Ryan Seacrest Pays Tribute To Dick Clark: 'I Idolized Him'

After passing away from an unexpected death at the age of 82 on Wednesday (April 18), Dick Clark is being remembered by someone who truly idolized him, Ryan Seacrest.

After hearing of the heartbreaking news, Seacrest expressed his sadness and condolences on his website, explaining, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life. I idolized him from the start, and I was graced early on in my career with his generous advice and counsel."

After Clark suffered from a stroke in 2004, which left him paralyzed with slurred speech, the 37 year-old entrepreneur stepped in as host of ABC's annual new year's celebration, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve."

Seacrest explained his joy of being able to be a part of such an iconic show, saying, "When I joined his show in 2006, it was a dream come true to work with him every New Year’s Eve for the last 6 years. He was smart, charming, funny and always a true gentleman. I learned a great deal from him, and I’ll always be indebted to him for his faith and support of me."

"He was a remarkable host and businessman and left a rich legacy to television audiences around the world. We will all miss him.”

As previously reported by GossipCenter, the legendary TV personality died from a massive heart attack suffered early Wednesday morning and is survived by his third wife Kari Wigton, along with three children from his prior two marriages.