Adam Curry
A former MTV VJ who helped invent podcasting, betting early that the internet would democratize media creation.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American broadcasting and internet personality·Birthday: September 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Adam Curry's career is a map of media disruption. He first found fame in the 1980s as a smooth-talking MTV VJ, a gatekeeper of the music video revolution. But his true legacy began when he left the channel. Obsessed with the internet's potential, he launched one of the first celebrity websites and saw a future where audio could travel directly to listeners. In 2004, he co-created a piece of software that automatically delivered audio files to iPods, a process he dubbed 'podcasting.' His show 'The Daily Source Code' became a prototype for the medium, earning him the nickname 'Podfather.' Never one to settle, Curry later launched the politically charged 'No Agenda' show, a crowdfunding pioneer. His journey from mainstream TV host to internet anarchist encapsulates the seismic shift from broadcast to narrowcast.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Adam was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Adam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Adam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-developed one of the first automated systems for delivering audio content to portable devices, helping to pioneer the podcasting medium.
- Hosted 'The Daily Source Code,' an early and influential podcast that helped popularize the format.
- Served as one of the original VJs on MTV during its influential early years.
- Co-created and co-hosted the podcast 'No Agenda,' a successful experiment in listener-supported media.
- Founded the early internet media company On Ramp, and later the web hosting service Think Computer.
Did You Know?
He holds dual American and Dutch citizenship and began his media career on Dutch radio.
He was the first person to purchase a banner ad on the internet, for his company On Ramp.
He is a licensed amateur radio operator.
He once worked as a club DJ in the Netherlands under the name 'The Amazing Adam Curry.'
He interviewed Michael Jackson for MTV in 1992, one of the singer's last major TV interviews.
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