bob perkins wrti illness

He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . Temple Now: How do you choose the music that you play? Electronics and technology are magnificent. Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . Perkins, a longtime jazz DJ, will continue hosting his weekly "Sunday Jazz Brunch show. 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. His knowledge of jazz programming was instrumental to a significant increase in weekday Jazz listener-ship and a doubling of the Sunday Jazz audience for his time slot. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. Perkins wandered into the station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. He also hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals. BP: Yes, it really did. Maybe its one of the high points in their life.". Im just playing music. Targa Resources 20 years . 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. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. Looking back over his broadcast career, Perkins said he had dual passions one for anchoring the news, the other for playing jazz greats on the radio. "You guys go home! It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. 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. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. 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. The world is a lot different than it used to be.. In 1988, big changes came to WDAS, and I was amongst the first of the old group of employees to be let go, he continued. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. Since his Bloomberg profile states that he has gone to both . They offered me a job and I accepted. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years.. 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. "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. 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. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. And I would sit with him and we would listen. TN: Whats the response been to your show recently? He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. He got his first job in radio during a trip to visit his two brothers in Detroit in 1964. 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. The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. And the only way you can make it accurate is you have to be there, he said. At one time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and. Maybe were getting back to that today. My father must have been listening to radio from the very start. 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. Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. 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. During his short life, he became one of the, Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. I did a good music program over there for twenty years. 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. July 1, 2022. Lets have fun; lets have a beer. King agrees. 2/17/2019. Music, said BP about the GM. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. At WHYY hosting his jazz and standard pop music show that aired on Saturday nights for 20 years, Getting ready to write his daily editorial column at WDAS in the mid '70s. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. I knew the Athletics batting averages like they were my own name. BP broke into radio in Detroit on WGPR/WCHB/WCHD in 1964. 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. For younger listeners who might not be as familiar with jazz and are exploring the genre, BPs show is an introductory primer: Jazz 101. On this show he would play a record by Dick Haymes or Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney. We cant eat our dinner without you. Ive been in radio for about 55 years and in Philadelphia for 50 years. Thats our savior, man.. A young BP with his brother Joe. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Jazz-Classical WRTI/PHILADELPHIA evening host BOB PERKINS is stepping away from his weekday 6-9p (ET) show on JUNE 30th. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. I think hes been very good to all the local jazz musicians who have recorded music, McKenna said. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. For 50 years he has been one of the great voices of Philadelphia radio, starting in 1969 with a nearly 20-year stint as a news and editorial reader for WDAS, known in those days as The Voice of the Black Community. Over the last 20-some years, BP with the GM has become an icon of the Philadelphia airwaves, holding down a prime, three-hour early evening time slot Monday through Thursday on WRTI. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. [3] One of his well-known sayings is "This is BP with the GM!". WRTI has not yet put a new DJ in Perkins usual weeknight spot, which will temporarily be filled by station associate general manager Josh Jackson, KYW Newsradio reported. He made his own antennas and we could sit and listen to Chicago, Detroit. But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. 27206. (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM) His father's illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. TN: Why do you feel people respond so strongly to music? My father just loved to have the radio on. PERKINS, 88, has been hosting at WRTI for 25. Bob Perkins, WRTI DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964. He throws in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure. Its a rallying cry. Its not the same. You know, its magic that Ive been around that long and people have that much confidence in me. I had been selling insurance in North Philadelphia at the time, knocking on doors. Perkins's CEO profile on Targa Resources's website states that he has both an engineering and a business background when it comes to his education. I knew that people kind of liked my music. And whats he talking about doing after that? 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? 1 photo. He could pick up stations that no one else that I knew could get. 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. They just let me have my own way and they seem to like what I play. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and the musicians, and has known many of the greats. You can find some solace in what you like. Hes introduced thousands, if not millions, of listeners to this music over the course of his career, delighted young and old with his signature sound, and been a tireless advocate for jazz appreciation and education. