J.J. Jackson, One Of MTV's First VJs, Dies At Age 62

VH1.com ^ | 3.18.2004 | Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Curtis Waller and Jennifer Vineyard

[NYC GOP Chick]

		03.18.2004 4:40 PM EST
		J.J. Jackson, One Of MTV's First VJs, Dies At Age 62   Jackson suffered apparent heart attack. by Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Curtis Waller and Jennifer Vineyard
			J.J. Jackson says hello on MTV for the first time on August 1, 1981 (Photo: MTV)
J.J. Jackson, remembered as one of the first faces of MTV, died Wednesday night in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack, according to friends and former business associates. He was 62. Jackson helped define the term "VJ" as one of the first on-air personalities on MTV when the channel launched in 1981. During his five-year tenure with the network, Jackson interviewed some of the top names of the day and was part of some key music milestones. Jackson covered the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert in London and helped to "unmask" Kiss during a 1982 interview. He also hosted the debut episode of MTV's long-running "120 Minutes" in 1986, and brought music titans like Robert Plant and Pete Townshend to the then-fledgling channel. MTV released a statement Thursday evening (March 18), mourning the loss of one of its beloved alumni and reflecting on his immense contribution to the station. "J.J. Jackson's deep passion for music, his ease and good humor on air, and his welcoming style really set the tone for the early days of MTV. He was a big part of the channel's success and we are sure he is in the music section of heaven, with lots of his friends and heroes. We are fortunate to have had him as a part of the MTV family.  He will be greatly missed." Besides his endeavors in television, Jackson also logged a thick résumé in radio. Prior to his MTV days, Jackson was a rock-radio staple, first at WBCN-FM in Boston, and later at a few stations in Los Angeles. After his VJ days, Jackson returned to radio in the Los Angeles area. On Thursday (March 18), Paul Goldstein, program director of L.A.'s KTWV-FM, said "J.J.'s tenure with the station ended just six months ago. He was a wonderful man and will be very missed." More information concerning J.J. Jackson will be available in the coming hours.

[sauropod]

I am the Porcine King ;-).

Is it within my power to be a Gentleman?

[HighWheeler]

I didn't know anything about liberal or conservative back then, but the way Martha acted so feminine on MTV was great. If she's lib it would break my heart, so don't tell me if she's a lib.

Kennedy always looked like she had been spending the last year preparing for a sex change.

[blackdog]

Or the B-52's. Their "Loveshack" is the best Kareoke act out there. I seem to remember "Rock Lobster" too.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Is it within my power to be a Gentleman?

Rumor has it that you do. ;)

[HighWheeler]

Music today is so bad that not even MTV plays any of it.

[BossLady]

And who could forget all those John Mellencamp videos.....sheesh.....Little Pink Houses (remember when MTV gave away a little pink house????)....Authority Song....etc.....etc....

[sauropod]

I remember Martha the preppie. She was hot! ;-)

[BossLady]

The videos used to crack me up......there was a time when all of them had a fan in the background and water going somehwere.....LOL

[HighWheeler]

The second video braodcast was "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I am fortunate enough to have VH1 Classic, MTV2 and some other "specialty" music channels on my digital cable. :D

It's such a trip to watch those old videos -- especially from the early-mid 80s. Lots of British bands and instead of using models and porn stars in their videos, they usually used their wives, girlfriends, etc.

[NYC GOP Chick]

You sure?

[blackdog]

Martha behaved like a man's dream wife. No fussing, no prissy attitude, little to no makeup, and casted an image that she was like your earth muffin little best friend.

Crack some beers, kick back, and just take in life. I'm sure it was her shtick and an act, but it struck a void at a time where women behaved nothing like that.

[sauropod]

You big tease.

[NYC GOP Chick]

You big tease.

Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not! ;D

[HighWheeler]

Yup, I just ran it through google using "mtv second video pat benatar" to search.

[NYC GOP Chick]

You RAWK! ;)

[blackdog]

Get a room you guys. One without a keyboard in it.

[HighWheeler]

"Martha behaved like a man's dream wife. No fussing, no prissy attitude, little to no makeup, and casted an image that she was like your earth muffin little best friend."

What a great description of Martha, what a woman.

[HighWheeler]

You owe me a beer, I'll collect it from you at the FR Inaugural Ball next January in D.C.

[NYC GOP Chick]

You owe me a beer, I'll collect it from you at the FR Inaugural Ball next January in D.C.

Deal! You got it! :)