Dave Kendall, the creator and host of MTV’s ‘120 Minutes,’ has died at 63. Kendall introduced alternative rock and underground music to a generation of fans in the 1980s and ’90s.

Early Life and Career

Kendall was originally from Britain and arrived in New York City in 1984. He soon dropped out of an exchange program and immersed himself in the local music scene, writing for the East Village Eye and the British publication Melody Maker.

In 1986, he landed a job with MTV, working as a writer for a brand-new show that would become ‘120 Minutes.’ The show debuted in March 1986 and promoted a vast array of rock, pop, and punk acts working outside the mainstream.

Legacy

Kendall became the face of ‘120 Minutes’ until he left the show in 1992. Many of the bands he promoted, including R.E.M., the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nirvana, went on to achieve huge success.

After leaving ‘120 Minutes,’ Kendall worked as a producer and writer in Los Angeles and later moved to Thailand, where he worked on a travel show and served on the editorial staff of The Bangkok Post.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.