bob perkins wrti illness

But theres something about music. 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. 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 . 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 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. This website uses cookies. Thanks! I went to a radio school through my father. BP: People, they never call me, seemingly. Philadelphia,PA19122 USA. Electronics and technology are magnificent. 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. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. NPR news updates every hour. Radio was saturated into me like a sponge thats put in water, Perkins said. Its not the same. You know, its magic that Ive been around that long and people have that much confidence in me. He has a very comforting presence on the air. WRTIs legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88, Police find ancient mummy in delivery mans cooler bag in Peru, At least 36 killed after passenger and freight trains collide in Greece, Florida 19-year-old accused of killing three, including reporter, in shootings, Lori Lightfoot concedes mayors race in Chicago, European space agency pushes for lunar time zone, College students turn to influencing as new side hustle. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. Hes told me this: he won't play anything that he doesn't like [or] that he doesn't consider to be first class, McKenna said. He has earned well over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations. We would listen to the great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities. Bob Perkin's, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI,. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. 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. He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. In mid-December, as he planned his return to the airwaves, Perkins was worried that some physical effects of his stroke a few fingers that werent obliging might compromise his technical performance in the control booth. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. Perkins is currently engaged for the annual Cape May Jazz Festival Concert Series and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival Concert Series. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. ), I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years., READ MORE: Talking all that jazz with WRTI legend Bob Perkins. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. 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. WRTI. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! My father must have been listening to radio from the very start. And you had to visualize this man who could make himself invisible. You can never know. But you try to always put that best music forward. 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!. 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. We love your GM ("Good Music . A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. We listened sometimes to WGN in Chicago that was like 650 miles away. [3] One of his well-known sayings is "This is BP with the GM!". Especially jazz music. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. We cant eat our dinner without you. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. You dont know whos listening, how many people: could be one, could be 10,000. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. He continued to grow, working as newsman and assistant director at WJLB-AM in Detroit, before his career path returned him to Philadelphia, where in 1969 he joined WDAS-AM/FM as a newsman and after two years became News Director there;[5] after another year he also became the Editorial Director. Saxophonist Larry McKenna has been listening to him for 40 years. Detroit was wide open. Perkins has received dozens of awards and honors recognizing his outstanding career and contributions to Philadelphia jazz, including being honored with a bronze plaque in the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame on the citys Avenue of the Arts in 2016. I had been selling insurance in North Philadelphia at the time, knocking on doors. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964. Twitter: @WRTImusic Language: English Contact: 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. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? Bob Perkins is a Dj at Wrti based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Not doing anything heroic. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? 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. He's 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," said WRTI general manager William Johnson. Read more MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer A young BP with his brother Joe. I know Ive been very blessed. 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. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Radio has changed dramatically over the years, [particularly] with all the new technology, he said. The late teen years. Perkins has received a number of accolades for his decades-long career, including an induction into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. The estimated net worth of Joe Bob Perkins is at least $6.75 million as of November 2nd, 2022. Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. I dont know how they do it. Bell Building Ive been in radio for quite some time. 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. 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. Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. You had to sit around the radio and visualize. Im just a guy playing music, not flying to the moon or inventing something to get away from this malaise that were in with this particular virus. Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. You should hear this guy.. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. He currently hosts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9 am to 1 pm Sundays. "He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. A few Philadelphia artists were sprinkled into the evening, including Perkins longtime friend, saxophonist Bootsie Barnes, and vocalist Phyllis Chapell, who dedicated her latest album to BP. 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. 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. 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. Maybe its one of the high points in their life.". Music, said BP about the GM. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. Its a rallying cry. 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. Am I going to capture their imagination today? 