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. [citation needed], Perkins is also a first-call jazz MC. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. It was always in the back of my mind, like a latent dream, that maybe one day, Id get into radio.. 1054. 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. 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 Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. 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. Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . This music conjures up some beautiful memories. You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. We love your GM ("Good Music . TN: It sounds like being a DJ is something you were always meant to do. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. I would do reports on Philadelphia radio about what was happening in Detroit. 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. 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. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. 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. We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. 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. 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. And the only way you can make it accurate is you have to be there, he said. I got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, Great Lakes Mutual, in Detroit. He said yesand hes been here ever since. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. 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. They had hired me for all the wrong reasons in the first place. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Bob Perkins, a legendary DJ at the radio station WRTI, spun everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. I wrote for Hugo Warren for 20 years. His older brother had introduced him to the music of Duke Ellington, which sparked a lifelong love of big band and jazz music. Last Update. He goes way back and he studied by listening to some of the great commentators and broadcasters over the years, he said. I did a good music program over there for twenty years. He is one of the few DJs at WRTI, or any radio station in existence nowadays, allowed such a luxury. And hopefully its working. Information about his on-air schedule may be found at WRTI's website. BP talks about Charlie Parker back in 2020 with WRTI's Susan Lewis: His presence is felt throughout the city. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . 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. 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. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. BP: Yes, it really did. 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. King agrees. In September of 1969, I started working at WDAS as a newsman. Remember, I came up as a war baby. Hear Bob on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Sunday Jazz Brunch. 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. He was the youngest child and when his mother became ill, he felt responsible to stay and care for her. 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. 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. [1] His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. 12 of 12. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 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. But on the other side of the coin, technology can be very dangerous.. 1 photo. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. My father just loved to have the radio on. 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. The South Philadelphia native has been one of the greatest voices of the citys airwaves since 1969, when he joined R&B station WDAS in an influential news and editorial position after working in Detroit radio for five years. Thanks! Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. 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. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. But he played the radio, that was his only salvation from the pain. 1101 W. Montgomery Avenue He also wrote editorials and other articles for the former Philadelphia New Observer. Why might that be? But you try to always put that best music forward. I also dont think radio announcers are as influential today as they used to be, Perkins added. 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. You can find some solace in what you like. I know Ive been very blessed. Jazz host Bob Perkins in his office at WRTI. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. And you had to visualize this man who could make himself invisible. He also hosts concerts at jazz clubs and at regional festivals. 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! He currently hosts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9 am to 1 pm Sundays. Music has brought us through some very challenging times.. PhillyVoice Staff, Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. 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. Music they danced and romanced to when they were young people.. 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. IE 11 is not supported. I had a mild stroke. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. Listener-supported. But what are you going to do? Perkins. It gives you a feeling of a time gone by, a past era where jazz was the music of the day.. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. 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 got his first job in radio during a trip to visit his two brothers in Detroit in 1964. He has a very comforting presence on the air. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. BP: It seems that way. #WRTImusic TN: Whats the response been to your show recently? He has attended two White House Presidential news conferences - one of Gerald Ford's and one of Jimmy Carter's. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. Not quite content as a newsman, in the late 70s he volunteered for a moonlighting job as a weekend music DJ with WHYY, where he coined his on-air moniker: BP with the GM Bob Perkins with the Good Music. Music. [citation needed]. 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. Contact. Im just playing music. I try not to ad-lib and talk about what is going on. Meaning "Bob Perkins with the good music. His show is an oasis, a source of comfort as listeners cope with the challenges of life during a pandemic. He wanted to share his obsession. Change has come to radio, music, listeners, and listening habits. A young BP with his brother Joe. I did what I could, he told The Inquirer in 2020, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. What makes history so important is it has to be true. I had WDAS and WHYY, doing all of those things simultaneously for about 10 years. They were doing quite well, raising their families, Perkins said. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. Thats our savior, man.. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. Bob Perkins has been instrumental in establishing WRTI as one of the premier jazz stations in the country since 1997. By Bob Perkins | WRTI-FM (Philadelphia, PA) One November night in the year 1934, a 17-year-old girl was about to take the stage at the Apollo theater's Amateur Night program and planned to do a dance routinebut changed her mind and decided to sing a song instead. ABOVE PHOTO: The Legendary BP with the GM (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM). Michael Tanenbaum He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Beginning in June, he will end the weekday program and continue with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 FM. It was a small station. But theres something about music. Those letters always remind me that you have people out there listening to you and theyre expecting some good things from you. Perkins has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. At 90.1 FM. After a longtime gig at WHYY, he joined WRTI in 1997. Read More. 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. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. 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 | Five of the most outstanding jazz personalities had. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Radio has changed dramatically over the years, [particularly] with all the new technology, he said. Bob Perkins is a Dj at Wrti based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Perkins wandered into the station at WGPR-FM and got a position as on-air DJ and Announcer. The estimated net worth of Joe Bob Perkins is at least $6.75 million as of November 2nd, 2022. 1. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. Perkins is the PM drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University Radio in Philadelphia. I enjoy it. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. Its a rallying cry. He is known as "BP with the GM," short for Bob Perkins with the Good Music. I lived on the same block as the famous Heath Brothers in South Philadelphia growing up, he said. Radio was saturated into me like a sponge thats put in water, Perkins said. 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. 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. 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. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. Perkins, 88, has been at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has spanned nearly six decades. I program most of the music on the station, said Maureen Malloy. Jazz radio host and South. I listened to all the magnificent voices that they had during the second world war: Edward R. Murrow and all those, Bob said in an interview in 2020. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. I think I have some wisdom to impart.. 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. Bob Perkins reflects on his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam Reed, who passed away earlier this month.. 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. Bell Building He had his own antennae that he had drilled into his table model radio. He will continue to host his Sunday program. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. I next made a move over to WRTI, which is Temple Universitys radio station, as a volunteer DJ playing jazz music. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. 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.. 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. But his well-honed approach to the music would remain unaffected. His show appeals to me in that way. BP: I dont know. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. I leaned on them when I got into radio until I got my own sea legs and could navigate on my own.. He is genuine, a real original.. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? Bob Perkins will retire from his full-time position hosting nights at Temple University Jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. 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. "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.. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. Electronics and technology are magnificent. How is someone out there feeling? Any birthday wishes? 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. Is the PM drive time jazz radio personality and host for WRTI-FM Temple University radio in Philadelphia,.... Wrti, or any radio station, as a newsman [ 2 ] in 1997, felt! His full-time position hosting nights at Temple University jazz 90.1 WRTI Philadelphia i could, he felt to. War baby are not tight and everythings loose, from 9 am to 1 PM Sundays Gerald. Listeners cope with the Sunday broadcast on90.1 Fm estimated net worth of Joe bob Perkins has been broadcast Monday Thursday... New technology, he bob perkins wrti illness band and jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been at station. On them when i got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, great Mutual! 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