Dave Kendall, the creator and host of MTV’s 120 Minutes, recently passed away. He was 68 years old.
Videos by Suggest
Former colleague of Kendall’s, Matt Pinfield, confirmed the news. “Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Dave Kendall,” he wrote. “Dave was one of the true believers. Long before alternative music found its way into the mainstream, he was there every week on 120 Minutes, introducing people to bands that would go on to define an era.”
Continuing to show his admiration for Kendall, Pinfield wrote, “[Kendall] didn’t just host a show. He gave a home to music that deserved to be heard. He loved the music, respected the artists, and connected with fans in a way that always felt authentic. That’s a rare gift.”
Kendall appeared on the MTV alternative music program, which played on Sunday nights at midnight from 1986 to 2003. It later returned on MTV2 from 2011 to 2013. Kendall hosted the show from 1988 to 1992, and Pinfield hosted from 1995 to 1999 and from 2011 to 2013.
The VJ/DJ notably played at LA clubs as a DJ and even mixed the A Voyage into Trance vol. 2 CD album in 2001. Following the cancellation of 120 Minutes, he created The Daily Dish. He was also a producer for TechTV/G4, Sky, Channel 4, Travel Channel, and Animal Planet.
Kendall was a producer/reporter for the Bangkok Post TV channel and a producer/host for Destination Thailand. He hosted Party 360 with Dave Kendal on SiriusXM’s First Wave.
No further details, including the cause of death, have been revealed.
Fans Mourn Kendall on Social Media
Following the news about Kendall’s passing, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the late VJ/DJ.
“He changed the way so many of us in mainstream conservative towns listened to music,” one fan wrote. “Definitely woke up this kid in Nashville.”
Another fan, who also worked for him, wrote, “When I was 18 and worked at MTV, I walked a 3/4″ tape of the first music video I directed up to his office. I thought he’d hate it because he liked weird bands like KMFDM, but he was really excited and slotted it into 120 Minutes (at 2:00AM when the credits rolled). Also, he had a key to the Premium Closet, so he would give me MTV hats and shirts! Dave was one of a kind. We’re all better for having him in our lives.”
A fellow admirer added, “Between 120 Minutes, Communion at Limelight, and his bar The Mission, this man was very influential to my music taste and bad habits in the 90s. It was so cool to occasionally make small talk with the MTV VJ of my favorite show.”