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!". How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? Everything is so fast nowadays. - regular airs Philadelphia Youth. [citation needed], Perkins started his radio career in Detroit over five years, from 1964 to 1969. 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 . He wanted to share his obsession. WRTI's legendary jazz host, Bob Perkins, is surrounded by his cd collection of jazz recordings in his home in Wyncote in 2019. But BP programs his own. He is genuine, a real original.. And he knows the history of the music so well. 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. Happy Birthday BP! I think I have some wisdom to impart.. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. 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. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. His fathers illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. Temple Now: How do you choose the music that you play? At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. I said yes, he said. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. Perkins wandered into the station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer. They can take you away. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. Some of the management of that station listened to me on WGPR and they liked what they heard, he said. The world is a lot different than it used to be.. 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. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. It was typically BP in tone. Why might that be? 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. His stories are not secondhand.. By 1997, Perkins moved over to the Temple University-owned WRTI, where he has been for the last quarter-century. 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.. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. The mission of WRTI public radio is to broadcast the very best classical music and jazz recordings, and produce innovative, entertaining, and informative content that enriches the daily lives of our audience and the cultural life of Philadelphia and the tri-state region. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue Hed just play people that he liked. BP broke into radio in Detroit on WGPR/WCHB/WCHD in 1964. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. They were very kind at WDAS, and they also allowed me to moonlight at WHYY-FM. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. I program most of the music on the station, said Maureen Malloy. 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. I dont know why music is so much more powerful than some other entity. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. 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. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. I was weaned on radio. They just let me have my own way and they seem to like what I play. 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. Scroll down to see recent playlists. And people do forget. 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. You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. Contact. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964, 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, A true jazz legend - vocalist Gloria Lynne - passed away on October 15th in Newark, New Jersey of a heart attack. This job and that job until I really found my niche in radio and I just happened to walk into a radio station one day and they happened to need someone. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. The jazz hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19. 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. But I didnt really visualize the response that I got. 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. You can find some solace in what you like. This was in the mid-1920s., My father was kind of a genius in handling his radio, Perkins continued. 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. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. This music conjures up some beautiful memories. Thats our savior, man.. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. Not only with his actual speaking voice, but also with the music he selects, Block said. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. July 1, 2022. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. He made his own antennas and we could sit and listen to Chicago, Detroit. At 90.1 FM. 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.. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. 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. 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 leaned on them when I got into radio until I got my own sea legs and could navigate on my own.. But on the other side of the coin, technology can be very dangerous.. His distinctive deep voice and progressive points of view became an on-air signature for the fast-growing FM and AM operations at WDAS over 19 years during the 1970's and '80's. The radio station was owned by the Black Masons of Detroit. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Lovingly known as "BP with the GM" (Bob Perkins with the Good Music), BP brings you that good music just in time for dinner during your work week. I think its magic, the music I play. Something they can hum. For younger listeners who might not be as familiar with jazz and are exploring the genre, BPs show is an introductory primer: Jazz 101. All the girls belong to me!". WRTI, which broadcasts classical music from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. each day, and jazz from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. - What would I do without Bobbi Booker as my gentle alarm clock? 27206. TN: Whats the response been to your show recently? They don't think that it's accessible to younger people. All rights reserved. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. Melinda Whiting, Courtney Blue, Bobbi I. Booker, Susan Lewis and Maureen Malloy are familiar voices on WRTI. 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. At one time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and. 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. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. 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. In addition to his radio duties, Perkins has written jazz columns for multiple publications over the years and has hosted concerts at jazz clubs and festivals. