Dave Kendall was creator and host of the long-running MTV alternative music show 120 Minutes.
Dave Kendall was an MTV star during the 90s and created the show 120 Minutes(Image: MTV)
One of the stars of MTV in its early 90s heyday has died. Tributes are being paid to British presenter Dave Kendall, creator and host of the MTV show 120 Minutes, one of the alternative music programmes that ushered in a new wave of indie music.
Kendall started out as the show’s producer in 1986 with Kevin Seal as host but began fronting it himself in 1989 until 1992. The programme aired artists including Morrissey and the Ramones, who weren’t getting airplay elsewhere, and gave the music video for Nirvana‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit its world premiere.
Matt Pinfield, who would front the Sunday night show in the late 90s revealed the sad news off Kendall’s death on social media. He wrote: “Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Dave Kendall.
“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.
“He 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. Sending love to everyone whose life he touched. Rest easy, Dave.”
Kendall explained the battle he faced at MTV, saying: “I wanted to play music that I thought was cool and original, but the programming department wanted to include all the videos that were in light rotation, folks like Michael Barnes and Jermaine Jackson.”
He added: “I had zero experience as a TV producer,” saying that MTV later allowed bands like Sonic Youth to be played, giving a rare outlet for that type of music in the days before the internet or specialist TV channels.
Kendall is thought to have died yesterday aged 68 and no cause of death has been given. Fans posted tributes to him online today with one describing 120 Minutes as a “lifeblood” of that era of music.
Another said: “Like many, I stayed up every Sunday night to watch Dave on ‘120 Minutes. He introduced all of us to so many great alternative bands. Saddened by this news. May he rest in peace.”
A third wrote: “I would tape episodes on VHS and replay them over and over I learned about so many bands because of this show. To this day, I can’t see the name Chapterhouse without thinking of Dave and his accent [unlike many MTV presenters of the time Kendall was British].”
After 120 Minutes he worked as a club DJ in New York and London and was a video host for satellite radio station SiriusXM, where he fronted Party 360 with Dave Kendall.
Behind the camera, he was also a producer for Sky and Channel 4 and was served a producer and reporter for the Bangkok Post’s TV channel.
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