RIP Dave Kendall

I didn't get MTV until high school (that's the mid-90s for anyone keeping score) but, once I did, I voraciously consumed every moment of 120 Minutes I could get my eyeballs on. I primarily associate the show with host Matt Pinfield but he only took over in 1995. The show was created by Dave Kendall, a British journalist and early MTV VJ. He passed away this week but I would be remiss if I did not honor the impact his creation had on my life.

I'm not alone in my love of 120 Minutes. There's a massive archive that documents every episode that aired, what videos they played and tries to recreate that content with what is available on streaming. A herculean effort that is highly appreciated. There are also loads of fans posting full episodes to Archive.org. You can even just search directly for "Dave Kendall" to get straight to the goods. There's treasure troves on YouTube as well. It's everywhere!

Kendall hosted 120 Minutes from 1998 to 1992 and always had such great rapport with the bands he interviewed. I am not sure how involved he was in the specific music selections episode-to-episode but he should get credit for creating the environment where less-than-mainstream videos could find a home (Yes, I realize music videos in 1988 still cost an arm and a leg but all the more reason to give them a place to air!).

Big fan of Dave Kendall and I urge you to celebrate his life by partaking in some 120 Minutes.