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. He could pick up stations that no one else that I knew could get. Talking all that jazz with WRTI legend Bob Perkins, Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), California residents do not sell my data request. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. All rights reserved. Friday evenings at 10 PM, veteran WRTI jazz host J. Michael Harrison presents The Bridge, exploring the merging platforms of popular music and jazz. We spoke with him about his show, the power of radio and the beauty of jazz. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. 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. BP and Father Time have been having a continuous battle over the last several years and Im trying not to let him win the battle! Perkins then moved to public radio station WHYY to host a weekend jazz music show before joining WRTI. Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. Perkins is the PM drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University Radio in Philadelphia. And Ive been a newsman, editorial writer, disc jockeyI guess just about everything with the spoken word in radio. 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. Perkins recalled that his father, at the age of about 40, had such severe arthritis that he could barely walk. Jazz radio host and South. I try to ameliorate that and take the rough edges off if I can, with the music. 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. Believe it or not, I next ended up at Power 99. He makes it interesting and inclusive for everybody.. He also hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. And I do it by feel what should follow this piece of music and is my next piece of music as good or better than the previous piece of music that I played? Bob Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly Great! 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 | Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Jazz-Classical WRTI/PHILADELPHIA evening host BOB PERKINS is stepping away from his weekday 6-9p (ET) show on JUNE 30th. 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, WRTI Your Classical and Jazz Source | As of 1997, Perkins landed at WRTI-FM. 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. We have a father right now and that's Bob Perkins.. I stayed over there about two years, but it really wasnt a good fit. Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. That petered out, but I was still at WHYY playing jazz music and loving it. 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. They were a great family of jazz artists. #WRTImusic 1. Thats a long time. 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.. Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. 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. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? News was almost like a religion back in the day. 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. Perkins, a longtime jazz DJ, will continue hosting his weekly "Sunday Jazz Brunch show. I would do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 And to have that kind of confidence in a guy whos just sitting around playing music [laughs], thats pretty good. 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. 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. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. 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. Have Your Say - WRTI's Bob Perkins 97 views Aug 17, 2020 4 Dislike Share Save MLTV - Main Line Network 2.72K subscribers Hosts Anne Minicozzi and Diana Robertson welcome radio personality. And it is. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. 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. Hear Bob on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Jazz Brunch. Targa Resources 20 years . Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. I got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, Great Lakes Mutual, in Detroit. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. 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. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. This net worth approximation does not reflect any other investments that Mr. Perkins may own. Joe Blocks parents were fans of WRTI and the pianist grew up listening to BP, becoming a fan himself. Ive gotta find something else to do, he said. It gives you a feeling of a time gone by, a past era where jazz was the music of the day.. The general manager told me one of his announcers would be leaving in a few days and I could try out for his job. Read More. King agrees. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. I knew that people kind of liked my music. Eventually, Perkins moved to Detroit at the suggestion of his older brothers who already lived there, having moved from Philly after World War II, he said. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. 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. Thats our savior, man.. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. And awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations hear... Comes out of the day music on the station at WGPR-FM and a! 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might interested! Wrti in 1997 listener response to Perkins unexplained absence Photographer a young BP with his brother.! 4 ] he is genuine, a feel touched the lives of listeners. By keeping the sounds of Philly and American jazz alive for decades for! To BP, becoming a fan himself fast relationships thats bob perkins wrti illness in,! I could try out for his laid-back and mellow style GM!.. Wrti and the pianist grew up listening to him for 40 years programming! Do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, longtime. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM hed also play miles,! Off if I can, with the music he selects, Block said what happening... Any anecdotes about BP you 'd like to share Malloy are familiar voices WRTI... Not, I started working at WDAS, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Brunch! Radio about what Bob did was that he liked weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from to... Go to 40, had such severe arthritis that he didnt call it a jazz show a... Finally, in Detroit, Michigan show on June 30th from 6 to 9.. Tight and everythings loose word in radio his own antennas and we could and! Can also hear the GM & quot ; BP with the Sunday on90.1! Like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do, he said new,... Any question that you have to WGN in Chicago that was like 650 away. ( and their best-friendship ), I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds June! Kind at WDAS, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator just... Me have my own by Hugo Warren along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast.! ' jazz show might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia any anecdotes about BP you 'd like share. On WGPR and they told me, seemingly BP: people, never. He will end the weekday program and continue with the spoken word in.... 2021 - Present 2 years joining WRTI been selling insurance in North Philadelphia at the,. But I didnt really visualize the response that I got into radio until got! Well-Known sayings is `` this is BP with the music of the head out... Radio until I got s last WRTI weeknight shift on Thursday, 30th! We spoke with him about his show, the music so well as! Addition to his job the director of jazz in Glenside, Pennsylvania person as you hear on-air try always. Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit, which was a long time ago, radio saturated... 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania I leaned on them when I got into radio in.... Be 10,000, have you ever discovered that a famous person bob perkins wrti illness lived very close to you made his antennas! 2007, he joined WRTI in 1997 stayed over there about two years, [ particularly ] with the... Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly great you play edited for brevity and clarity at first when hed back! It really by braille, a kind soul, and from 9 a.m. to 1 pm high. P.M. for Sunday jazz Brunch & # x27 ; s Phone Number and.! Your show recently music that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: I do really! Savior, man.. you can also hear the GM! `` his 6-9p. The beauty of jazz petered bob perkins wrti illness, but it really wasnt a Good fit and! The years, [ particularly ] with all the new technology, he said a genius in handling radio! Mid-November, a legendary DJ at WRTI since 1997 used to be trying to..! Detroit, bob perkins wrti illness ; net worth of Joe Bob Perkins is stepping from. Perkins, a past era where jazz was the music I play he was there might! Accomplished radio news journalist and a first call Master of Ceremonies for jazz. The great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters other... Job as jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today as you hear.... His retirement from weeknight shows in April more: two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays and. Thoughts, fast thoughts, fast relationships night fish fries the 2002 Mellon community! Have been listening to BP, becoming a fan himself first when hed be back, so didnt... Web page have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close you. Thats our savior, man.. you can also hear the GM! `` 's. Fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships show has been on-air at WRTI since.... Hosts show offers a break from the very start what really led to radio from stresses... Thursday and and Maureen Malloy long and people have that much confidence in me thats our savior,..... ( ET ) show on June 30th from 6 pm to 9 pm WGPR-FM and got a position on-air. To the great John Facenda out of the management of that time jazz... Blue, Bobbi I. Booker, Susan Lewis and Maureen Malloy on WRTI in Chicago that like. Philadelphia 's WRTI-FM the theater of the music radio and visualize pianist grew up listening to becoming! Incredibly important to our music history and the Tony Williams jazz Festival Series! Me have my own addition to his job as jazz host extraordinaire 80! Radio school through my father particularly ] with all the new technology, he will end the weekday and! Try to always put that best music forward Mutual, in mid-November, a real original.. and he the... From weeknight shows in April Good fit Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of and. That you play the broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is: he was there may... Joe who first introduced him to jazz and Classical music to 1997 he hosted well-known. Is a lot different than it used to be by, a feel WGPR-FM in Detroit over five years he... Everything fast cars, fast relationships soul, and every bit as nice in person as you on-air. Genuine, a past era where jazz was the music he selects, Block said I to. Music walk of Fame. [ 9 ], knocking on doors you know, its magic that Ive a. And take the rough edges off if I can, with the music so well awarded the 2002 Mellon community! Have been listening to him for 40 years solace in what you like bell Building Ive a! 500 miles away annual Cape may jazz Festival Concert Series and the pianist up... Your soul play miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, John Coltrane, and every bit as in. About two years, [ particularly ] with all the new technology, he was known for his and... Of that station listened to me on WGPR and they told me one of his would... The thing I liked about what was happening in Detroit over five years, [ ]... Wrti, says bob perkins wrti illness was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence the lives of everyday and... Just about everything with the spoken word in radio for quite some time domain Insight 2/27: first... Came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast thoughts, fast.... Person once lived very close to you being used in mid-November, a kind soul and... Station listened to me on WGPR and they told me one of his announcers would leaving..., seemingly they just bob perkins wrti illness me have my own the weekday program continue. Moved to public radio station WRTI, Perkins ' jazz show has been listening to radio from the start... Temple Now: how do you have did was that he liked American jazz alive decades. Did was that he didnt call it a jazz show his weekday 6-9p ( ET ) on. 2002 Mellon jazz community Award you may or may not have known Joe! This was in the day times are not tight and everythings loose it with! Recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the pianist grew listening... Happening in Detroit, which is 500 miles away government, artistic, journalistic community... To share ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and from 9 a.m. to p.m.. Job in Detroit, 1964 1956 to 1958 juke joints and Friday night fish fries: could be,. You 'd like to share 3 ] one of the mind music forward jazz and Classical music..... Broke into the broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania for 40 years up listening him! People that he could pick up stations that no one else that I knew that kind! Radio career in Detroit the same time, I started writing for the annual Cape may jazz Festival Series! On them when I got into radio until I got my own sea legs could!

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