Stevie Wonder to play Dick Clark tribute at AMAs

Published on November 14, 2012 06:11PM EST

This year’s American Music Awards will be the first without its founder Dick Clark. But America’s eternal teenager will still be there in spirit — and in song.

Stevie Wonder will be performing a special tribute to Clark at this Sunday’s live ceremony, Dick Clark Productions has announced. The tribute will be introduced by Ryan Seacrest.

“He was a mentor, friend and a wonderful advocate for popular music,” Seacrest said of Clark in a statement. “It’s only fitting that one of music’s legends, Stevie Wonder, will play at Sunday’s tribute.”

Clark, of course, formed the American Music Awards back in 1973 as a means of competing with the Grammys. Wonder himself has snagged 11 AMAs over the years.

“Without a Dick Clark,” AMA producer Larry Klein says, “our entire current musical repertoire might be classical in nature. Not that there’s anything wrong with classical music, but Clark helped Beethoven roll over and tell Tchaikovsky the news.”

Other than Stevie, other live acts at this year’s AMAs (Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC) will include the likes of Taylor Swift, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Carrie Underwood, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, and tons more. Check back here the day after for EW’s graded report card of all the night’s best and worst performances.

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