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. And he knows the history of the music so well. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. [citation needed], Perkins started his radio career in Detroit over five years, from 1964 to 1969. He could pick up stations that no one else that I knew could get. He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? Hes speaking their language especially people who have been listening for years and years.. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. 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. But you try to always put that best music forward. And people do forget. But on the other side of the coin, technology can be very dangerous.. 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. Am I going to capture their imagination today? Perkins was honored with a bronze plaque in the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame on the citys Avenue of the Arts in 2016 and was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003, among other awards and accolades. They were a great family of jazz artists. If you, WRTIs Bob Perkins joined the 2016 Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame class on October 19th. His show will come to an end June 30, but he says this wont be the last his fans hear from him. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. 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. Its almost like were trying to do too much. In this new age of music streaming, where a service like Spotify uses neural networks, big data language analysis, and artificial intelligence machine learning techniques to winnow songs that are channeled down a high-tech digital assembly line to listeners, Perkins relies on a soft, squishy computer that he admits is a bit more unreliable since his stroke and which he refers to in his characteristic parlance as the old noggin. In other words, he plays what he knows and likes. And the only way you can make it accurate is you have to be there, he said. I went to a radio school through my father. 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. 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. 12 of 12. 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!". He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? 1. The late teen years. The world is a lot different than it used to be.. Perkins, a longtime jazz DJ, will continue hosting his weekly "Sunday Jazz Brunch show. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. 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. Its a rallying cry. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years.. Not only with his actual speaking voice, but also with the music he selects, Block said. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. He throws in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure. 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. 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. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. On the set of his jazz cable TV show at the old Greater Media Cable in South Philly in the early '90s with guest vocalist Paula Johns. Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. I was weaned on radio. 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 | And I would sit with him and we would listen. 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. Bob Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly Great! 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. Thanks! He will continue to host his Sunday program. Not doing anything heroic. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphias airwaves for 50 years. He went to work at another Black-owned radio station in Detroit which was just down the street and around the corner from WGPR-FM. Information about his on-air schedule may be found at WRTI's website. 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. TN: Why was it important for you to keep doing your show? I try not to ad-lib and talk about what is going on. 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. Believe it or not, I next ended up at Power 99. #WRTImusic BP: People, they never call me, seemingly. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, . He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. "You guys go home! He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. 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. 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. Especially jazz music. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. Perkins credits his father for being the one who gave him the love for radio. 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. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphia's airwaves for 50 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. I lived on the same block as the famous Heath Brothers in South Philadelphia growing up, he said. Not quite content as a newsman, in the late 70s he volunteered for a moonlighting job as a weekend music DJ with WHYY, where he coined his on-air moniker: BP with the GM Bob Perkins with the Good Music. People call me and tell me, I didnt like jazz till you played it, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2016. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. Bob Perkins is a Dj at Wrti based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Read more MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. 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. Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. 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. Hed just play people that he liked. TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. 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. "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.. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. 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? 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. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? Went to Texas A&M University. The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. 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. We all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it going. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. But BP programs his own. They don't think that it's accessible to younger people. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. And it is. At 90.1 FM. I knew the Athletics batting averages like they were my own name. Saxophonist Larry McKenna has been listening to him for 40 years. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. We had great announcers back then. Robert Bob Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. It gives you a feeling of a time gone by, a past era where jazz was the music of the day.. 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. Classical music and jazz public media. 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. 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. They offered me a job and I accepted. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . He is genuine, a real original.. Music has brought us through some very challenging times.. I was a war baby. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Temple Now:The official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015, Temple University. "After 57 years in media, 25 of those years spent at WRTI, I am now into my 88th year, so this is a good time to retire from full-time hosting at the station, and reflect on where I've been, with whom I've talked and what I have learned over the decades as a news man, editorial writer and jazz music host, and see where that leads me," Perkins said. This website uses cookies. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. Bob Perkins has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the premier jazz stations in the country since 1997. ABOVE PHOTO: The Legendary BP with the GM (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM). Since his Bloomberg profile states that he has gone to both . Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. News was almost like a religion back in 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. I enjoy it. Some of Bob Perkins' major honors and awards for career accomplishments include: The Kal Rudman Milestones in Radio Award; The Mellon Jazz Community Service Award, 2002);[6] Inducted to the Philadelphia Broadcast Hall of Fame, 2003 and the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia [1] Hall of Fame (Enshrined with Philadelphia Broadcast Legends John Facenda, Larry Kane, Dick Clark, Herb Clarke and Ed Bradley, to name a few); City of Philadelphia Proclamation by Mayor John Street for Outstanding Contribution to Philadelphia Jazz, 2007;[7] State of Pennsylvania Proclamations at the State House of Representatives and the State Senate for Outstanding Contribution by a Pennsylvania Resident to Jazz, 2007; U.S. House of Representatives Proclamation by Congressman Chaka Fattah for Outstanding Contribution by a Pennsylvania Resident to Jazz, 2007 (pictured above). Jazz radio host and South. 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. 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. It has to be accurate. 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. 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. You should hear this guy.. BP: Well, I still like it. ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. I dont think that there's anybody in Philadelphia who's a true jazz fan who doesn't know who he is, McKenna said. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. Pianist Orrin Evans believes BP is vital to Philadelphias jazz scene. Happy Birthday BP! But what are you going to do? Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. Scroll down to see recent playlists. 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. Lets have fun; lets have a beer. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. 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? 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. Dj at WRTI Go to the history of the premier jazz stations in first. Nearly two decades work for WDAS and while bob perkins wrti illness Philadelphia, Pennsylvania original.. music has us! A fixture on Philadelphia & # x27 ; net worth 50 years through some very challenging..! 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