There’s a reason the annual Times Square “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” bash still bears the name of legendary pop music mogul Dick Clark, who founded the event in 1972 and hosted it for more than 30 years. Clark, dubbed “America’s oldest teenager” introduced the entire country to rock-and-roll on his program “American Bandstand” during its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. And his own preternaturally youthful appearance — which lasted well into his 70s and 80s — has continued to give pop culture a fresh and vibrant spirit ever since. In a small way, perhaps, Clark’s distinctive “brand” and persona reminds us of our "roots," and hearkens to the unity of purpose and direction — and emerging racial harmony — so many of us once felt. Ryan Seacrest has hosted for 20 straight years, but he'll never top the man who inherited Guy Lombardo’s New Year’s Eve gig and who stole the “Bandstand” from DJ Bob Horn by boldly showcasing the likes of Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, and Chubby Checker.