It was typically BP in tone. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. Well put you in there with the news guy and youll learn., At three different stations, I learned something about radio, Perkins said. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? 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. Electronics and technology are magnificent. Detroit was wide open. 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). Perkins, 88, has been at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has spanned nearly six decades. 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? Perkins was also one of Pennsylvania's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in the Philadelphia area. Read More. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. TN: Why was it important for you to keep doing your show? I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. I was out for almost four months. IE 11 is not supported. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. 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. BP means a great deal to listeners of all ages. He has a very comforting presence on the air. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? Thats a long time. I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. He wanted to share his obsession. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. I stayed over there about two years, but it really wasnt a good fit. I remember saying, I dont know how to write editorials. LeBaron Taylor said [to me], You take the job and if you mess up, well get somebody else. I did that for 13 years pretty good. 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! ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. 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. 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. Perkins credits his father for being the one who gave him the love for radio. He said yesand hes been here ever since. Hes one of the last purveyors of our actual history. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. Remember, I came up as a war baby. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . Ive been in radio for about 55 years and in Philadelphia for 50 years. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". 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. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. 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. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. 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. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. Bob is jazz radio, David Conant, former general manager at WRTI, told The Inquirer in 2016. He is genuine, a real original.. Bob Perkins has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the premier jazz stations in the country since 1997. And I listened to these magnificent voices not knowing that one day I would be doing what they were doing. WRTI's legendary jazz host, Bob Perkins, is surrounded by his cd collection of jazz recordings in his home in Wyncote in 2019. 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. [citation needed]. 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. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. Twitter: @WRTImusic Language: English Contact: 1 photo. And I would sit with him and we would listen. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. 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. 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. Meaning "Bob Perkins with the good music. He could pick up stations that no one else that I knew could get. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. He has been with the station since 1997. 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 . Music. It takes a little bit of thought. For the last 25 years, hes become known for his warm, personable on-air style, extensive knowledge of jazz, and thoughtful, wide-ranging music mix. Listener-supported. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. 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. 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? 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. But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. Please let Bob know in the comments section below. Not doing anything heroic. 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. 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. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. You can make 20 times as much working down here. But I told him, I want the job in radio. That was my start in radio back in November of 1964.. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. Radio has changed dramatically over the years, [particularly] with all the new technology, he said. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. 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. 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. News was almost like a religion back in the day. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. Maybe its one of the high points in their life.". 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. 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. 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. It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. 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. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. He will continue to host his Sunday program. Bell Building He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. 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. As of 1997, Perkins landed at WRTI-FM. 2/17/2019. 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 they danced and romanced to when they were young people.. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years.. 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. ABOVE PHOTO: The Legendary BP with the GM (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM). He grew up in South Philadelphia and fell in love with radio as a child. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. 27206. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. "You guys go home! WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 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. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. We spoke with him about his show, the power of radio and the beauty of jazz. 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. Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. 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. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, . Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. Happy Birthday BP! Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. 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. 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. 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. Every Saturday, I was there.. He has attended two White House Presidential news conferences - one of Gerald Ford's and one of Jimmy Carter's. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. Bob Perkins, WRTI DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969. Bob in the mid '60s - a seasoned veteran on the job for one year at WGPR in Detroit. Bobs staying power is a testament to his greatness. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. He currently hosts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9 am to 1 pm Sundays. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. Mr. Perkins in 2006. Its not the same. You know, its magic that Ive been around that long and people have that much confidence in me. Jazz radio host and South. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! Music has brought us through some very challenging times.. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. 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. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. But it seems like the longer I stayed out, [chuckles] the more positive response I got. He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. 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. Everything is so fast nowadays. But BP programs his own. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. 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!". 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. BP: I dont know. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. We listened sometimes to WGN in Chicago that was like 650 miles away. Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. Perkins had a five-year relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on government, society and public affairs. Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. Black Music Month means heritage, he said. 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. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphia's airwaves for 50 years. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. BP with Dave Brubeck in 1983 - backstage at the Academy of Music. But at age 88, Perkins is signing off passing the ball to the next era of jazz lovers. 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!". 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. 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. Perkins then moved to public radio station WHYY to host a weekend jazz music show before joining WRTI. Music, said BP about the GM. 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 [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. 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. Those letters always remind me that you have people out there listening to you and theyre expecting some good things from you. He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. I know Ive been very blessed. Perkins stayed at that first station about a year and a half when another opportunity showed itself. The jazz hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. BP: Yes, it really did. 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. 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. "He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. Maybe were getting back to that today. Happy Birthday BP! His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. Dave and Bob share the same birthday! Temple Now: How do you choose the music that you play? He is one of the few DJs at WRTI, or any radio station in existence nowadays, allowed such a luxury. BP: People, they never call me, seemingly. Courtney Blue, KLN '12, hosts Late Evening Jazz, The Jazz Request Show and Nouveau Jazz Showcase. All rights reserved. At 90.1 FM. 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. Here's a great in-depth article about Bob from the Chestnut Hill Local. 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. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. Not only with his actual speaking voice, but also with the music he selects, Block said. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. He was too ill to work; he had rheumatoid arthritis. BP: No, I just put out the music. They just let me have my own way and they seem to like what I play. 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. Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. 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 | Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. 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. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, she has studied piano, voice, guitar, saxophone, and music theory at Granoff and Settlement Music schools, and PCPA - now University of The Arts, and continues private instruction with her husband Leon Mitchell - composer, arranger, vocal coach, and musical director of The Philadelphia Legends of Jazz Orchestra. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. Ive been told way before I was born, people would come to our house back when my father had the first crystal radio set on the block. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. 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. 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. We all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it going. For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April, California residents do not sell my data request. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. 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. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. The radio station was owned by the Black Masons of Detroit. 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. 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