- Alan Hunter
Alan C. Hunter (born
February 14 ,1957 ) was one of the original five video jockeys (VJ's) onMTV from 1981 to 1987 (along withNina Blackwood ,Mark Goodman ,Martha Quinn , andJ. J. Jackson ). He currently heads the production company Hunter Films, which he formed with his brother Hugh. He and Hugh and two other brothers also founded "WorkPlay," a multipurpose office, studio and entertainment facility inBirmingham, Alabama . He is also the host of the new reality show "Looking for Stars" on the Starz channel.Born in Birmingham in 1957, Hunter graduated from
Mountain Brook High School in 1975 and earned his Bachelor's degree in 1979 fromMillsaps College inJackson, Mississippi . He pursued acting for a while, earning a role in the video forDavid Bowie 's "Fashion" and a role as usher in the film musicalAnnie , before being tapped to join the fledgling MTV network.MTV went on the air on
August 1 ,1981 at midnight in selected markets. Hunter was, by accident, the first VJ to appear on screen, with the words "And I'm Alan Hunter. Let's get to it". During his first month with MTV he kept his regular job tending bar at New York's Magic Pan. When a customer recognized him, he left bartending and became a full-time VJ -- attending concerts and parties until the wee hours and then coming back to the studio at 8:00 AM for a full day of taping interviews, promos and features. Hunter distinguished himself by pushing for more remotes and road trips rather than in-studio interviews. He stayed with the network for seven years before relocating to Los Angeles, where he starred in numerous Fox pilots, precursors of today's reality programming. In the mid-90s, he moved back to his hometown to start a film company, and, with his brothers, to create WorkPlay.Hunter co-founded Birmingham's
Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival and serves as its board president. He helped launch the civic activism group Catalyst4Birmingham. He does voiceover work forVerizon Wireless radio spots and has signed with theSirius Satellite Radio as a host for the 80s music channel. (Coincidentally, all of the other original MTV VJs are also working for SIRIUS, with the exception of J. J. Jackson, who is deceased.) He has lobbied for the creation of a regional film promotion group in Birmingham, now realized as the "Birmingham-Jefferson Film Office".External links
* [http://www.hunterfilms.com/ Hunter Films] website
* [http://www.workplay.com/ WorkPlay] website
* [http://www.sidewalkfest.com/ Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival] website
* [http://www.catalyst4birmingham.org/ Catalyst4Birmingham] website
* [http://www.starz.com/lookingforstars/ "Looking for Stars"] websiteReferences
*imdb name|0402694
* " [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/02/mtv.hunter.cnna/ Alan Hunter on 20 years of MTV] " (August 2, 2001) CNN.com/entertainment. - accessed April 3, 2006
* Harvey, Alec (August 1, 2006) "Hunter made TV history with MTV launch." "Birmingham News".
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