Lewis Largent, known to millions in the 1980’s and ‘90s as an influential alternative-music MTV VJ and DJ on KROQ has died at the age of 58. Largent’s family reported to Variety that he passed on Monday, February 20 after a battle with a long illness. Largent started his work with music as an intern with GM before being hired full time in 1985 before quickly becoming the music director in 1989.
In 1992, Largent left the station to become a VP of music programming post at MTV. Soon after, he began hosting the show “120 Minutes,” a ’90s Sunday-night tradition that expanded the genre’s reach nationwide. David Bowie, Bjork, Trent Reznor, Radiohead and PJ Harvey were among the many artists he hosted on the show.
Largent later left the show in 1995, but continued in programming post until 1999, when he was named a senior vice president of A&R at Island Def Jam Records. In this position, he signed Sum 41, Andrew WK and worked closely with a number of other artists before leaving the label in 2004. Seven years later in 2011, he decided to go back to college and got his BA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and his MFA in 2015.
Largent is survived by his wife, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald, and their two children. (Variety)
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