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. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphias airwaves for 50 years. He has attended two White House Presidential news conferences - one of Gerald Ford's and one of Jimmy Carter's. You should hear this guy.. I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. 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. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? 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.. Thats a long time. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . 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 . After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. 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. Perkins's CEO profile on Targa Resources's website states that he has both an engineering and a business background when it comes to his education. I think it would be silly to have me programming for a jazz historian.. June is observed nationally as Black Music Month, and so it seems fitting that someone who has worked in radio for almost six decades the last 20+ years playing jazz music would close out their career in June. 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. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. The world wasnt moving quite as fast. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. Robert Bob Perkins (born December 6, 1933) is an American radio personality. He has a very comforting presence on the air. If I was lucky enough to get a radio gig in the boonies without any experience, Id be lucky, I was told. BP: Well, I still like it. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? Apple Tea Whats Cookin? Music has brought us through some very challenging times.. 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. 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 Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? 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. But what are you going to do? Joseph V. Labolito. He was too ill to work; he had rheumatoid arthritis. I was weaned on radio. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. He wasn't doing well at, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. 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? I knew the Athletics batting averages like they were my own name. WRTI. 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. 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. 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. It gives you a feeling of a time gone by, a past era where jazz was the music of the day.. BP: Yes, it really did. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. #WRTImusic He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. News was almost like a religion back in the day. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. The station, run by Temple University, plays classical music during the day and transforms in the evenings into one the countrys premier jazz music broadcasters. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. Im just about 90% recovered and the letters that they sent, it was embarrassing to me because of the flattery that they gave me. 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. We would listen to the great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities. Maybe its one of the high points in their life. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. 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! This was in the mid-1920s., My father was kind of a genius in handling his radio, Perkins continued. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. He makes it interesting and inclusive for everybody.. All rights reserved. Perkins was also one of Pennsylvania's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in the Philadelphia area. Melinda Whiting, Courtney Blue, Bobbi I. Booker, Susan Lewis and Maureen Malloy are familiar voices on WRTI. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . But the idea stayed in the back of my mind., To work in radio, I was told Id have to go work in the boonies (the boondocks) and get the mistakes out, Perkins continued. It was a small station. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. 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? BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. 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. 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. The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. At 90.1 FM. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". Discovery, curation, community, performance, preservation. Perkins wandered into the station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer. Perkins had a five-year relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on government, society and public affairs. Bob in the mid '60s - a seasoned veteran on the job for one year at WGPR in Detroit. Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. And Ive been a newsman, editorial writer, disc jockeyI guess just about everything with the spoken word in radio. Our beloved BP with the GMBob Perkins with the Good Musicis turning off his mic on weeknights starting on June 30th after a long and storied career. 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. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. 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 a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. William Johnson, General Manager of WRTI said, Bobs contributions to jazz are innumerable. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. If you, WRTIs Bob Perkins joined the 2016 Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame class on October 19th. Maybe were getting back to that today. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. This net worth approximation does not reflect any other investments that Mr. Perkins may own. Perkins. 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. They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. My father must have been listening to radio from the very start. We love your GM ("Good Music . Courtney Blue, KLN '12, hosts Late Evening Jazz, The Jazz Request Show and Nouveau Jazz Showcase. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. 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. I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. And I would sit with him and we would listen. Dave and Bob share the same birthday! Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . Please let Bob know in the comments section below. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. 12 of 12. IE 11 is not supported. 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. And the only way you can make it accurate is you have to be there, he said. (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM) His father's illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. Went to Texas A&M University. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. 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. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. 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 his well-honed approach to the music would remain unaffected. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Perkins then moved to public radio station WHYY to host a weekend jazz music show before joining WRTI. Bell Building You can find some solace in what you like. Not doing anything heroic. Liked by Joe Bob Perkins. Scroll down to see recent playlists. Change has come to radio, music, listeners, and listening habits. 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. Music, said BP about the GM. 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. 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. I leaned on them when I got into radio until I got my own sea legs and could navigate on my own.. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? What Bob does, it makes people feel like youre coming home, she said. WRTI, this 600th review is for you! Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. They offered me a job and I accepted. I had a mild stroke. 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. 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 | Classical music and jazz public media. He has earned well over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations. Hes one of the last purveyors of our actual history. TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. 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. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. 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. But BP programs his own. He currently hosts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9 am to 1 pm Sundays. I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. TN: Whats the response been to your show recently? 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? A newsman when times are not tight and everythings loose Perkins & # x27 ; net approximation. How to write editorials the very start he is a jazz show before landing at WRTI section. 9 pm on government, society and public affairs at WGPR-FM and got a position as DJ. Community organizations odometer, Perkins continued: it sounds like being a bob perkins wrti illness is you. Wrti-Fm Temple University radio later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show reflect any other investments that Mr. Perkins own. On WRTI job and if you mess up, well get somebody else DJ and Announcer stayed at station! 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