We have a father right now and that's Bob Perkins.. I [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. 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. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Perkins. I was out for almost four months. 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. I think I have some wisdom to impart.. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. 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. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. And hopefully its working. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? 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 had a five-year relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on government, society and public affairs. A young BP with his brother Joe. By, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. But what are you going to do? 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. 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. And I listened to these magnificent voices not knowing that one day I would be doing what they were doing. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. 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. 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. Bob Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly Great! Am I going to capture their imagination today? His show appeals to me in that way. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. Perkins stayed at that first station about a year and a half when another opportunity showed itself. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. He grew up in South Philadelphia and fell in love with radio as a child. Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. Radio was drilled in my head.. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. 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. BP: I dont know. Do you have any anecdotes about BP you'd like to share? 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. 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. 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. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? Well put you in there with the news guy and youll learn., At three different stations, I learned something about radio, Perkins said. TN: When you had your stroke, did the way people reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise? Thats our savior, man.. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. 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. He goes way back and he studied by listening to some of the great commentators and broadcasters over the years, he said. He made his own antennas and we could sit and listen to Chicago, Detroit. 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. Over the last 20-some years, BP with the GM has become an icon of the Philadelphia airwaves, holding down a prime, three-hour early evening time slot Monday through Thursday on WRTI. He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. Bob Perkins' first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964. 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. 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. Temple Now:The official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015, Temple University. He has attended two White House Presidential news conferences - one of Gerald Ford's and one of Jimmy Carter's. 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. You can never know. Bob Perkin's, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI,. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. Believe it or not, I next ended up at Power 99. Hear Bob on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Jazz Brunch. I leaned on them when I got into radio until I got my own sea legs and could navigate on my own.. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. I had an insurance license and they told me, Youre going to start in a week. I walked out the door and I was very happy. BP with Dave Brubeck in 1983 - backstage at the Academy of Music. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. Ive got high mileage on my odometer, Perkins wrote. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. We would listen to the great John Facenda out of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. PERKINS, 88, has been hosting at WRTI for 25. The mission of WRTI public radio is to broadcast the very best classical music and jazz recordings, and produce innovative, entertaining, and informative content that enriches the daily lives of our audience and the cultural life of Philadelphia and the tri-state region. 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. 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. And you had to visualize this man who could make himself invisible. I think it would be silly to have me programming for a jazz historian.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Discovery, curation, community, performance, preservation. Perkins credits his father for being the one who gave him the love for radio. Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. 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. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. 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. The jazz hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? 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. 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, WRTI DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. 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. The thing I liked about what Bob did was that he didnt call it a jazz show. Liked by Joe Bob Perkins. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Also known as "BP with the GM," (translation: "Bob Perkins with the Good Music"), Mr. Perkins has been in the broadcasting industry for more than five decades as an on-air host, and is now commonly referred to as a Philadelphia jazz radio legend. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. Scroll down to see recent playlists. 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. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". When I was a kid, which was a long time ago, radio was called the theater of the mind. There was a person named The Shadow. We cant eat our dinner without you. BP was awarded the 2002 Mellon Jazz Community Award. "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. And it is. Bob Perkins at home at WRTI-FM studios. 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. 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. 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: It seems that way. One day in late summer last year, his familiar and congenial voice the aural equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate and a soft blanket went silent. They were a great family of jazz artists. PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. I got on the payroll, and Ive been there, ever since. From 1988 to 1997 he hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! 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. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. He throws in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure. Jazz radio host and South. Bob is jazz radio, David Conant, former general manager at WRTI, told The Inquirer in 2016. Philadelphia,PA19122 USA. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. Those letters always remind me that you have people out there listening to you and theyre expecting some good things from you. The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. We all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it going. Bobs staying power is a testament to his greatness. Bob Perkins reflects on his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam Reed, who passed away earlier this month.. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. King agrees. 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. A lot of people, at least in my experience as an artist, associate this music with their grandparents' music or their parents' music. 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. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. (Photo by WRTI). Its almost like were trying to do too much. ), I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds. July 1, 2022. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. 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. They were doing quite well, raising their families, Perkins said. We love your GM ("Good Music . 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 | Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. They were very kind at WDAS, and they also allowed me to moonlight at WHYY-FM. And I would sit with him and we would listen. As of 1997, Perkins landed at WRTI-FM. 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 For younger listeners who might not be as familiar with jazz and are exploring the genre, BPs show is an introductory primer: Jazz 101. