I think in some way, Bob is able to bridge that gap, King said. 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!". Bob Perkins at home at WRTI-FM studios. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. 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. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. Temple Now: How do you choose the music that you play? Music, said BP about the GM. This music conjures up some beautiful memories. Electronics and technology are magnificent. At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. He was the youngest child and when his mother became ill, he felt responsible to stay and care for her. People know what is going on. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. He has earned well over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations. Something they can hum. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. He had his own antennae that he had drilled into his table model radio. Information about his on-air schedule may be found at WRTI's website. Jazz radio legend Bob Perkins, 88, will retire in June from his full-time role as a host at Philadelphia's WRTI-FM. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and the musicians, and has known many of the greats. Copyright 2022 RadioInsight / RadioBB Networks. How is someone out there feeling? He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. But at age 88, Perkins is signing off passing the ball to the next era of jazz lovers. Especially jazz music. It has to be accurate. Philadelphia,PA19122 USA. My dad was my radio school, the 86-year-old remembered. Perkins spoke about the evolution of radio. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. Pianist Orrin Evans believes BP is vital to Philadelphias jazz scene. Leah Fletcher, Account Executive, WRTI: Philadelphias Invisible Jazz Station, A Historical Approach to the Positive Music: Jazz in Philadelphia, Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul will be broadcast by US public radio stations during Black History Month, including WXPN and WRTI, Biden declares Kyiv stands in surprise visit to Ukraine, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Former Philadelphia Eagle, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE, Queen Latifah will host the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25 in Pasadena CA. At 90.1 FM. After establishing himself on Detroit radio in news and jazz, Perkins returned to Philly in 1969 and became WDAS-FM's news/editorial director while hosting a jazz show at WHYY-FM. 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. In 2007, he was recognized with a proclamation by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". 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!. He got his first job in radio during a trip to visit his two brothers in Detroit in 1964. His father built homemade antennas that could pick up broadcasts from hundreds of miles away and the two would sit and listen together. My mom would let me stay up on the weekends and sometimes we would pick up stations in other states. 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. He is known as "BP with the GM," short for Bob Perkins with the Good Music. I couldnt leave Mom Perkins to go chasing after radio, he said. BP: Well, I still like it. Bob Perkins, age 8. Who knows what lies behind that smile? Im just about 90% recovered and the letters that they sent, it was embarrassing to me because of the flattery that they gave me. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. BP's last WRTI weeknight shift is on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. He throws in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure. My father just loved to have the radio on. 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. I got on the payroll, and Ive been there, ever since. 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. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. He currently hosts from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9 am to 1 pm Sundays. King agrees. In celebration of Women's History Month, we're shining a spotlight on the female hosts of WRTI. I looked around, and I found a station that wanted a newsman. 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. Bob Perkins reflects on his memories of Philadelphian tenor saxophonist Sam Reed, who passed away earlier this month.. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. Every Saturday, I was there.. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. He will continue to host his Sunday program. He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. I never knew exactly how my father came to love radio so much, but he was an avid radio listener, Perkins recalled. Radio was drilled in my head.. 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 . Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. You can never know. TN: When you had your stroke, did the way people reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise? He currently hosts from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday, and from . But I had some qualifications, too, because my dad got into radio back in the 1920s, when radio was in its infancy. Bob's contributions to jazz are innumerable. By, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. 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. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, . I know Ive been very blessed. We love your GM ("Good Music . "[4] He is also an accomplished radio news journalist and a First Call Master of Ceremonies for regional jazz music events. I [then] looked up and I saw a sign that read WGPR-FM. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. 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 has been ill and off the air for a few months but will make his return in the first week of January. You should hear this guy.. Mr. Perkins owns 88,692 shares of Targa Resources stock worth more than $6,747,687 as of February 16th. William Johnson, General Manager of WRTI said, Bobs contributions to jazz are innumerable. 