Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. 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. You should hear this guy.. Contact. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. You can never know. Have Your Say - WRTI's Bob Perkins 97 views Aug 17, 2020 4 Dislike Share Save MLTV - Main Line Network 2.72K subscribers Hosts Anne Minicozzi and Diana Robertson welcome radio personality. If I was lucky enough to get a radio gig in the boonies without any experience, Id be lucky, I was told. I had been selling insurance in North Philadelphia at the time, knocking on doors. All rights reserved. Black Music Month means heritage, he said. It seems like our attention spans are so divided in this new age of technology. Pianist Orrin Evans believes BP is vital to Philadelphias jazz scene. They just let me have my own way and they seem to like what I play. 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. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. Those letters always remind me that you have people out there listening to you and theyre expecting some good things from you. And it is. 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!. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. 1. But it seems like the longer I stayed out, [chuckles] the more positive response I got. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. 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. 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. Hed just play people that he liked. Any birthday wishes? Bob Perkins, WRTI DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. 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. 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 | It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. 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. 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 | I got on the payroll, and Ive been there, ever since. Like the theme song from the 1944 film Laura, played by saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins. 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. The radio station was owned by the Black Masons of Detroit. 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? I [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. 27206. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. 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. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. He got his first job in radio during a trip to visit his two brothers in Detroit in 1964. But BP programs his own. All rights reserved. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. BP: People, they never call me, seemingly. 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. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 01:44, promotes the subject in a subjective manner, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Art of Aging: Bob Perkins, a Philly Institution", "Talking all that jazz with WRTI legend Bob Perkins", "Bob Perkins: The Art of Listening article @ All About Jazz", "Meet the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame's Class of 2017", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Perkins_(radio_personality)&oldid=1140642424, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 01:44. This was in the mid-1920s., My father was kind of a genius in handling his radio, Perkins continued. BP: No, I just put out the music. They were doing quite well, raising their families, Perkins said. I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. 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. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. 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. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . Dave and Bob share the same birthday! ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, . Last Update. Jazz radio host and South Philadelphia native Bob Perkins, a mainstay on Temple University's public WRTI-FM station, plans to significantly scale back his hours this summer. I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. And I listened to these magnificent voices not knowing that one day I would be doing what they were doing. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. On this show he would play a record by Dick Haymes or Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? TN: Why was it important for you to keep doing your show? 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. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and the musicians, and has known many of the greats. But dont fret, you can still lend him your finely tuned ears every Sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM for Sunday Jazz Brunch on WRTI 90.1. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. All the girls belong to me!". I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". He will continue to host his Sunday program. 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. I dont think that there's anybody in Philadelphia who's a true jazz fan who doesn't know who he is, McKenna said. I think its magic, the music I play. 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. 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 has to be accurate. 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. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. 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. Jazz radio host and South. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. I did a good music program over there for twenty years. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. Visit our, Bob Perkins Retires From Fulltime Role At WRTI, Classic Country Makes The Grade In San Luis Obispo, First Listen: Spotify DJ, YouTube Radio Builder, Brooke Grimsley Joins 101 ESPNs Opening Drive, WRNQ Debuts Marino in the Morning with Marissa, Canadian Programming Vets Launch RMR Media Strategies. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM) His father's illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. His stories are not secondhand.. 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. 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. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. 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. 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. 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. I knew the Athletics batting averages like they were my own name. I try not to ad-lib and talk about what is going on. I said yes, he said. Perkins also independently produced radio documentary on the life of African American history icon, Paul Robeson, who was born in the region and spent his last years living in Philadelphia. My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. Music. Sunday Jazz Brunch with Bob Perkins airs from 9 AM until 1 PM. By 1997, Perkins moved over to the Temple University-owned WRTI, where he has been for the last quarter-century. The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. Bob Perkins, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI, spun everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. 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. Saxophonist Larry McKenna has been listening to him for 40 years. But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Music, said BP about the GM. In 2016, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame as part of the Philadelphia Music Alliances all-jazz class of that year. 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. IE 11 is not supported. But on the other side of the coin, technology can be very dangerous.. Courtney Blue, KLN '12, hosts Late Evening Jazz, The Jazz Request Show and Nouveau Jazz Showcase. Perkins is currently engaged for the annual Cape May Jazz Festival Concert Series and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival Concert Series. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. 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. Change has come to radio, music, listeners, and listening habits. 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.. BP: Yes, it really did. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. 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!". 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. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. They can take you away. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. This music conjures up some beautiful memories. We cant eat our dinner without you. 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. Bob Perkins, age 8. Who knows what lies behind that smile? 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. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. At the end of this Black Music Month, Bob Perkins will be retiring at the ripe young age of 88. Perkins wandered into the station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. Growing up in a two-bedroom rowhouse near 19th and Reed in South Philly during World War II, Bob Perkins received intimate and powerful instruction on the healing properties of radio. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. Im just about 90% recovered and the letters that they sent, it was embarrassing to me because of the flattery that they gave me. Its almost like were trying to do too much. I did what I could, he told The Inquirer in 2020, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. 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. The Story About How "Bird" Once Had a Nest In Philadelphia, Bob Perkins Reminisces About His Friend: The Late, Great Bootsie Barnes, Bob Perkins Remembers One Heck of a Night With McCoy Tyner, Bob Perkins Reflects On His Old Friend, Jazz Legend Jimmy Heath. Bob Perkins has been a fixture on Philadelphia's airwaves for 50 years. 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. 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. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. He has been with the station since 1997. 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. I like melody. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. We all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it going. I think hes been very good to all the local jazz musicians who have recorded music, McKenna said. Lets sit around and gab, whatever the case may be. 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. In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. It takes a little bit of thought. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. 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. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. 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