Dick Clark Was Upfront And Admirable—Johnny Lydon And Public Image Limited On American Bandstand

Television star and businessman Dick Clark died earlier this month.

Here is Mr. Clark’s obituary from the New York Times.

Here are the parts of Mr. Clark’s obit that I liked the most—

“I never took any money to play records,” Mr. Clark said in his 1999 Archive of American Television interview. “I made money other ways. Horizontally, vertically, every which way you can think of, I made money from that show.” Over half a century, Mr. Clark made millions as a producer or executive producer, shepherding projects onto the airwaves that even he acknowledged were more diverting than ennobling: awards shows like the Golden Globes, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the American Music Awards; omnibus shows like “TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes,” featuring collections of clips; and television-movie biographies and dramas that targeted devotees of camp, kitsch or B-list celebrities…..Mr. Clark wasn’t high-minded about his work. “I’ve always dealt with light, frivolous things that didn’t really count; I’m not ashamed of that,” he said during a 1999 interview for the Archive of American Television. “There’s no redeeming cultural value whatsoever to ‘Bloopers,’ but it’s been on for 20 years.” He added: “It’s a piece of fluff. I’ve been a fluffmeister for a long time.” 

There is a lot to be said for a performer who can remain on the public stage for a long time.

There is a lot to be said for a showperson who just wants to make a buck and who has the talent to do so without hurting anybody.

Don’t trust anybody who is not a huckster to some degree.

Above is a video of an appearance of Johnny Lydon and Public Image Limited on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1980.

P.I.L. “plays” 2 songs from the album Second Edition in this clip. It is some fine television.

Second Edition is a great recording.  I’ve been listening to it for 30 years now.

Johnny Lydon’s speaking to me is one of the my greatest punk rock moments.