Martha Quinn

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Martha Quinn
Born
Martha Conrad Quinn

(1959-05-11) May 11, 1959 (age 64)
Albany, New York
Alma materNew York University (B.A., 1981)
Occupation(s)Actress
Cable TV personality
Radio host
SpouseJordan Tarlow

Martha Conrad Quinn (born May 11, 1959) is an American actress and

television personality, best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV (along with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and J. J. Jackson
).

Early life

Quinn was born in Albany, New York, the daughter of Nina Pattison, a retirement counselor, and David Quinn, an attorney.[1] She is the stepdaughter of personal finance columnist Jane Bryant Quinn, and has two older brothers and a younger half-brother.[2] Prior to joining MTV, Quinn graduated from Ossining High School in 1977, and NYU in 1981.

MTV

On July 13, 1981, Quinn was working at

Campbell's Soup) and working at WNYU-FM
, the college radio station.

Quinn entered the studio knowing nothing about MTV or what its producers expected of her. She did a four-minute audition where she talked about

VJ.[3]

Quinn joined Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter and J. J. Jackson as original faces and voices of MTV. Being hosts of the nation's first music television network provided them with an in-depth and up-close perspective on the most popular rock/pop music and artists of the 1980s.

In 1986, Quinn took part in the then World Wrestling Federation's (later WWE) Slammy Awards, conducting interviews backstage.

Quinn initially left MTV at the end of her contract in late 1986.[4] However, she was rehired by the network in early 1989 and stayed with the channel until 1992.[5][6]

Popularity

Quinn's presence on MTV through

I Want My MTV by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum,[7]
Dwight Garner recalled: "Every sentient straight male in the country developed a schoolboy crush on Martha Quinn, one of the first V.J.'s, fresh out of New York University and so cute she could make your cranium detonate."

In the early ‘90s, she also hosted the MTV programs Martha's Greatest Hits, MTV Prime with Martha Quinn, and

Knebworth 1990
.

Acting roles

In 1984, Quinn appeared as herself in an episode of the short-lived sitcom

Bad Channels. She also had a recurring role on Full House. Quinn was featured in a series of commercials for Neutrogena
in the mid-1990s.

Career in the 21st century

In 2001, Quinn hosted Martha Quinn's Rewind, a daily radio program that was aired on at least five Clear Channel radio stations in the United States.[8][9]

In 2005, Quinn joined

The 80s on 8
, and the show was simply titled Martha Quinn Presents. Quinn joins the other surviving original MTV VJs in hosting programs for The 80s on 8 (10:00 am – 1:00 pm).

On the September 22, 2005 episode of Comedy Central's new series The Showbiz Show with David Spade, Quinn appeared as herself in mock archival footage (dating back to 1983) from her MTV days. In two separate bumper skits, Quinn sarcastically foretold considerably bizarre behavior from stars Michael Jackson and Sting. Subsequent episodes took shots at Whitney Houston and Tommy Lee.

In 2007, Quinn lent her name, face and voice to The '80s Game with Martha Quinn, a PC trivia game developed by Funkitron. The game featured multiple-choice questions about 1980s culture in categories including music, politics, television, sports, movies and celebrities.[10]

Quinn was on SiriusXM until 2016 when she left to host mornings for KOSF in San Francisco, owned by Bob Pittman's iHeartMedia.[11]

In December 2017, Quinn hosted a show for public television called The 80's (My Music).

Since January 2022, Quinn has been hosting The Martha Quinn Show for iHeartMedia, broadcasting across more than 35 iHeartMedia stations, including stations in San Francisco, Seattle, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, St. Louis and more.[12]

Personal life

Quinn was vegetarian [13] but has since become vegan.[14]

In the 1980s, she dated Stiv Bators, frontman for punk band Dead Boys.[15]

In 1992, she married musician Jordan Tarlow (ex-Fuzztones). They have two children.

In May 2023, Quinn was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.[16][17]

In popular culture

Quinn is featured prominently in Joe Hill's post-apocalyptic novel The Fireman.

Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper created a song about Quinn called "Stuffin’ Martha’s Muffin".[18]

References

  1. ^ "Martha Quinn Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  2. ^ "JANE BRYANT AND MARTHA QUINN. Two women who have made it in a business where mother-and-daughter families are as rare as white peacocks". Csmonitor.com. June 19, 1986. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via Christian Science Monitor.
  3. ^ Martha Quinn. "Martha Quinn Presents". Archived from the original on March 17, 2012.
  4. ^ WESTBROOK, BRUCE. "MTV drops Quinn while searching for fresh faces." Houston Chronicle, NO STAR ed., sec. WEEKEND PREVIEW, 8 Jan. 1987, p. 1. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0ED7ACC863D5A5A4. Accessed 9 Feb. 2020.
  5. ^ Journal wire services, From Beacon. "QUINN RETURNS TO MTV TO HOST `DEJA VIDEO'." Akron Beacon Journal (OH), 1 STAR ed., sec. ENTERTAIN, 14 Feb. 1989, p. B4. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EB629B8D011ABB0. Accessed 9 Feb. 2020.
  6. ^ MAYHEW, MALCOLM. "The 10 most memorable VJs." Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), FINAL ed., sec. LIFE & ARTS, 1 Aug. 2001, p. 1. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EDA3934EE580E6B. Accessed 17 Mar. 2021.
  7. ^ N.Y. Times, Oct. 26, 2011, p. C8
  8. ^ Arave, Lynn. "What's it like on other side of mike? - Newsman at KUTV interviews 4 local DJs." Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT), All ed., sec. Life, 25 May 2001, p. C07. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0F369CB2C94E6AD8. Accessed 17 Mar. 2021.
  9. ^ Saxe, Frank (May 2001). "Newsline". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 20. p. 78.
  10. ^ Saltzman, Marc (August 14, 2007). "The 80s Game with Martha Quinn Review". Gamezebo.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  11. ^ "KOSF San Francisco To Become "iHeart 80s Radio" - RadioInsight". Radioinsight.com. June 6, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  12. ^ "Iconic MTV Personality and iHeartMedia On Air Talent Martha Quinn To Host "The Martha Quinn Show"".
  13. ^ Sooney, Pia (May 16, 2011). "Interview with original MTV VJ, Martha Quinn". Like Totally 80s. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "Martha Quinn's Official Twitter Profile". Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  15. ^ "Case Of The Ex (Podcast) | Martha Quinn | iHeart80s @ 103.7". Martha Quinn. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  16. ^ "Original MTV VJ Martha Quinn, 64, is 'Finding Joy in Every Day' After Revealing Battle with Endometrial Cancer".
  17. ^ "What Happened to Martha Quinn? Does Martha Quinn Have Cancer? - Comprehensive English Academy NYSE". July 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Mojo Nixon".

External links

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