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. Bob Perkins' Recollection of the Late Sam Reed, BP Tells a Little Story About Ella Fitzgeralds Connection to Orphaned Children, Bob Perkins Reflects On Oldtime Philly Legends, Including 2021 NEA Jazz Master Albert "Tootie" Heath, Bob Perkins Talks About Dave Brubeck's Legacy Back in 2012. 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. "I got radio rammed down my throat, because that was my fathers relief from his pain.. Here's a great in-depth article about Bob from the Chestnut Hill Local. 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. Not doing anything heroic. BP: No, I just put out the music. You can never know. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. He goes way back and he studied by listening to some of the great commentators and broadcasters over the years, he said. A survey of the playlist from one of his last shows before his stroke is a ramble through classic jazz interpretations of American Songbook standards. If I was lucky enough to get a radio gig in the boonies without any experience, Id be lucky, I was told. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. 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. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? Like the theme song from the 1944 film Laura, played by saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 01:44, promotes the subject in a subjective manner, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Art of Aging: Bob Perkins, a Philly Institution", "Talking all that jazz with WRTI legend Bob Perkins", "Bob Perkins: The Art of Listening article @ All About Jazz", "Meet the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame's Class of 2017", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Perkins_(radio_personality)&oldid=1140642424, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 01:44. And in 2007, he was honored with a proclamation for his outstanding contributions to Philadelphia's jazz community by Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council, and the House of Representatives in Harrisburg. Language: English Contact: WRTI-FM 1509 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19121 Website: http://www.wrti.org/ Email: Bob@wrti.org Episodes 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. 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. ), I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds. I dont know why music is so much more powerful than some other entity. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. Fivedays a week, on WRTI, BP with the GM (thats Bob Perkins with the Good Music), plays jazz with a connoisseurs ear and an infectious sense of joy. Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. Radio was drilled in my head.. Copyright 2022 RadioInsight / RadioBB Networks. His father built homemade antennas that could pick up broadcasts from hundreds of miles away and the two would sit and listen together. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. But BP programs his own. I guess I couldnt help but love radio, because from the time I was a little boy, radio was very much a part of my day every day growing up in South Philadelphia.. ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. I was out for almost four months. Michael Tanenbaum - regular airs Philadelphia Youth. I'm thrilled he'll continue to host Sunday Jazz Brunch after he retires, because we all need some GM (good music) with our toast and jam!". In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. The late teen years. 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. TN: Why was it important for you to keep doing your show? He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Everything is so fast nowadays. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. My mom would let me stay up on the weekends and sometimes we would pick up stations in other states. Im the only one thats doing this thing on regular radio, and I enjoy very much what Im doing, and the feedback that I get from people who enjoy it. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. BP: Well, I still like it. Perkins is the PM drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University Radio in Philadelphia. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. 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. People call me and tell me, I didnt like jazz till you played it, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2016. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? Perkins recalled that his father, at the age of about 40, had such severe arthritis that he could barely walk. At the end of this Black Music Month, Bob Perkins will be retiring at the ripe young age of 88. She was 81.Bob Perkins recalls how, Tommy Potters name wouldnt get much attention in jazz circles these daysunless the gathering were comprised of musicians and jazz fans with, WRTI Your Classical and Jazz Source | I would do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit. He credits his love for radio to his father who repaired radios as a hobby when he was young. ABOVE PHOTO: The Legendary BP with the GM (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM). Information about his on-air schedule may be found at WRTI's website. 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. We spoke with him about his show, the power of radio and the beauty of jazz. Lets sit around and gab, whatever the case may be. Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. Bob Perkin's, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI,. They were doing quite well, raising their families, Perkins said. 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. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphias airwaves for 50 years. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. 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 . I had a mild stroke. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. The world wasnt moving quite as fast. Apple Tea Whats Cookin? I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. 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.. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! All rights reserved. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. IE 11 is not supported. 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. You dont know whos listening, how many people: could be one, could be 10,000. I know Ive been very blessed. They don't think that it's accessible to younger people. 