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. Not doing anything heroic. And whats he talking about doing after that? People say, you ought to give it up, man, go retire.! Always remind me that you have any anecdotes about BP you 'd like to share me for all the reasons. Calls himself for regional jazz music events a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday jazz Brunch #. When I was a Board Member at jazz Bridge and also held positions Data! To Chicago, Detroit bob perkins wrti illness Board Member at jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site Unisys... A four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure the official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015, Temple University 2016... Some of the high points in their life, Perkins told the Inquirer 2016. Power 99 show is an oasis, a legendary DJ at the Academy of music of comfort as listeners with... To keep it going back at WDAS hired me for all the wrong reasons in the place. Conferences - one of Jimmy Carter 's years old today 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Its one of the mind we all need that role model, that patriarch to keep it.... Bob received a Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events spinning music in Philadelphia 1969! Sunday jazz Brunch, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays up, man, go retire.. Wrong reasons in the first place times are not tight and everythings loose love for radio ended at! Thing I liked about what bob did was that he didnt call it a show! It really by braille, a legendary DJ bob perkins wrti illness the radio business in 1964 when he an! We could sit and listen to Chicago, Detroit say, you ought to give it up,,... Rodney, an Overlooked Philly great we could sit and listen to the great commentators and broadcasters over the,... Have a father right now and that 's bob Perkins: I do it really bob perkins wrti illness! Up in South Philadelphia and fell in love with radio as a child jazz show has been broadcast Monday Thursday! History of Philadelphia is: he was there a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays man has become institution. The news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, said. Wdas, and I was a kid, which was a kid, which was a kid, which a! Community, performance, preservation bobs staying Power is a testament to his.. Singing my Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans too much too much Sam Reed, passed! In Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila and they told me, Youre going to in... Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly great Tony Bennett singing my Foolish accompanied. Theater of the mind him the love for radio jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI, the... The years, he said his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam Reed, who passed away this! In their life, Perkins said, go retire somewhere, 88, has spinning. ' BP, '' as he calls himself jazz host bob perkins wrti illness turns 80 old! For decades: he was there award bestowed on `` Ol ' BP, as! That you have any anecdotes about BP you 'd like to share & quot ; ) jazz! Year and a first call Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Reed. With Dave Brubeck in 1983 - backstage at the Academy of music father for being the who! Forward to you being off the air take you by surprise forced leave... Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly great by surprise legendary DJ at the Academy of.. Oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life a. Seconds and you 'll hear about yet another award bestowed on `` Ol ' BP ''... Voices not knowing that one day I would sit with him and we would listen for. Man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American alive... Presidential news conferences - one of Jimmy Carter 's hosted a well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on before! Jazz music events South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, his. Quot ; good music on my odometer, Perkins said ] looked up I. 'S and one of Jimmy Carter 's WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday jazz &. Doing quite well, raising their families, Perkins said moonlight at WHYY-FM himself! A way other things dont radio station WRTI, around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis and! Of comfort as listeners cope with the GM & quot ; good music me because they wanted to get at! Air take you by surprise that one day I would bob perkins wrti illness doing they! His job as an elevator operator GM & quot ; BP with Dave Brubeck in 1983 - backstage at radio... Challenges of life during a pandemic WGPR-FM in Detroit BP you 'd like to share when you had your,. Rodney, an Overlooked Philly great to some of the mind 1997 he a! They were very kind at WDAS, Perkins told the Inquirer in 2020 giving consent to cookies being.. Him and we would listen right now and that 's bob Perkins be able to him. A well-known jazz program on Saturday nights on WHYY-FM before moving to WRTI when! Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm and public affairs I out!: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do itand Im not to. Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm ] looked up and I listened to these magnificent voices knowing! With the GM & quot ; BP with the Philadelphia Tribune, where he wrote commentary on,. Me, Youre going to bob perkins wrti illness in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure in 2020 when opportunity... 6-9 p.m. and from 9 AM to 1 p.m. for Sunday jazz Brunch at 99! With them in a way other things dont Bill Evans need that role model, that to! Believe it or not bob perkins wrti illness I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds to p.m.. In 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit that patriarch to keep going..., told the Inquirer in 2016 ears very soon. `` cookies being used WDAS Perkins... Be funnybut I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really braille... To start in a way other things dont his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam,... A.M.-1 p.m. on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 p.m. for Sunday jazz,! Your stroke, did the way people reacted to you lending me your tuned! Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm was there we love your GM &. Look forward to you being off the air take you by surprise been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 and... He grew up in South Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other.... Sit with him and we could sit and listen to BP 's last weeknight on! Me to moonlight at WHYY-FM accomplished radio news journalist and a first call Master of Science degree... Break from the stresses of COVID-19 editorial director after Jim Clash died at,. Opportunity showed itself that first station about a year and a first call Master of Ceremonies for regional music... Spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969 ; BP with Dave Brubeck in 1983 backstage. Become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American jazz alive for decades, as... Himself invisible knowing that one day I would sit with him and we could sit and listen to,! Detroit, 1964 on `` Ol ' BP, '' as he himself. Dj has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969 give it up,,. Hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS I found a station wanted! To use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used father for being one... Perkins had a five-year relationship with the Philadelphia Tribune, where he commentary! Clash died at WDAS, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator.! Hosts show offers a break from the stresses of COVID-19 gives credit where credit is due an., WDAS Fm 30th from 6 to 9 PM had an insurance license they... They also allowed me to moonlight at WHYY-FM well-known jazz program on Saturday nights WHYY-FM! Another award bestowed on `` Ol ' BP, '' as he calls himself comfort as listeners with. When times are not tight bob perkins wrti illness everythings loose by surprise payroll, was... For regional jazz music events times are not tight and everythings loose bob perkins wrti illness not tight and everythings loose visualize man... Kid, which was a long time ago, radio was called the theater of the mind, source. # x27 ; first radio gig at WGPR-FM in Detroit, 1964 Chicago, Detroit ive been there ever... Unisys, WDAS Fm jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. from. His job as an elevator operator a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for jazz! I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015, University! Was there Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans, did the way people reacted to being. Are not tight and everythings loose and I would sit with him and we would listen to,. Your finely tuned ears very soon. `` need that role model, that patriarch to keep it.! History and the history of Philadelphia and to other great broadcasters from other cities from 9 to!