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. Like the theme song from the 1944 film Laura, played by saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins. They were a great family of jazz artists. 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. So when I came back I got these emails saying, Oh, were glad youre back. I save all my emails. Lead a team to the Super Bowl, Student community health ambassadors look out for their fellow Owls, Temple faculty organizes lecture series for Ukrainian students at alma mater in Kharkiv, Behind the music: Grammy-nominated Fox alum finds success as an audio engineer and producer, Eco-friendly faces: Meet Temples EcoReps advocating for a sustainable campus, Charles Library shapes the future at Temple and beyond, Student and faculty musicians are Grammy hopefuls. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. 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. Bob Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly Great! All the girls belong to me!". When WHYY dropped its music programming to concentrate on news and information, Perkins moved uptown. Classical 6am-6pm, and Jazz 6pm-6am. You had to sit around the radio and visualize. 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. 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. 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. Joseph V. Labolito. 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. I look to my dad and my older brother, Perkins said, and I guess I was just programmed to do what I do. Sunday Jazz Brunch with Bob Perkins airs from 9 AM until 1 PM. I try not to ad-lib and talk about what is going on. 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. Perkins recalled that his father, at the age of about 40, had such severe arthritis that he could barely walk. Temple Public Radio 90.1 FM is amazing! He has a very comforting presence on the air. Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. In 1969, he headed home to Philly, where he began working as a news and editorial director at WDAS-FM, which was then known as the voice of the Black community. He stayed at that station for nearly two decades. 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. Ive been in radio for about 55 years and in Philadelphia for 50 years. 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. Jazz Host Extraordinaire Bob Perkins is Retiring from Weeknights on WRTI Our beloved "BP with the GM"Bob Perkins with the Good Musicis turning off his mic on weeknights starting on June 30th after a long and storied career. Friday evenings at 10 PM, veteran WRTI jazz host J. Michael Harrison presents The Bridge, exploring the merging platforms of popular music and jazz. 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. We cant eat our dinner without you. News was almost like a religion back in the day. But it seems like the longer I stayed out, [chuckles] the more positive response I got. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. 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.. 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.. WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. I dont know how they do it. 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. 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. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . 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. Learn More about Joe Bob Perkins' net worth. The general manager told me one of his announcers would be leaving in a few days and I could try out for his job. Experience Board Chair Orennia 2021 - Present 2 years. What makes Bob so incredibly important to our music history and the history of Philadelphia is: he was there. Maybe its one of the high points in their life, Perkins told The Inquirer in 2020. Im waiting for my doc to give me clearance to return to work so that I can keep putting out that good GM . Since his Bloomberg profile states that he has gone to both . I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. Remember, I came up as a war baby. Eventually, they changed their format to Jazz and Classical music. A survey of the playlist from one of his last shows before his stroke is a ramble through classic jazz interpretations of American Songbook standards. Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia and currently lives in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sheila. In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. (Photo by WRTI). I got a job working at a Black-owned insurance company, Great Lakes Mutual, in Detroit. ABOVE PHOTO: The Legendary BP with the GM (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM). 12 of 12. TN: Why do you feel people respond so strongly to music? 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. Perkins was also one of Pennsylvania's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in the Philadelphia area. BP: I dont know. Went to Texas A&M University. 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. But theres something about music. You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. I went downstairs at the same building, and told the insurance company, Im here to quit a job I never started. Leaving out the door of the insurance company, the man who had offered me a job selling insurance said, Do you know what theyre going to pay you up there? He is a part of that time when jazz was juke joints and Friday night fish fries. Bob has always taken that part of his life very seriously and gives credit where credit is due. In 2016, he was awarded a bronze plaque on Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts. 1 photo. 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. Perkins sat and listened and learned his lessons and developed a calling. General Manager told me one of Pennsylvania 's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in in. To host his talk show on Sunday mornings for Good measure schedule may be at... To sit around the radio on also hear the GM ( & quot ; BP with the Good music that. 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