Lewis Largent, Influential MTV ‘120 Minutes’ VJ, and KROQ DJ passed away at 58. He helped bring alternative rock to the American mainstream with his work at Los Angeles’ KROQ-FM and MTV. Let’s see what happened to him and Lewis Largent cause of death in this article.
What happened to Lewis Largent?
Lewis Largent, a well-known DJ on KROQ and important alternative music MTV VJ in the 1980s and 1990s, passed away on February 20 after a protracted illness, his family confirms to Variety.
Largent, a Southern California native, played golf competitively as a young man and met the general manager of the influential alternative radio station KROQ while working at a country club.
Largent’s proficiency in music impressed the station’s general manager, who gave him an internship that eventually led to a full-time position in 1985. He advanced fast through the ranks, and in 1989 he was appointed music director.
Lewis Largent cause of death
According to the official reports, it was verified that he died on Monday, February 20 after a battle with a long illness. The precise illness he had, however, has not yet been specified.
Lewis Largent career Life
Largent departed the station in 1992 to accept a position as vice president of music programming at MTV, where he quickly started anchoring “120 Minutes.” That program, a channel Sunday-night custom from the 1990s, increased both Largent’s and the genre’s national exposure.
(This author remembers a specific major label president trying to win over executives in a meeting by being able to convince Largent to answer his call.) Among the many musicians he featured on “120 Minutes” were David Bowie, Bjork, Trent Reznor, Radiohead, and PJ Harvey.
Largent eventually departed the program in 1995, but he remained in his programming position until 1999 when he was appointed senior vice president of A&R at Island Def Jam Recordings.
Before leaving the label in 2004, he worked closely with several other musicians while holding this position and signed Sum 41 and Andrew WK.
Seven years later, in 2011, he decided to return to school. He earned his BA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and his MFA in 2015. Julie Greenwald, chairman/CEO of the Atlantic Music Group, and Largent’s two children are left behind.
Tributes to Lewis Largent
Jim Poorman Trenton
Unfortunately I got word today that my former intern and producer at KROQ, Lewis Largent, died at the age of 58. He was such a talent. We were inseparable for a few years. In fact, we attended together one of the most famous baseball games in the history of baseball Dodgers v Oakland As in the 1988 World Series, and saw Kirk Gibson hit his home run. Lewis kept his ticket stub. I didn’t. He went on to become the Music Director of MTV and hosted 120 minutes. He left the business after that and had no desire to continue even though he would have probably risen to the top. This all happened before the age of 30. In this pic (left to right), Lewis, age 21, me, GM Tony Berrandini, Doc On The Roc, and Bob Taylor. R.I.P. Dude!
Craig Miller
I am today that Lewis Largent, one of the 90’s huge trailblazers in alternative music on MTV and KROQ has passed away after a long illness RIP.
Edwin Jed Fish Gould III
Lewis was easy to connect with. He amazingly — later in life — chose to educate himself in the realm of literature. That makes his passing more meaningful for his deeper understanding of life. I was especially sad when he went to MTV because he was a giant part of our treasured maniacal brain trust. I can sure relate to chronic pain though. I am finding out how helpful the dreaded FB can be when it comes to memories. Perhaps in the future, I will post more than a quarter of a time per year. If you were ever in the same room with Lewis and me, thanks for being there.
KEEP READING,
How did Mc Singing Fats die? ‘Drop it down’ singer cause of death and obituary
Follow us on Twitter for more updates.
Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.