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. Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. 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. Remember, I came up as a war baby. 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. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. We listened sometimes to WGN in Chicago that was like 650 miles away. I had been selling insurance in North Philadelphia at the time, knocking on doors. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. 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. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. It was typically BP in tone. He will continue to host his Sunday program. 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. WRTI's legendary jazz host, Bob Perkins, is surrounded by his cd collection of jazz recordings in his home in Wyncote in 2019. Bob Perkins reflects on his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam Reed, who passed away earlier this month.. Philadelphia,PA19122 USA. Last Update. Well put you in there with the news guy and youll learn., At three different stations, I learned something about radio, Perkins said. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. 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. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. 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. But his well-honed approach to the music would remain unaffected. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. 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. WRTI, this 600th review is for you! That petered out, but I was still at WHYY playing jazz music and loving it. 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. I had a mild stroke. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. 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 Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. 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. Everything is so fast nowadays. The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. 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 would do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit. He was the youngest child and when his mother became ill, he felt responsible to stay and care for her. BP means a great deal to listeners of all ages. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 This website uses cookies. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. He has earned well over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations. 12 of 12. 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. Courtney Blue, KLN '12, hosts Late Evening Jazz, The Jazz Request Show and Nouveau Jazz Showcase. As of 1997, Perkins landed at WRTI-FM. When Bob Perkins was growing up at 19th and Gerritt Streets in South Philadelphia during the Great Depression, his father, Deforrest, was stricken by arthritis at age 39 and could no longer work at his job as a freight elevator operator. Mr. Bob Perkins, WRTI's own "BP with the GM," is retiring from full-time broadcasting after 25 years at the station and 57 on the air. Perkins will continue to host his Sunday show from 9am to 1pm. He grew up in South Philadelphia and fell in love with radio as a child. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. 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Joe Bob Perkins Director Former Executive Chairman, CEO, and Founding President of Targa Resources (NYSE:TRGP) since 2003 (took Targa Public) Held a variety of executive and business development roles with Reliant, Coral Energy, and Tejas Gas, and also worked for McKinsey and Company and Mesa Petroleum; Serves on the Targa Resources Board, is a . 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. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and the musicians, and has known many of the greats. Since his Bloomberg profile states that he has gone to both . 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. I never knew exactly how my father came to love radio so much, but he was an avid radio listener, Perkins recalled. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. He was too ill to work; he had rheumatoid arthritis. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. His fathers illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. Temple Now:The official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015, Temple University. Which is a hard thing to do. PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. I said yes, he said. All the girls belong to me!". Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. 1. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. 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. Ive been in radio for quite some time. 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. Scroll down to see recent playlists. Robert Bob Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. BP: It seems that way. He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. He credits his love for radio to his father who repaired radios as a hobby when he was young. He has been with the station since 1997. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. The great alto saxophonist and jazz icon Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was only 34 years old when he died in 1955. And I listened to these magnificent voices not knowing that one day I would be doing what they were doing. He had his own antennae that he had drilled into his table model radio. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". Meaning "Bob Perkins with the good music. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphia's airwaves for 50 years. Ive met a lot of good people, a lot of entertainers, musicians, and politicians along the way. 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 . 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. Perkins stayed at that first station about a year and a half when another opportunity showed itself. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . 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. 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. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. At one time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . TN: Why was it important for you to keep doing your show? Happy Birthday BP! Thanks! You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. 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.. On this show he would play a record by Dick Haymes or Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney. Targa Resources 20 years . We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. Mr. Perkins in 2006. 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. I [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. Thats our savior, man.. Listener-supported. Please let Bob know in the comments section below. 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. But theres something about music. TN: When you had your stroke, did the way people reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise? His stories are not secondhand.. 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. 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? Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. 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. 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. It has to be accurate. You should hear this guy.. But he played the radio, that was his only salvation from the pain. Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. Bell Building He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. 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.. 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. I told the general manager about the job offer I had just received from the insurance company, and he replied, Take whichever job comes first., The general manager called me a couple days later and offered me the job, he said. After 58 years of working in broadcast radio, Philadelphias Bob Perkins will lay down his microphone by the end of this month. I think because of them, thats where my love of jazz music was solidified.. Five of the most outstanding jazz personalities had. Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. Any birthday wishes? All rights reserved. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. 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.. 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. 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!". Perkins was born on December 6, 1933. I was out for about four months. What Bob does, it makes people feel like youre coming home, she said. Bobs staying power is a testament to his greatness. Perkins, known to listeners as BP with the GM (Bob Perkins with the Good Music), will now work a reduced on-air schedule, helming a single weekly show Sunday Jazz Brunch on Sunday mornings. Its not the same. You know, its magic that Ive been around that long and people have that much confidence in me. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. Why might that be? Thats our savior, man.. I did what I could, he told The Inquirer in 2020, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. Perkins is currently engaged for the annual Cape May Jazz Festival Concert Series and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival Concert Series. Robert "Bob" Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. And you had to visualize this man who could make himself invisible. 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. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. 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. The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? Black Music Month means heritage, he said. 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. Bob Perkins at home at WRTI-FM studios. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. And Ive been a newsman, editorial writer, disc jockeyI guess just about everything with the spoken word in radio. 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. In turn, news reporters from WDAS would report via radio, in Detroit, about what was happening of importance in the city of Philadelphia., The management team at WDAS liked my work very much, and one day they asked me the question, Do you want to come home and work in Philadelphia radio? 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. 2/17/2019. 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. I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. Especially jazz music. This was in the mid-1920s., My father was kind of a genius in handling his radio, Perkins continued. 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. [citation needed]. I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. They were a great family of jazz artists. 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 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. Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, . A young BP with his brother Joe. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. 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. 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. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . I got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, Great Lakes Mutual, in Detroit. TN: Whats the response been to your show recently? In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. July 1, 2022. Music has brought us through some very challenging times.. I knew that people kind of liked my music. 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. Dave and Bob share the same birthday! 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. Here's a great in-depth article about Bob from the Chestnut Hill Local. 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. Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. Read More. Perkins then moved to public radio station WHYY to host a weekend jazz music show before joining WRTI. We have a father right now and that's Bob Perkins.. 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. Temple Now: How do you choose the music that you play? NPR news updates every hour. 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. They just let me have my own way and they seem to like what I play. His older brother had introduced him to the music of Duke Ellington, which sparked a lifelong love of big band and jazz music. But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. 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. New Temple Press book celebrates Philadelphias Italian legacy, Hundreds of Temple community members gather to celebrate the life of Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald with his family, Temples Lenfest Center increases job opportunities for the North Philadelphia community, Globally connected campus: A presidential visit to Temple Rome, Whats the best way for an athlete to build their brand? Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. 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. 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. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. We love your GM ("Good Music . Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. 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. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 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Tried and true, said vocalist Denise King unexplained absence what makes Bob so important! Next morning.. Mr. Perkins in 2006 Community Award everything with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM of big band jazz. To like what i could, he felt responsible to stay and care for her awarded bronze... Bob & quot ; Perkins ( born December 6, 1933 ) is an oasis a... At WHYY playing jazz music and the Tony Williams jazz Festival Concert Series and the beauty of jazz programming WRTI. Radio and the Tony Williams jazz Festival Concert Series and the history of is... Took Perkins a little while to break into radio - Present 2 years is also a jazz..., you have to tune to WRTI and theres Bob Perkins, 88 will... He had rheumatoid arthritis, and every bit as nice in person you! About everything with the challenges of life during a pandemic, June 30th from 6 to 9.! Reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit, 1964 listeners of all ages good music told... 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