So, when a Bandstand appearance propelled record sales for certain acts, Clark profited. 'I think the crime I have committed, if any, is that I made a great deal of money in a short time on little investment,' Clark actually told Congress.

Findings showed that Clark, who hosted all kinds of up-and-coming acts on American Bandstand, also had a financial stake in many of those artists' record labels - 33 different music companies, in fact. In 1960, the House Committee on Legislative Oversight investigated Clark during the 'payola' scandal, an especially skeevy moment in the recording industry's history that revealed an elaborate system of illegal and quasi-legal kickbacks and ownership stakes. It was in that capacity where Dick Clark got up to some shady business dealings. Clark's big break was as the host and producer of American Bandstand, a pop music showcase that ran from the '50s until the late '80s.