The Launch of MTV

I remember the fascination when MTV launched its programming in the summer of '81.

I was working at Coughtry's  Supply on Central Avenue in Albany, and my colleague Rick Miller and I would take our lunch break to sit in this tiny restaurant/pub to watch actual music videos.

It was the next best thing to going to a concert. And way better than listening to the radio.

There, in living color on a big-screen TV, were our music idols and a lot of musicians who weren't yet on our radar.

Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Martha Quinn would lead us through video after video as we watched the likes of Pat Benatar, Duran Duran and Van Halen.

We'd have a sandwich, sometimes a beer on Fridays, and watch videos on our lunch break.

 Another time and place.

Comments

[CRinkin]

Nothing cooler than MTV in the early days. VH1 comes close to that now, but you never just see videos only.