The news of TV legend Dick Clark’s death Wednesday had an especially deep impact on Mark Wilhelm, of Spokane. Wilhelm, 52, was a regular dancer on Clark’s signature show, “American Bandstand,” along with his sister, Elizabeth Godert-Wilhelm, for nearly five years in the mid- to late 1970s. “I heard ‘Bandstand Boogie’ (by Barry Manilow) on the radio on my way home from work Wednesday and I just knew,” Wilhelm said. “My heart dropped, because they never play that song on the radio. I just knew (Clark) had passed.” Wilhelm got his start on the show through sheer persistence. For a “year straight,” the Southern California teenager sent the producers letters requesting an opportunity to dance on the set of the popular Saturday afternoon show, with no results/Jacob Palmer, SR. More here. (SR photo: Mark Wilhelm, of Spokane, holds his autographed phonograph album signed by Dick Clark in 1977)

• Dick Clark was real deal: a nice guy/Doug Clark, SR

Question: Were you much of a dancer as a young person?