At the age of 58, Largent, a senior A&R at Island Def Jam Records and the well-known host of MTV’s 120 Minutes, passed unexpectedly.
Last week, Variety received confirmation from Largent’s family that he passed suddenly on February 20 after a protracted illness.
He interviewed musicians like David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Radiohead, Björk, and Smashing Pumpkins while hosting MTV’s alternative music program 120 Minutes in the early to mid-1990s after joining the company as Vice President of Music Programming.
The influential tastemaker, who was born in Southern California, began his career in the music industry by interning at the famed alternative rock radio station KROQ in Los Angeles. In 1985 and 1989, he began working for the station full-time.
Largent retired from hosting 120 Minutes for MTV in 1995, but he remained a programmer for the network until 1999. After that, he joined Island Def Jam Recordings as Senior Vice President of A&R. Up until 2004, the label was run under his direction and signed alternative artists like Andrew WK and Sum 41.
He is survived by his wife, Julie Greenwald, who serves as CEO and Chairwoman of Atlantic Music Group, and their two children.
Matt Pinfield, who took over 120 Minutes after Largent, tweeted an homage to him and expressed his “total gut-wrenching” reaction to the news. Lewis and I were really close. I don’t know what to say.
Lewis Largent children: Did Lewis Largent have kids?
Yes, Lewis Largent and his wife, Julie Greenwald, the CEO of Atlantic Music Group, had two children.