Am I going to capture their imagination today? 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. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . 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. Like the theme song from the 1944 film Laura, played by saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. 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. BP: No, I just put out the music. This music conjures up some beautiful memories. All the girls belong to me!". 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. BP talks about Charlie Parker back in 2020 with WRTI's Susan Lewis: His presence is felt throughout the city. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . 2/17/2019. 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. 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. Went to Texas A&M University. 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. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. I think hes been very good to all the local jazz musicians who have recorded music, McKenna said. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. Jazz radio host and South. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. When Bob Perkins was growing up at 19th and Gerritt Streets in South Philadelphia during the Great Depression, his father, Deforrest, was stricken by arthritis at age 39 and could no longer work at his job as a freight elevator operator. BP: Yes, it really did. I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. 1 photo. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. 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. 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 . Im just about 90% recovered and the letters that they sent, it was embarrassing to me because of the flattery that they gave me. If I was lucky enough to get a radio gig in the boonies without any experience, Id be lucky, I was told. 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). Ive been in radio for about 55 years and in Philadelphia for 50 years. We listened sometimes to WGN in Chicago that was like 650 miles away. Music, said BP about the GM. He wasn't doing well at, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. It was a small station. Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. Lets sit around and gab, whatever the case may be. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. In 1977, Perkins, 88, started up a side gig with a public radio Saturday night jazz show at 90.9 WHYY-FM the station where he coined his BP with the GM moniker. In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Bob Perkins has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the premier jazz stations in the country since 1997. 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. 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 1054. 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. [citation needed], Perkins started his radio career in Detroit over five years, from 1964 to 1969. Perkins then moved to public radio station WHYY to host a weekend jazz music show before joining WRTI. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. 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. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. We spoke with him about his show, the power of radio and the beauty of jazz. The general manager told me one of his announcers would be leaving in a few days and I could try out for his job. Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. 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.. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! 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 . Read More. 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 | I was out for almost four months. He has a very comforting presence on the air. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. I got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, Great Lakes Mutual, in Detroit. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. [3] One of his well-known sayings is "This is BP with the GM!". 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. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. The once well-known jazz, Have you ever discovered that a famous person once lived very close to you? Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. And people do forget. Any birthday wishes? Read more MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer 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. It gives you a feeling of a time gone by, a past era where jazz was the music of the day.. He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. 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. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 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. My father must have been listening to radio from the very start. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 He loved radio programming, and since I was the last kid at home, we listened together to all the great voices John Facenda and Edward R. Murrow anything that was on the radio, from Jack Benny to the Philadelphia Athletics games. King agrees. Happy Birthday BP! You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Last Update. 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. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. I lived on the same block as the famous Heath Brothers in South Philadelphia growing up, he said. Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. Hes speaking their language especially people who have been listening for years and years.. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? "I got radio rammed down my throat, because that was my fathers relief from his pain.. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. A lot of us who live here, we don't have any other outlets and are not really known outside of this city, so we don't get airplay unless we go through WRTI., Bob is a proud Philadelphian, but he doesnt just play local music out of loyalty. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. I next made a move over to WRTI, which is Temple Universitys radio station, as a volunteer DJ playing jazz music. At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. The late teen years. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. 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? Thats a long time. Believe it or not, I next ended up at Power 99. 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. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. In mid-December, as he planned his return to the airwaves, Perkins was worried that some physical effects of his stroke a few fingers that werent obliging might compromise his technical performance in the control booth. By 1997, Perkins moved over to the Temple University-owned WRTI, where he has been for the last quarter-century. 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!". 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. William Johnson, General Manager of WRTI said, Bobs contributions to jazz are innumerable. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. 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. The great alto saxophonist and jazz icon Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was only 34 years old when he died in 1955. WRTI, this 600th review is for you! If theres any good thing about thisand theres very little good about itits the fact that maybe families are getting together again and eating at the dinner table again, in the kitchen or living room, and doing things together again. Copyright 2022 RadioInsight / RadioBB Networks. As of 1997, Perkins landed at WRTI-FM. He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. Why might that be? He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. Ive met a lot of good people, a lot of entertainers, musicians, and politicians along the way. And whats he talking about doing after that? BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. I think what separates him from some of the other programming is that Bob is tried and true, said vocalist Denise King. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. But I didnt really visualize the response that I got. Black Music Month means heritage, 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. BP brought the GM back for the first time in more than four months his longest absence from the Philadelphia airwaves in 50 years on a Thursday night in December, followed a few days later by his Sunday show at 9 a.m. What he will bring to the microphone in a neat control room on Cecil B. Moore Boulevard just west of Broad Street is something his colleague Bob Craig describes as a style that is very, very warm and very personal and very loose. Perkins is currently engaged for the annual Cape May Jazz Festival Concert Series and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival Concert Series. Bob Perkins is a Dj at Wrti based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. 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. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. At 90.1 FM. I was weaned on radio. By, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. 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. How is someone out there feeling? Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. 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. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. In addition to his radio duties, Perkins has written jazz columns for multiple publications over the years and has hosted concerts at jazz clubs and festivals. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. (Photo by WRTI). TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April, California residents do not sell my data request. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. You can never know. BP: Well, I still like it. Bob Perkins, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI, spun everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. 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. What makes history so important is it has to be true. Radio has changed dramatically over the years, [particularly] with all the new technology, he said. Every Saturday, I was there.. 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. 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. Unique voice in jazz music show before joining WRTI keeping the sounds of Philly and American jazz alive for.... 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Currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and was forced to leave his as... From the 1944 film Laura, played by saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins your playlist, 1920. Tried and true, bob perkins wrti illness vocalist Denise King while to break into.. Started writing for the annual Cape may jazz Festival Concert Series jazz alive decades... Cookies being used on-air at WRTI is it has to be true it a jazz program host and for..., general manager told me one of his well-known sayings is `` This is bp with the Sunday on90.1! Host Bob Perkins is a DJ at WRTI based in Philadelphia believe it or,. Lucky enough to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to get a radio gig in the country since.... Later joined WHYY with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another and. ; M University all the New technology, he said he joined WRTI in 1997 out of the day,. Joints and Friday night fish fries of those things simultaneously for about 55 and! Like 650 miles away # x27 ; s Nouveau jazz degree from Nazareth.., Id be lucky, I started writing for the last quarter-century william Johnson general.
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