WRTI. TN: Why do you feel people respond so strongly to music? The host entered the Philadelphia radio world in 1967 with WDAM, where he served as a news and editorial director. He made his own antennas and we could sit and listen to Chicago, Detroit. Scroll down to see recent playlists. Thats a long time. Perkins, 88, has been at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has spanned nearly six decades. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. He wasn't doing well at, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. 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. 2/17/2019. [3] One of his well-known sayings is "This is BP with the GM!". 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. Hes one of the last purveyors of our actual history. He is a jazz program host and DJ for WRTI. He was known for his laid-back and mellow style. Previously, Bob was a Board Member at Jazz Bridge and also held positions at Data Site, Unisys, WDAS Fm. I met saxophonist Sam Reed well before he became a legendary figure on the Philadelphia jazz scene. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I was weaned on radio. Remember, I came up as a war baby. I think it would be silly to have me programming for a jazz historian.. Im just a guy playing music, not flying to the moon or inventing something to get away from this malaise that were in with this particular virus. 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. Over the years, he met the likes of President Jimmy Carter and touched the lives of everyday listeners and renowned musicians. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 Read more MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer 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). WRTI listeners will still be able to join him for Sunday Jazz Brunch, from 9 AM to 1 PM. Bob in the mid '60s - a seasoned veteran on the job for one year at WGPR in Detroit. I always felt like they hired me because they wanted to get back at WDAS. The world wasnt moving quite as fast. The music that appeals to BPs old noggin is what he calls the melodic stuff with no expiration date, most of it recorded decades ago. ", BP going one on one with the audience shows a very strong kinship, said Craig, himself a 40-year veteran of local radio. I think I have some wisdom to impart.. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? Joe Blocks parents were fans of WRTI and the pianist grew up listening to BP, becoming a fan himself. All rights reserved. Five of the most outstanding jazz personalities had. [8] Philadelphia honored him in 2017 when he was inducted in Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.[9]. For younger listeners who might not be as familiar with jazz and are exploring the genre, BPs show is an introductory primer: Jazz 101. 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. During his short life, he became one of the, 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. I think hes been very good to all the local jazz musicians who have recorded music, McKenna said. This net worth approximation does not reflect any other investments that Mr. Perkins may own. Friday evenings at 10 PM, veteran WRTI jazz host J. Michael Harrison presents The Bridge, exploring the merging platforms of popular music and jazz. 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. We would listen to WAR in Detroit, which is 500 miles away. Thats our savior, man.. And whats he talking about doing after that? The general manager told me one of his announcers would be leaving in a few days and I could try out for his job. You can also hear the GM on Sunday Jazz Brunch with BP from 9 am to 1 pm. 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. All rights reserved. Bob Perkins: I do itand Im not trying to be funnybut I do it really by braille, a feel. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Joe Bob Perkins: Table of Contents show. His stories are not secondhand.. 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. Im just playing music. My mom would let me stay up on the weekends and sometimes we would pick up stations in other states. He was the youngest child and when his mother became ill, he felt responsible to stay and care for her. 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. Some of the management of that station listened to me on WGPR and they liked what they heard, he said. And I do it by feel what should follow this piece of music and is my next piece of music as good or better than the previous piece of music that I played? What makes history so important is it has to be true. A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. Meaning "Bob Perkins with the good music. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. 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. 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. But he played the radio, that was his only salvation from the pain. What Bob does, it makes people feel like youre coming home, she said. I think because of them, thats where my love of jazz music was solidified.. I dont know how they do it. How is someone out there feeling? Discovery, curation, community, performance, preservation. 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. "After 57 years in media, 25 of those years spent at WRTI, I am now into my 88th year, so this is a good time to retire from full-time hosting at the station, and reflect on where I've been, with whom I've talked and what I have learned over the decades as a news man, editorial writer and jazz music host, and see where that leads me," Perkins said. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. TN: People staying at home have been listening more to the radio and less to streaming services. READ MORE: Two Philly jazz masters celebrate their birthdays (and their best-friendship), Perkins had suffered a stroke. 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'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. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". 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. "He is a gentleman, a kind soul, and every bit as nice in person as you hear on-air. I did what I could, he said, because I didnt know a thing about writing editorials. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. You had to wear earphones to hear whatever stations you were lucky enough to hear that would come through. Since I turned 65, he reports with a tone more of irony than self-pity, its been one thing after another. Radio was drilled in my head.. The great alto saxophonist and jazz icon Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was only 34 years old when he died in 1955. Maybe were getting back to that today. WRTI, this 600th review is for you! BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. At one time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and. He credits his love for radio to his father who repaired radios as a hobby when he was young. 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. Any birthday wishes? 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. 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 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.. Read More. 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. 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. 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. But theres something about music. Radio started I think, in 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. King agrees. Thats the magic part about this thing called music. A young BP with his brother Joe. Perkins credits his father for being the one who gave him the love for radio. Partner Tupper Lake Partners 2021 - Present 2 years. It comes out of the head, out of the heart and out of your soul. Joseph V. Labolito. Perkins' jazz show has been broadcast Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Ive been in radio for quite some time. But then hed also play Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, John Coltrane, and Bird. (The last being the nickname for the brilliant bebop jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. Courtney Blue, KLN '12, hosts Late Evening Jazz, The Jazz Request Show and Nouveau Jazz Showcase. I was a war baby. Black Music Month means heritage, he said. 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 I know Ive been very blessed. In 1969, WDAS offered him a news and editorial position and asked if he might be interested in moving back to Philadelphia. At the same time, I started writing for the Philadelphia New Observer newspaper owned by Hugo Warren. 27206. 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. 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. Once Mom made transition, I decided to go for it, and so I packed my bags, and I was off to Detroit. "People say, You ought to give it up, man, go retire somewhere. Why? BP: It seems that way. He fell ill around 1940 with rheumatoid arthritis, and was forced to leave his job as an elevator operator. 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. 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