Former MTV "120 Minutes" VJ Lewis Largent died at 58, his representative confirmed.
Variety first reported Largent's death Friday, saying he passed away on Feb. 20. A representative shared a similar confirmation with Billboard.
His family did not disclose his exact cause of death, but both statements noted that Largent passed away after a long illness. Details about his health problems are not shared with the public yet.
Fans, colleagues, and friends took to Twitter to pay tribute to Largent, who notably made massive contributions to the music industry.
SlugMonkey wrote, "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!"
How tragic. 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.
— John Norris (@Jonnynono) March 10, 2023
RIP friend. My thoughts are with Julie and his family and loved ones.đ
Lewis Largent, MTV â120 Minutesâ VJ and KROQ DJ https://t.co/9zhc1cfbl4
KROQ also shared a news report regarding Largent's passing and penned a short message, in which it called him a "legend."
Largent is survived by his wife Julie Greenwald, who currently works as Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO, and their two children. The bereaved family did not share information regarding his funeral and memorial services.
Lewis Largent's Legacy Remembered
The Southern California native initially developed an interest in golf as a teen. It led him to land a job at a country club, where he soon met KROQ's general manager.
After learning about his knowledge of music, the general manager offered him an internship at the Los Angeles alternative-radio powerhouse. He soon scored a full-time role in 1985.
Largent's ranks continuously rose in the years thereafter until he became the music director in 1989.
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However, he left KROQ in 1992 as he accepted the offer to serve as the vice president of the music programming post at MTV. At the same time, he scored one of his biggest breaks yet when he hosted "120 Minutes" and welcomed several musicians to the program, including Bjork, David Bowie, Radiohead, and PJ Harvey.
Largent officially gave up the show in 1995 but continued working in his programming post until he was named a senior vice president of A&R at Island Def Jam Records in 1999.
He brought several artists to the label, including Andrew WK and Sum 41. He left in 2004, years before he went back to college and got his BA in creative writing.
He also got his MFA in 2015.
