Back when you could still watch music videos playing on MTV no matter what time it was, the VJs were a constant presence. Many of them were front and center for some of the music industries most iconic moments.
Though the glory days of MTV may be long gone many of them are still making noise in various other fields. Here is what a few of those familiar faces have been up to.
He might be the most well-known VJ of them all. Daly made a name for himself as the first host of MTV's Total Request Live. He interviewed everyone from Mariah Carey to Eminem. When he left MTV, Daly landed several huge gigs. He hosts his own late-nite talk show, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly and he is also the host of the Voice. In his day job, he hosts The Daly Download on the radio. These days he is also married with 3 kids.
Lewis was the host of TRL and The Hot Zone for awhile. She caused quite a stir in 1998 when she told YM Magazine that she had been celibate for 6 months. Her MTV career skyrocketed at that point. She left MTV in 2001 to host her own talk show which only lasted for a single season. Since then she worked on The Insider in 2004 before falling off the map for the most part.
Sway started out as a radio DJ before moving onto news correspondent for TRL. He ended up doing some pretty big interviews including 3 with then President, Barak Obama. Sway will still show up on MTV but these days he is mostly hosting his show "Sway in the Morning" on "Shade45" on SiriusXM. He's also appeared as himself on shows like The Boondocks, Empire and Luke Cage.
Pinfield has a passion for his specific genre of music unlike any you may have ever seen before. The man just loves alternative rock. That's why watching his show, 120 Minutes was so awesome. When he left MTV, he became an A&R for Columbia Records and wrote a book about how music changed his life. You can find Pinfield hosting his daily radio show on SiriusXM's "Lithium" station these days.
From the moment that Camp won the very first MTV's Wanna be a VJ competition, you just knew he was gonna be memorable and fun. He spent his time as a VJ co-hosting TRL. Once his contract ended he tried to parlay his newfound fame into a successful music career but his albums flopped. He came back to MTV in 2016 to host "TBTRL." He's still partying all the time and just as crazy as he was back in the day.
Norris was a correspondent for MTV News for over 12 years. He conducted many legendary interviews during his time before 2008 when he was let go during the MTV layoffs. He soon found more work on CBS' Sunday Morning and 48 Hours. He left CBS for Fuse TV before leaving to write for various magazines and websites.
Altschul always seemed out of place on MTV. She was more serious like a correspondent on an actual news channel. That's why in 2003 she became one for CBS. She has been on the CBS Sunday Morning show since 2008. Altschul also worked for CNN in 2001 for a short period of time, returning to the network to host a special on the return of PCP back in 2012.
With her catchphrase and sultry accent, Downtown Julie Brown was a star from the first time she appeared on the screen. She hosted the channels first dance show, Club MTV. At this time you can find her hosting her daily countdown on "90's on 9" on Sirius XM radio. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Quinn was on of MTV's original VJs. She didn't have a ton of experience at the time but she made it work. She quickly became one of the most popular VJ's on the channel. Eventually, Rolling Stone magazine awarded her the title of MTV's Best-Ever VJ. These days Quinn spends her days living in Malibu with her husband. She has two children.
Kurt started out as a journalist working for Rolling Stone in the 80's. He joined MTV as an anchor on 'This Week in Rock" in 1987. That show would eventually become MTV News. The show expanded from just music to reporting on political and other important issues. Loder still hosts MTV News to this day. He is the network's longest tenured personality and currently lives in New York.
With all the divorce talk recently, it's easy to forget that before she was La La Anthony, she was La La Vasquez host of TRL. When she left MTV her wedding was aired on VH1 and she appeared as herself in several movies and TV shows. She also became friends with the Kardashians. She has written 2 books as well. She stays busy but she never fails to make time to post to her followers on Instagram and Twitter.
Before he was one of the funniest guys on Saturday Night Live, Quinn was the co-host of MTV's "Remote Control." The game show was the perfect outlet for Quinn's brand of comedy. He has regularly appeared in movies including "Grown Ups" with Adam Sandler. He still regularly shows up at the Comedy Cellar in NY to perform and has even performed on Broadway.
Kennedy and controversy went hand in hand during her time with the network. Since leaving MTV she has gone the political route hosting a show on Fox Business Network called Kennedy. She joined the network after having shows on Fox Reality Channel and a short stint on the Gameshow Network. Kennedy is an avid Libertarian and says her show is a fun political talk show that lets her call out people who inhibit others freedom while letting her talk to interesting people about subjects they both love.
These two were the original hosts of the groundbreaking, "Yo! MTV Raps." With their blend of comedy and style, they presented the hip-hop world to a whole new audience showcasing artists from a different perspective than the ones they were normally portrayed under. Dre is now a radio personality and Lover hosts his own show on "Backspin" on SiriusXM.
The sexy voiced aspiring model and actress became one of MTVs original VJs and influenced an entire generation. She worked there for 5 years before leaving to work for Entertainment Tonight, followed by a stint with Solid Gold. After that, she got a divorce and began working as a DJ for a radio station out of Denver. Now 61 years old, Blackwood hosts a daily countdown with SiruisXMs "80's on 8" station.
