GALE SPARROW,
1950-2024

Longtime MTV Talent Relations Director Gale Sparrow died Sunday (3/31) at the age of 74 after battling lung cancer. Per her wishes, no funeral is being planned at this time.

Sparrow's first gig in the biz came in 1976 at CBS/Epic Records, and in 1981, she was hired as a talent coordinator for the fledgling MTV. In time, she rose to director of talent and artist relations, a position she held until 1986. She was among the many early staffers interviewed for the 2020 A&E Biography: I Want My MTV, during which she admitted that with only about 250 videos in rotation at first, “It had to be pretty bad for us not to play it.”

In retirement, Sparrow spent winters in Doylestown, Pa., and summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In Doylestown, she opened her own vintage-themed retail store, the aptly named Sparrow's Nest.

"Gale Sparrow was an integral and passionate part of the original team that launched MTV—and many of those legendary artist moments were directly her contributions," said former MTV Networks CEO and current iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman, who dedicated last weekend's iHeartRadio Music Awards in her memory. "That voice, laugh and the wickedly mischievous smile will be missed... One of a kind."

Added former MTV programming head Les Garland, “There’s no doubt in my mind they needed someone up there in rock 'n' roll heaven to handle talent and artist relations. After all the years, I’ve never felt closer to Gale than these past three years. Indeed, we all have Gale Sparrow stories galore. Please let them bring a smile and a grateful feeling to your soul."