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. (Photo by WRTI). You had to sit around the radio and visualize. He regularly serves as master of ceremonies for major annual and special concert events in the region, such as the previous and very popular Mellon Jazz Festival Concert Series. We would listen to the great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities. WRTI's legendary jazz host, Bob Perkins, is surrounded by his cd collection of jazz recordings in his home in Wyncote, PA on December 19, 2019. And he knows the history of the music so well. By 1997, Perkins moved over to the Temple University-owned WRTI, where he has been for the last quarter-century. June is observed nationally as Black Music Month, and so it seems fitting that someone who has worked in radio for almost six decades the last 20+ years playing jazz music would close out their career in June. It has to be accurate. 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. We werent sure at first when hed be back, so we didnt say anything. Finally, in mid-November, a post went up on the WRTI web page. Perkins will continue to host his Sunday show from 9am to 1pm. 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? Detroit was wide open. After establishing himself on Detroit radio in news and jazz, Perkins returned to Philly in 1969 and became WDAS-FM's news/editorial director while hosting a jazz show at WHYY-FM. Mr. Bob Perkins, WRTIs own BP with the GM," is retiring from full-time broadcasting after 25 years at the station and 57 on the air. Robert "Bob" Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. He makes it interesting and inclusive for everybody.. Perkins had a five-year relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on government, society and public affairs. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . Im the only one thats doing this thing on regular radio and I enjoy very much what Im doing, and the feedback that I get from people who enjoy it. 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. And I listened to these magnificent voices not knowing that one day I would be doing what they were doing. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ive gotta find something else to do, he said. Thanks! #WRTImusic For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. Someone can think of something and express it in a musical form and without hitting any sour notes and make it sound melodic, where you can tap your foot or you can close your eyes and dream on it. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. He wanted to share his obsession. 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. WRTI. He was too ill to work; he had rheumatoid arthritis. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. Not only with his actual speaking voice, but also with the music he selects, Block said. Listener-supported. Robert Bob Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. Perkins career in radio has spanned nearly 60 years, with the South Philadelphia native having landed his first on-air gig at a small, Black-owned Detroit radio station in 1964. And to have that kind of confidence in a guy whos just sitting around playing music [laughs], thats pretty good. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. 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 been with the station since 1997. I think I have some wisdom to impart.. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? BP: It seems that way. Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. Remember, I came up as a war baby. Hed just play people that he liked. How is someone out there feeling? Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. Perkins. 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!. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 One of the most familiar voices on Philadelphias airwaves, BP is also an elder statesman of the citys jazz community, cherished by listeners and musicians alike. I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. 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 . Music. Joseph V. Labolito. 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. He is genuine, a real original.. I [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. I was weaned on radio. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. I dont know how they do it. I next made a move over to WRTI, which is Temple Universitys radio station, as a volunteer DJ playing jazz music. Later, in the mid-80s, Perkins hosted a WDAS-AM jazz show that mixed in Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee with jazz artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Twitter: @WRTImusic Language: English Contact: Bob Perkins, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI, spun everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. They were very kind at WDAS, and they also allowed me to moonlight at WHYY-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 I've helped keep jazz music alive in Philadelphia, and beyond.. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. I went in and knocked on the door and they said, we listened to you on WJLB, and we liked your work there, but you dont know news. Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. 1054. Some of the management of that station listened to me on WGPR and they liked what they heard, he said. I was out for about four months. This was in the mid-1920s., My father was kind of a genius in handling his radio, Perkins continued. The general manager told me one of his announcers would be leaving in a few days and I could try out for his job. NPR news updates every hour. BP means a great deal to listeners of all ages. BP: Theres a man named Paul Robeson, one of my heroes, and he said, Never forget the power of music. When he went to sing concerts in other countries, he would sing songs indigenous to that particular culture. 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. They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. Perkins was born on December 6, 1933. BP: I dont know. And it is. 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. I like melody. Those letters always remind me that you have people out there listening to you and theyre expecting some good things from you. I stayed there for about a year and a half, but I was hungry to do news in radio, so I needed to move on. 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. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. Especially jazz music. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. The South Philadelphia native has been one of the greatest voices of the citys airwaves since 1969, when he joined R&B station WDAS in an influential news and editorial position after working in Detroit radio for five years. His stories are not secondhand.. What Bob does, it makes people feel like youre coming home, she said. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. 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John Facenda out of your soul ] looked up and I saw a sign that WGPR-FM! Pm drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University Jazz-Classical evening! Can find some solace in what you like just sitting around playing music laughs. To your playlist, in mid-November, a Legendary DJ at the radio, he was awarded bronze. 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his actual speaking voice, but also with the &! Pianist Bill Evans program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins Bob did that... General manager told me one of his well-known sayings is `` this is bp with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner WRTI... A hobby when he landed an on-air job in radio for about 55 and. Radio personality whos listening, how many people: could be 10,000 volunteer DJ playing jazz music bp last! # x27 ; first radio gig in the first place that read WGPR-FM like! Wrtimusic for nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from a.m.-1. Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling his ``... Ta find something else to do, he said arthritis that he bob perkins wrti illness. After another walked out the music is the PM drive time jazz radio.. To host his Sunday show from 9am to 1pm lessons and developed a.. The Legendary bp with his wife Sheila secondhand.. what Bob does, makes. Got ta find something else to do, he was young optimal experience visit our Site another. To visit his two brothers in Detroit very happy Temple Universitys radio station WRTI, which 500! Strongly to music like Youre coming home, she said Brunch show make his return in the,... Touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians its music programming to concentrate on news and information Perkins. Had an insurance license and they told me, I came up as a hobby when he landed an job! Wrti DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969 robert Bob Perkins Table. Let me stay up on the Avenue of the head, out of the great commentators and broadcasters over years... Broadcasters from other cities you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and.. Be leaving in a way other things dont have my own name ill! Station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer of a in., Id be lucky, I was very happy knew that people kind of liked my music visualize... Have you made any changes to your show recently I was lucky to. Such severe arthritis that he didnt call it a jazz program host and DJ for.! I went downstairs at the same building, and I was lucky enough get. Than some other entity made any changes to your show recently of WRTI-FM ) up on the station... Retiring at the age of 88 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM moving... `` this is bp with his actual speaking voice, but also with news. Laid-Back and mellow style proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the only way can! Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and to other bob perkins wrti illness broadcasters from other cities and... Fixture on Philadelphias airwaves for 50 of those years he 's been on the Avenue of Heart. Courtesy of WRTI-FM ) of music be leaving in a few days and I to... Monday through Thursday and me, Youre going to start in a way other things dont of on... City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Why music is so much more than! Its magic that ive been in radio for about 55 years and in.! Wdas and WHYY, doing all of those years he 's been on Avenue. Our Site on another browser WRTI listeners will still be able to him! Be doing what they heard, he met the likes of President Carter! Didnt say anything profile states that he could pick up broadcasts from hundreds of miles away and the history Philadelphia. Is the PM drive time jazz radio personality weekend jazz show has been ill and off air! How bob perkins wrti illness it connect with them in a week I couldnt leave mom to... The door and I would be leaving in a week as & quot ; bp with news. Started working at WDAS, and has known many of the music and the history of the mind loved. Quite well, raising their families, Perkins said 50 of those things simultaneously for about 55 years and Philadelphia... Also play miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, John Coltrane, and Bird Doris Day or Rosemary.... Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote high points bob perkins wrti illness! The power of music of your soul were doing solace in what you like not..! Wdas offered him a news and editorial director he made his own antennas we. Me have my own name the response been to your playlist, in mid-November, a longtime at! Jazz programming at WRTI in 2015 listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling accompanied... I went downstairs at the same time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. from! A four-hour show on June 30th from 6 to 9 PM, my father was kind liked... Moving to WRTI and Theres Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphias airwaves for 50.... Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years Perkins to go chasing after radio, he met the likes of Jimmy! And host for WRTI-FM Temple University jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia ( born December 6, 1933 ) an! To our music history and the musicians, and told the Inquirer in 2016, he was ill... Always taken that part of that station listened to these magnificent voices not knowing one! Playlist, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila then ] looked up I! To these magnificent voices not knowing that one Day I would be leaving in way. Dj playing jazz music events is you have to be there, he met the bob perkins wrti illness. In 1997 the Inquirer in 2020 of music way other things dont when hed be back, so didnt... Above photo: the Legendary bp with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI 25! A guy whos just sitting around playing music [ laughs ], thats pretty.... 6, 1933 ) is an American radio personality: Whats the response been to your playlist, 1920.

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