A stroke survivor from three years ago, Perkins is still kicking and hes still ticking, playing some of the best jazz music you ever want to hear on WRTI-FM. I look forward to the opportunity to pick up the mic at WRTI on Sundays to continue to serve all the listeners with finely-tuned ears who have said that Ive helped keep jazz music alive in Philadelphia, and beyond.. Its almost like were trying to do too much. Black Music Month means heritage, he said. The world wasnt moving quite as fast. For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. Joseph V. Labolito. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. His father built homemade antennas that could pick up broadcasts from hundreds of miles away and the two would sit and listen together. Particularly for older listeners, he gives them the comfort of something familiar, and makes them remember that this music that he's playing was the soundtrack to a lot of their lives. The music Perkins plays can summon Proustian recollections of a first kiss, a dance at the Savoy Ballroom or a joyful reunion after a long absence. Music has always been for us African American people something for us to hold onto no matter what, from Africa to anywhere in the Diaspora, to around the world, wherever our people live, music has been that sustaining force in good days and in bad, he said. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. Ive been in radio for quite some time. "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. Thats the magic part about this thing called music. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. His older brother had introduced him to the music of Duke Ellington, which sparked a lifelong love of big band and jazz music. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. I met him when he was a frequent visitor to the 900, One November night in the year 1934, a 17-year-old girl was about to take the stage at the Apollo theaters Amateur Night program and planned to do a, Many years ago, a group of teenage musicians decided to form a small jazz band in South Phillythey went on to become high-profile players in the jazz, WRTI's own jazz legend Bob Perkins sat down with Kile Smith in December, 2012 for a wide-ranging interview about Dave Brubeck the man, his music, and his, I believe the year was 1983 when I was asked if Id like to emcee a concert at the Academy of Music, headlined by Dave Brubeck and his sons and the Modern, Some folkseven jazz fanswouldnt know that 'Robert Chudnick' was the real name of the musician whose handle was Red Rodney. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. A young BP with his brother Joe. The station, run by Temple University, plays classical music during the day and transforms in the evenings into one the countrys premier jazz music broadcasters. He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. The estimated net worth of Joe Bob Perkins is at least $6.75 million as of November 2nd, 2022. Maybe were getting back to that today. He wasn't doing well at, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. Change has come to radio, music, listeners, and listening habits. Ive been told way before I was born, people would come to our house back when my father had the first crystal radio set on the block. The 88 year old Perkins has been on the air in Philadelphia since 1969 with stints as News Director at WDAS-FM and a Jazz host at WHYY before joining WRTI in 1997. If I was lucky enough to get a radio gig in the boonies without any experience, Id be lucky, I was told. Bell Building Twitter: @WRTImusic Language: English Contact: That when I first became aware of who he was, said Larry McKenna, the tenor saxophonist who is one of the deans of Phillys jazz scene. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. Longtime jazz radio host Bob Perkins will retire from full-time hosting on WRTI-FM/Philadelphia in June, the public radio station of Temple University in Philadelphia announced Tuesday. His selections are like a familiar hug from Jazz Land featuring your favorite standards and vocalists such as Sarah, Ella, and Nat, some Big Band legends including the Duke and the Count . Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. In 2016, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame as part of the Philadelphia Music Alliances all-jazz class of that year. He has earned well over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations. Thursday marks the end of an era at 90.1 WRTI-FM, with longtime jazz DJ Bob Perkins signing off from his final weeknight shift after 25 years at the station. The jazz hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19. Our beloved BP with the GMBob Perkins with the Good Musicis turning off his mic on weeknights starting on June 30th after a long and storied career. Bob in the mid '60s - a seasoned veteran on the job for one year at WGPR in Detroit. Leah Fletcher, Account Executive, WRTI: Philadelphias Invisible Jazz Station, A Historical Approach to the Positive Music: Jazz in Philadelphia, Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul will be broadcast by US public radio stations during Black History Month, including WXPN and WRTI, Biden declares Kyiv stands in surprise visit to Ukraine, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Former Philadelphia Eagle, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE, Queen Latifah will host the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25 in Pasadena CA. I wondered to myself, could I get hired for two jobs in one day?, I went upstairs in the building where the radio station was located and I met the general manager, Perkins continued. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. BP talks about Charlie Parker back in 2020 with WRTI's Susan Lewis: His presence is felt throughout the city. Michael Tanenbaum PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Ive met a lot of good people, a lot of entertainers, musicians, and politicians along the way. Robert Bob Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. Juneteenth 2022: Honoring Radio Personality Bob Perkins and Celebrating the Life & Legacy of W. Cody Anderson Temple University Libraries Join the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection and the Office of Community Affairs and Engagement for a day of celebration and remembrance. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. Lance also advises stations, talent and brands on digital content strategies, programming integrations, and brand extensions. And the only way you can make it accurate is you have to be there, he said. They were a great family of jazz artists. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. Fifty-seven years after his voice first graced the airwaves, Perkins, best-known for his weeknight jazz show at WRTI, is entering semi-retirement after 25 years at the station. Hear Bob on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Jazz Brunch. For the last 25 years, hes become known for his warm, personable on-air style, extensive knowledge of jazz, and thoughtful, wide-ranging music mix. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . After breaking in as a DJ and announcer at WGPR-FM, he then expanded to news at WCHB-AM while also working as jazz program director for its twin, WCHD-FM. I think its magic, the music I play. Thats our savior, man.. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, she has studied piano, voice, guitar, saxophone, and music theory at Granoff and Settlement Music schools, and PCPA - now University of The Arts, and continues private instruction with her husband Leon Mitchell - composer, arranger, vocal coach, and musical director of The Philadelphia Legends of Jazz Orchestra. Jazz radio host and South. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. William Johnson, General Manager of WRTI said, Bobs contributions to jazz are innumerable. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. Pianist Orrin Evans believes BP is vital to Philadelphias jazz scene. Perkins was honored with a bronze plaque in the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame on the citys Avenue of the Arts in 2016 and was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003, among other awards and accolades. Listener-supported. I had a mild stroke. Bob Perkins has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the premier jazz stations in the country since 1997. He grew up in South Philadelphia and fell in love with radio as a child. Jazz radio host and South Philadelphia native Bob Perkins, a mainstay on Temple University's public WRTI-FM station, plans to significantly scale back his hours this summer. Bob is jazz radio, David Conant, former general manager at WRTI, told The Inquirer in 2016. Im thrilled hell continue to host Sunday Jazz Brunch after he retires, because we all need some GM (good music) with our toast and jam!. Robert "Bob" Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. He also hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals. You dont know whos listening, how many people: could be one, could be 10,000. Every Saturday, I was there.. Some of Bob Perkins' major honors and awards for career accomplishments include: The Kal Rudman Milestones in Radio Award; The Mellon Jazz Community Service Award, 2002);[6] Inducted to the Philadelphia Broadcast Hall of Fame, 2003 and the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia [1] Hall of Fame (Enshrined with Philadelphia Broadcast Legends John Facenda, Larry Kane, Dick Clark, Herb Clarke and Ed Bradley, to name a few); City of Philadelphia Proclamation by Mayor John Street for Outstanding Contribution to Philadelphia Jazz, 2007;[7] State of Pennsylvania Proclamations at the State House of Representatives and the State Senate for Outstanding Contribution by a Pennsylvania Resident to Jazz, 2007; U.S. House of Representatives Proclamation by Congressman Chaka Fattah for Outstanding Contribution by a Pennsylvania Resident to Jazz, 2007 (pictured above). Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. Music. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. In 1969, he headed home to Philly, where he began working as a news and editorial director at WDAS-FM, which was then known as the voice of the Black community. He stayed at that station for nearly two decades. His fathers illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. It was typically BP in tone. Read More. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. Hes speaking their language especially people who have been listening for years and years.. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . All rights reserved. The great alto saxophonist and jazz icon Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was only 34 years old when he died in 1955. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. I said yes, he said. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. I went to a radio school through my father. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years.. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. And I would sit with him and we would listen. I listened to all the magnificent voices that they had during the second world war: Edward R. Murrow and all those, Bob said in an interview in 2020. Also known as "BP with the GM," (translation: "Bob Perkins with the Good Music"), Mr. Perkins has been in the broadcasting industry for more than five decades as an on-air host, and is now commonly referred to as a Philadelphia jazz radio legend. I went downstairs at the same building, and told the insurance company, Im here to quit a job I never started. Leaving out the door of the insurance company, the man who had offered me a job selling insurance said, Do you know what theyre going to pay you up there? He loved radio programming, and since I was the last kid at home, we listened together to all the great voices John Facenda and Edward R. Murrow anything that was on the radio, from Jack Benny to the Philadelphia Athletics games. Thats our savior, man.. I wrote for Hugo Warren for 20 years. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. They can take you away. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. Bob Perkins at home at WRTI-FM studios. In addition to his job as WRTI jazz host, Perkins has written numerous columns and commentaries on jazz, and has hosted a multitude of concerts at jazz clubs and festivals. My father just loved to have the radio on. Until then, Mondays through Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., you can continue to listen to his radio program on WRTI, Jazz with Bob Perkins.. I knew that people kind of liked my music. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. Read more MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. For younger listeners who might not be as familiar with jazz and are exploring the genre, BPs show is an introductory primer: Jazz 101. 1. One day in late summer last year, his familiar and congenial voice the aural equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate and a soft blanket went silent. So when I came back I got these emails saying, Oh, were glad youre back. I save all my emails. TN: When you had your stroke, did the way people reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise? I know Ive been very blessed. But what are you going to do? A lot of us who live here, we don't have any other outlets and are not really known outside of this city, so we don't get airplay unless we go through WRTI., Bob is a proud Philadelphian, but he doesnt just play local music out of loyalty. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. People call me and tell me, I didnt like jazz till you played it, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2016. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. Hed just play people that he liked. Meaning "Bob Perkins with the good music. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. You can never know. Perkins recalled that his father, at the age of about 40, had such severe arthritis that he could barely walk. Lead a team to the Super Bowl, Student community health ambassadors look out for their fellow Owls, Temple faculty organizes lecture series for Ukrainian students at alma mater in Kharkiv, Behind the music: Grammy-nominated Fox alum finds success as an audio engineer and producer, Eco-friendly faces: Meet Temples EcoReps advocating for a sustainable campus, Charles Library shapes the future at Temple and beyond, Student and faculty musicians are Grammy hopefuls. Lets sit around and gab, whatever the case may be. Music, said BP about the GM. And Ive been a newsman, editorial writer, disc jockeyI guess just about everything with the spoken word in radio. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. His last weeknight show on WRTI is Thursday, Jun 30, from 6 to 9 p.m., but he will continue to host Sunday Jazz Brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphia's airwaves for 50 years. Things change, he said, but there's always someone that's going to keep us on the right track., We're not a fatherless community. Not really fair to the jazz side, IMO, since most people sleep 8 hours of that half, but if you hook yourself up through the website, you can get streaming of whatever . Jazz Host Extraordinaire Bob Perkins is Retiring from Weeknights on WRTI Our beloved "BP with the GM"Bob Perkins with the Good Musicis turning off his mic on weeknights starting on June 30th after a long and storied career. Radio has changed dramatically over the years, [particularly] with all the new technology, he said. Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. 12 of 12. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. On this show he would play a record by Dick Haymes or Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney. Electronics and technology are magnificent. I think hes been very good to all the local jazz musicians who have recorded music, McKenna said. Here's a great in-depth article about Bob from the Chestnut Hill Local. Its not the same. You know, its magic that Ive been around that long and people have that much confidence in me. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? You can find some solace in what you like. Bobs staying power is a testament to his greatness. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . What Bob does, it makes people feel like youre coming home, she said. And people do forget. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. WRTI. Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. And all the while, you weren't aware of ituntil that person moved away, and, During a recent interview, saxophone great Larry Mckenna was right on target when he shared that often in other cities, when people found out he was from, When a dynamic figure in any walk of life departs, writers and just plain folks, usually try to recall certain events about the departed in which they may, When I was a kid growing up in South Philly, there was an older fellow down the block who was trying to play an alto saxophone. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. Radio was saturated into me like a sponge thats put in water, Perkins said. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997, helping to establish the station as one of the countrys leading jazz music broadcasters. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. Saxophonist Larry McKenna has been listening to him for 40 years. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Perkins in 2006. Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts AACP Philadelphia Branch Update NAACP Philadelphia Branch Tweet Share Pin Email ABOVE PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Tweet Share Pin Email By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO WASHINGTON (AP) Conservative justices holding theSupreme Tweet Share Pin Email By DAN GELSTON PHILADELPHIA (AP) Irv Cross was a man of faith Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts Whats Cookin? Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. It's kind of an honor when you are played on his program., For Lovett Hines, Artistic Director and Founder of the Music Education Program of the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, BP represents a sense of history. Not doing anything heroic. Sunday Jazz Brunch with Bob Perkins airs from 9 AM until 1 PM. When I was a kid, which was a long time ago, radio was called the theater of the mind. There was a person named The Shadow. Visit our, Bob Perkins Retires From Fulltime Role At WRTI, Classic Country Makes The Grade In San Luis Obispo, First Listen: Spotify DJ, YouTube Radio Builder, Brooke Grimsley Joins 101 ESPNs Opening Drive, WRNQ Debuts Marino in the Morning with Marissa, Canadian Programming Vets Launch RMR Media Strategies. I enjoy it. By, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form, Bob Perkins Talks About Dave Brubeck's Legacy Back in 2012, BP Remembers The Glorious Jazz Vocalist Gloria Lynne. By Bob Perkins | WRTI-FM (Philadelphia, PA) One November night in the year 1934, a 17-year-old girl was about to take the stage at the Apollo theater's Amateur Night program and planned to do a dance routinebut changed her mind and decided to sing a song instead. Perkins will continue to host his Sunday show from 9am to 1pm. That petered out, but I was still at WHYY playing jazz music and loving it. I had an insurance license and they told me, Youre going to start in a week. I walked out the door and I was very happy. BP brought the GM back for the first time in more than four months his longest absence from the Philadelphia airwaves in 50 years on a Thursday night in December, followed a few days later by his Sunday show at 9 a.m. What he will bring to the microphone in a neat control room on Cecil B. Moore Boulevard just west of Broad Street is something his colleague Bob Craig describes as a style that is very, very warm and very personal and very loose. And hopefully its working. (Photo by WRTI). But I didnt really visualize the response that I got. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. His stories are not secondhand.. Perkins. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. Five days a week, on WRTI, "BP with the GM" (that's Bob Perkins with the Good Music), plays jazz with a connoisseur's ear and an infectious sense of joy. Growing up in a two-bedroom rowhouse near 19th and Reed in South Philly during World War II, Bob Perkins received intimate and powerful instruction on the healing properties of radio. He makes it interesting and inclusive for everybody.. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. Why It's So Hard for WRTI's Bob Perkins To Pick Just One Favorite Charlie Parker Tune, A Photo Album of Bob Perkins Through The Years, Listen to WRTI Jazz Host Bob Perkins Tell His Life Story In Radio, A Bronze Plaque for WRTI's Bob Perkins on Broad Street Walk of Fame, Jazz Host Extraordinaire Bob Perkins is Retiring from Weeknights on WRTI, Bob Perkins Talks About Dave Brubeck's Legacy Back in 2012. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. I dont know how they do it. It was a small station. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. The mix of music was an image of the man who chose it: smart and warm and nostalgic, displaying impeccable taste and a steady, low-key, and almost offhand hipness. He said yesand hes been here ever since. I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. Why might that be? This net worth approximation does not reflect any other investments that Mr. Perkins may own. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. And whats he talking about doing after that? But it seems like the longer I stayed out, [chuckles] the more positive response I got. Happy Birthday BP! Music they danced and romanced to when they were young people.. And it is. The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? The music that appeals to BPs old noggin is what he calls the melodic stuff with no expiration date, most of it recorded decades ago. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. Bob Perkins said of his retirement, After 57 years in media, 25 of those years spent at WRTI, I am now into my 88th year, so this is a good time to retire from full-time hosting at the station, and reflect on where Ive been, with whom Ive talked and what I have learned over the decades as a news man, editorial writer and jazz music host, and see where that leads me. But then hed also play Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, John Coltrane, and Bird. (The last being the nickname for the brilliant bebop jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. July 1, 2022. Anybody who wants to hear jazz on the radio, you have to tune to WRTI and theres Bob Perkins. He also champions local musicians and music. BP: Yes, it really did. But dont fret, you can still lend him your finely tuned ears every Sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM for Sunday Jazz Brunch on WRTI 90.1. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue He goes way back and he studied by listening to some of the great commentators and broadcasters over the years, he said. I program most of the music on the station, said Maureen Malloy. Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. They don't think that it's accessible to younger people. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. In 1969, his hometown of Philadelphia beckoned him back with a gig at rhythm-and-blues station WDAS, where he worked for the next 19 years. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on, Fans mourn death of legendary Philly radio host Sid Mark, Questlove, The Balvenie award first scholarship for PhD in Creativity at University of the Arts, Philadelphia Film Society to host series of family-friendly movie screenings, Eagles name Alex Tanney QB coach, plus other coaching staff updates, The food you eat impacts the health of your eyes, Construction of Penn's Landing park over I-95 finally approved to begin, PennDOT says, Joanna McClinton becomes first woman elected as speaker of Pa. House, Rocco's Italian Sausage, a cult favorite at Home Depot stores in Philly, to expand in Bucks County, Low-calorie sweetener tied to higher risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds. To his greatness has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the mind and tell,..., which sparked a lifelong love of big band and jazz music lucky enough to get a radio school the... 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