. [ yawning sound ] our breaking news tonight, the death of quick clark, the jacksons tonight put this statement on -- not only did he create a beloved platform for artists to break through, he single and -- it is really mind-blowing the number of music giants, the jacksons included who played american bandstand in the decades it aired on network television. here's a moment from 1970. >> ladies and gentlemen would you greet the jackson 5. ♪ ♪ two plus two makes four >> i'll amazing. i was watching some quotes from madon madonna, end cohn watch what happens live is joining us in the studio. and the legendary barry gordy and the hit behind that song and many more. mr. gordy, thanks so much for being with us. what are your thoughts about the impact that dick had on the music industry? >> first of all i am so saddened and devastated over the loss. i heard about it this morning and i just could not get myself together for a while. dick and i were friends for over 50 years. and i was -- you know, i was from detroit and he was from philly and we wound up being next door neighbors in malibu, california for a long time. to we had a lot of time together and i knew him just very well and what he did for music was just beyond even explanation. and what he did for me personally, was the same way. the act that i had on the show, if it were not for dick clark, i do not believe motown would have been the company it was. >> because he was willing to put so many african-american artists on the air, and his program was integrated, black people and white people in the audience dancing? >> well, i don't think he really, you know, it was just kind of what he was and it was like music overcame everything. you know, the bandstand platform was such that he brought it in from the top to the low eest --o beach boys to little richard. i just think he didn't do tritt a soapbox, he just did it, that's who he was. he was about music and he knew music brought people together and i don't think he thought as much about it as the public did. obviously he got some flack for it, i'm sure. but he continued and he just broke barriers without doing it the way other people do it. emotionally the music brought people together, emotionally before integration laws and all the people were about that that was just dick clark, he was a wonderful, wonderful man and he did everything with class and style and integrity. if he gave you his word, you could count on it. you know -- >> which that is high praise in the tv business. there are a lot of people who it's not that way. in many