MTV 120 Minutes host and KROQ-FM DJ Lewis Largent dies aged 58 following a long illness
MTV 120 Minutes host Lewis Largent has died at the age of 58.
The star – who was also a DJ on California radio station KROQ-FM – passed away on February 20 after a long illness his family have now confirmed.
He is survived by his wife, Atlantic Music Group chairman and CEO Julie Greenwald and their two children.
MTV’s 120 Minutes was dedicated to playing the latest alternative rock and electronic music in the early to mid 90s.
He also worked for MTV as Vice President of Music Programming, interviewing acts including David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Radiohead, Björk and Smashing Pumpkins.
Sad news: MTV 120 Minutes host Lewis Largent has died at the age of 58, his family have revealed
He also worked as a radio DJ for KROQ and as an A&R senior at Island Def Jam Records.
He got his start in the music industry with an internship at LA’s alternative rock radio station, KROQ.
He began working for the station full time in 1985 and was promoted to a music director position in 1989.
Lewis stepped down from presenting 120 Minutes for MTV in 1995 but continued to serve as a programmer for MTV until 1999 before joining Island Def Jam Records as Senior Vice President of A&R.
He went on to sign acts including Sum 41 and Andrew WK.
He resigned from the label in 2004.
His role as host was next appointed to Matt Pinfield.
After hearing the news of Largent’s death he tweeted on Friday: ‘I am completely gutted. I loved Lewis very much. I am at a loss for words.’
Tragic: The star – who was also a DJ on California radio station KROQ-FM – passed away on February 20 after a long illness
Family: He is survived by his wife, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald, and their two children (interviewing Davis Bowie)
Fellow MTV personality John Norris, who was a correspondent at MTV News during the same era, tweeted: ‘Not gonna lie, I always wished that I was as cool as Lewis and he could not have been more chill and humble and kind.’
Elsewhere, SiriusXM host and Largent’s KROQ colleague Doug ‘Sluggo’ Roberts said: ‘It’s heartbreaking to think we’ve lost Lewis Largent.
‘The LewMonkey, as I called him, couldn’t have been more welcoming when I first joined KROQ at one of its coolest phases (thanks in big part to him) and he quickly became a good friend. RIP my brother!’
According to Variety he received degrees in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College following his career in the music industry.
