Nina Blackwood,
Mark Goodman,
Alan Hunter and
Martha Quinn
are getting together with
Rolling Stone contributing
editor Gavin Edwards
to tell their story in
their own words in the
forthcoming book VJ: The
Unplugged Adventures of MTV's
First Wave.
The four (along
with the late J.J.
Jackson) were the first
on-air hosts hired by MTV when
the channel debuted in 1981,
throwing the newcomers into the
heady world of rock as the music
video revolution exploded.
The book offers
a behind-the-scenes look at
their sometimes wild world, from
John Cougar's
attempt to seduce Blackwood to
David Lee Roth
offering Goodman groupies and
cocaine to Quinn traveling with
Bob Dylan on
his private jet to Ireland.
The VJs also
step back from the wild stories
to look at how MTV changed both
music and television. In
chronicling the cable net's
early days, they use their story
to tell the story of the 80s and
the generation that was
transformed by the music video.
As they jokingly
conclude, "We’re the reason you
have no attention span.”
Look for VJ:
The Unplugged Adventures of
MTV's First Wave in
bookstores in May 2013 from
Atria.
|
 |
==================================================================
Uncut: Original MTV VJs Have Book Deal For
‘uncensored’ Oral History Of Music Channel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday,
January 12, 2012 - 9:10 AM
NEW YORK — MTV’s surviving original VJs have some
wild times to share.
Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Thursday that it had
signed with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn for an
“uncensored” oral history of the music channel launched in 1981. The book is
currently untitled and no release date has been set. A fifth VJ, J.J.
Jackson, died in 2004.
According to Atria, the VJs will talk
about everything from partying with Van Halen to a
disastrous “Paint the Mutha Pink”
contest with “Pink Houses” singer John Cougar Mellencamp.
The VJs also participated in an MTV oral history
published last fall, but Atria spokesman Paul Olsewski said Thursday that they have saved their
“best stories” for their own book.
Blackwood will be posting progress reports about the making of the book on her Facebook pages at:
https://www.facebook.com/ninablackwoodofficial
===============================================================================
United Stations Radio Network Signs Nina
Blackwood
Until The End Of The World …
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Off The Press, Updated: Monday, January 9, 2012
Los Angeles — Blackwood’s nationally syndicated “Absolutely80s” and “New Wave
Nation” shows are now scheduled to air until after the Mayan calendar is to end.
Producer Danny Sheridan announced that an agreement was reached to extend Nina
Blackwood’s broadcast deal with United Stations Radio Networks well past the
date that the world is scheduled to end this coming December 21st.
“We have had a long and comfortable relationship with the entire team at USRN”,
says Sheridan, “and now we have happily agreed to keep Nina’s shows with United
Stations through 2012.”
Nina Blackwood helped set the musical tastes and trends that are being
celebrated today, and she continues to highlight the video era that changed
music forever with her weekend three-hour long and daily five minute short-form
“Absolutely80s”. On them, Nina plays
all of the huge hits that she helped to break as a VJ on MTV and tells her own
stories about having been there.
Before today's alternative music arrived, hundreds of adventuresome artists
shaped the sound of clubs, campuses, record racks, and of course early
alternative radio. The best of that
80s rock, Brit pop, Ska, New York punk, and California underground can be
heard on Blackwood’s other three-hour weekend show, “New Wave Nation”.
All three radio shows are broadcast on important radio stations across the US
and Canada and include rare interviews, weekly features, and Blackwood’s
charismatic and genuine enjoyment of the music.
When asked about long-term plans for the shows Sheridan added that, “If the
world doesn’t end next December as predicted, I anticipate that we will already
be in negotiations to renew Nina’s USRN deal into 2013.”
=================================================================================
Nina Blackwood Signs New Contract With SiriusXm Satellite Radio
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Off The Press, Updated: Thursday, November
15, 2011
NEW YORK — Original MTV VJ continues to broadcast on the ‘Big 80s On 8” channel in 2012.
In a contract signed today, Nina Blackwood has agreed to continue her daily
broadcasts and countdown specials on SiriusXM’s “Big
80s On 8”. Available on their
channel 8, Blackwood hosts hit music from the decadent 1980 decade along with
fellow former VJs Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha
Quinn, and she provides her own brand of ‘color commentary’ between the tunes.
For up to the minute schedules for all of the SiriusXM original VJs, use your
Internet connection to click over to: www.Facebook.com/Big80son8
=================================================================================
