And she’s the youngest of the original MTV deejays.
That is weird. She is one of those women that looked very young for a very long time making it feel even weirder. Trying to find a decent quality photo of her from around 1986, but she still looked more like 19-21.
Here she is in 1985, I’m sure she was still getting carded.
Weird Al has gone gray.
Cute sells. Did then and still does today.
Does anybody know who the youngest person ever to host an MTV show was? Since MTV debuted August 1, 1981, Quinn was still 21 so that’s the starting baseline. I don’t know the answer, but it occurred to me as soon as I opened the thread.
Gosh dang where did all the time go?!
I remember watching the cool new music video channel at my sisters in Colorado. A tiny apt above the PO in a small ski town called Breckenridge, my first glimpse of snow for this Floridian, what a trip!
There was a show that MTV aired briefly called “Squirt TV”, based on a public access program that aired in the NYC area in the early to mid 1990s. The host was about 12 years old, and one of his questions was always, “So, what’s the farthest you’ve ever gone with a girl/guy?” The one response I remember was from Liz Phair, who replied, “What kind of a question is that, anyway? I’m married! What’s the farthest you’ve ever gone?”
Several of the original VJs now host channels or shows on Sirius XM, so they’ve re-entered my life after all these years. Same with a couple of DJs from WPLJ (the best New York City rock station in the late 1970s) and WNEW (took over those reins in the early 80s).
For a long time, all four surviving* members of the original five VJs (Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and Nina Blackwood) were the DJs on SiriusXM’s “80s on 8” channel. Goodman and Hunter also host on other Sirius XM channels, mostly “Classic Rewind,” though I think Goodman also hosted on “The Spectrum” channel for a while; I don’t know if Blackwood is on any other channels.
Quinn left SXM in 2016, and now hosts a radio show that’s syndicated on iHeartRadio; Goodman, Hunter, and Blackwood are still on SXM, and the three of the sole DJs for “80s on 8”, save for special shows (such as Rick Springfield’s weekly show).
*- J.J. Jackson died in 2004.
I’ve heard Downtown Julie Brown (DTJB) on Sirius XM.
And not a VJ, but Lisa Loeb hosts some of 90s on 9 – not sure if she wears glasses while hosting, but I like to think so.
Brian
Kurt Loder, who gave me my MTV News, is 79
And from the very raspy sound of her voice, I don’t think she’s a young 65. I think she’s a quite weathered 65. I’m guessing a lot of her young years were spent in the fast lane.
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired to fight about it
Oy…I remember all that. I miss it and miss original MTV.
I know my niece and nephews only hear an old fart complaining about the good old days. But truly…that was better TV than they have now.
And yeah…makes me feel old.
Quinn is still pretty good looking. I don’t know if she’s had any work done, but if she has she’s been careful about not looking like she’s made of plastic.
I was more in the Adam Curry-Tabitha Soren-Downtown Julie Brown generation. Today they are 59, 56, and either 61 or 65 depending on which published birthdate you believe.
You heard Downtown Julie Brown on the 90s at 9 as well. That’s her Sirius XM haunt.
Loeb is still frequently photographed to this day, and she always seems to have her eyeglasses on. Loeb even has a signature eyewear line with Classique these days.
Always believe the older date. Always.
Thanks for mentioning this. I’d heard her on XM radio but never saw a current picture of her. Searching now, yes, she definitely looks great.
You know how it is when you only hear a person’s voice, and you try to imagine their face from that voice? From her voice, I was imagining a weathered and leathered face, a dried prune of a face, with lots of gray hair.
Definitely not so!
Image search, Martha Quinn today
➜ martha quinn today - Google Search
Whenever I think of Martha Quinn, I can’t help but think back to her charming but awkward attempt to work out what Depeche Mode means in English. She decided it meant “hurry up ice cream.”