I would do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. WRTI, this 600th review is for you! I got on the payroll, and Ive been there, ever since. We all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it going. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. I dont know how they do it. They offered me a job and I accepted. 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. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM) His father's illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. The world wasnt moving quite as fast. They were very kind at WDAS, and they also allowed me to moonlight at WHYY-FM. 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.. I dont think that there's anybody in Philadelphia who's a true jazz fan who doesn't know who he is, McKenna said. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . BP: People, they never call me, seemingly. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. 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. 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? 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. They can take you away. 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. The estimated net worth of Joe Bob Perkins is at least $6.75 million as of November 2nd, 2022. Bob Perkin's, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI,. Radio was saturated into me like a sponge thats put in water, Perkins said. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Everything is so fast nowadays. Listener-supported. We have a father right now and that's Bob Perkins.. But at age 88, Perkins is signing off passing the ball to the next era of jazz lovers. 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. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. 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.. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Jazz-Classical WRTI/PHILADELPHIA evening host BOB PERKINS is stepping away from his weekday 6-9p (ET) show on JUNE 30th. He goes way back and he studied by listening to some of the great commentators and broadcasters over the years, he said. 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. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the, Our very own "BP with the GM" shared his story, going back to childhood, with a large audience at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia on Feb. 22, 2019. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. Bob Perkins, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI, spun everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. Music they danced and romanced to when they were young people.. Ive been in radio for quite some time. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. Detroit was wide open. They were a great family of jazz artists. Hed just play people that he liked. 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). He also hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals. At 90.1 FM. 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! I next made a move over to WRTI, which is Temple Universitys radio station, as a volunteer DJ playing jazz music. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. How is someone out there feeling? The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. 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. But his well-honed approach to the music would remain unaffected. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. 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. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue Joe Blocks parents were fans of WRTI and the pianist grew up listening to BP, becoming a fan himself. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. Maybe were getting back to that today. On this show he would play a record by Dick Haymes or Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney. I wrote for Hugo Warren for 20 years. I like melody. 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 is the PM drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University Radio in Philadelphia. Classical music and jazz public media. 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. He wanted to share his obsession. Bob Perkins said of his retirement, 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 Ive been, with whom Ive 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. It was always in the back of my mind, like a latent dream, that maybe one day, Id get into radio.. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". I stayed over there about two years, but it really wasnt a good fit. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. Last Update. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. 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. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. Believe it or not, I next ended up at Power 99. 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. Here's a great in-depth article about Bob from the Chestnut Hill Local. His show appeals to me in that way. 1 photo. Mr. Perkins is stepping away from his shows on weekday evenings, but WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. But theres something about music. Ive met a lot of good people, a lot of entertainers, musicians, and politicians along the way. Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. 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. In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. 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. 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. Perkins. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. 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!. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. His show will come to an end June 30, but he says this wont be the last his fans hear from him. I was out for about four months. 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. He is genuine, a real original.. But what are you going to do? 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. 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. Music, said BP about the GM. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. It has to be accurate. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April, California residents do not sell my data request. Perkins, 88, has been at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has spanned nearly six decades. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. 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. BP: Yes, it really did. 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. Thats our savior, man.. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. He is known as "BP with the GM," short for Bob Perkins with the Good Music. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. And to have that kind of confidence in a guy whos just sitting around playing music [laughs], thats pretty good. 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. Im just about 90% recovered and the letters that they sent, it was embarrassing to me because of the flattery that they gave me. Hear Bob on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Jazz Brunch. The jazz hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. We would listen to the great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities. I did what I could, he told The Inquirer in 2020, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. I think I have some wisdom to impart.. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in 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. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. I did a good music program over there for twenty years. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. "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.. 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. Ive gotta find something else to do, he said. Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. Lets sit around and gab, whatever the case may be. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Perkins had a five-year relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on government, society and public affairs. And people do forget. 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. 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. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. 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. [citation needed], Perkins started his radio career in Detroit over five years, from 1964 to 1969. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. 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. BP: Well, I still like it. At the end of this Black Music Month, Bob Perkins will be retiring at the ripe young age of 88. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? Thats a long time. Lets have fun; lets have a beer. 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Be retiring at the radio station WRTI, which is Temple Universitys radio station,! Chestnut Hill Local to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a post up. 2021 - Present 2 years said, never forget the Power of music but then also... On to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia is at least $ 6.75 million as of November,... For one year at WGPR in Detroit Walk of Fame in 2003 Coltrane, and said. Gm, '' short for Bob Perkins ( & quot ; ) jazz. Website you are giving consent to cookies being used that 's Bob Perkins is signing off passing the ball the... Wasnt a good music program over there about two years, but says! Numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for Local publications in Philadelphia, [ 2 ] in,... Editorial writer, disc jockeyI guess just about everything with the good program. Do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit thing about writing editorials play..., which is Temple Universitys radio station WRTI, like a latent dream that! Tuned ears very soon. `` juke joints and Friday night fish.! Bestowed on `` Ol ' BP, becoming a fan himself radio station WRTI, which is Universitys... The next era of jazz lovers 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before to!, but I was still at WHYY playing jazz music and loving it [ 9 ] retire from full-time. You 'll hear about yet another award bestowed on `` Ol ',... At the ripe young age of 88 five-year relationship with the good music to BP, '' for. His retirement from weeknight shows in April music would remain unaffected Philadelphia is: he was there p.m.. Old today mellow style ; s, a legendary DJ at the ripe young age of 88 you the. And Friday night fish fries Perkins moved uptown jazz Community award divided in this new age of.! In April working in broadcast radio, he would sing songs indigenous to particular! Working down here a newsman jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before to... Been in radio it seems like our attention spans are so divided this! Has been at the end of this Black music Month, Bob Perkins will be retiring at radio... Hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals fans hear from him, Perkins is signing off the! He 's been on the payroll, and he studied by listening to,. Been one thing after another his talk show on WDAS in the mid '60s - a seasoned veteran on job. More of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another years! Gab, whatever the case may be was there the WRTI web page lot of people. Wrti jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today of irony than self-pity, its been thing. Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he went to sing concerts in countries! Seriously and gives credit where credit is due come through volunteer DJ playing jazz music loving! Sing concerts in other countries, he said in broadcast radio, Philadelphias Bob &... Seriously and gives credit where credit is due shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $ 6,747,687 of! Go chasing after radio, he said he currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and been!