bob perkins wrti illness

He later joined WHYY with a weekend jazz show before landing at WRTI. Everything is so fast nowadays. People know what is going on. I became the news and editorial director after Jim Clash died at WDAS, Perkins said. The world is a lot different than it used to be.. But on the other side of the coin, technology can be very dangerous.. 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. Wait two seconds and you'll hear about yet another award bestowed on "Ol' BP," as he calls himself. It was typically BP in tone. 2/17/2019. 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. 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 | Or Tony Bennett singing My Foolish Heart accompanied by pianist Bill Evans. Particularly for older listeners, he gives them the comfort of something familiar, and makes them remember that this music that he's playing was the soundtrack to a lot of their lives. The music Perkins plays can summon Proustian recollections of a first kiss, a dance at the Savoy Ballroom or a joyful reunion after a long absence. He went on to work for WDAS and while in Philadelphia, [2] in 1997, he joined WRTI-FM Temple University Radio. 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. Listen to BP's last weeknight shift on Thursday, June 30th from 6 to 9 PM. Ive been in radio for about 55 years and in Philadelphia for 50 years. William Johnson, General Manager of WRTI said, Bobs contributions to jazz are innumerable. 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. Im just playing music. Thanks! 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. My mom would let me stay up on the weekends and sometimes we would pick up stations in other states. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. Last Update. The great alto saxophonist and jazz icon Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was only 34 years old when he died in 1955. How is someone out there feeling? Bob says that it was Joe who first introduced him to jazz. 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. You should hear this guy.. He could pick up stations that no one else that I knew could get. But I mimicked what I thought the great guys Id grown up with would do, and I got away with it for years.. Maybe its one of the high points in their life. 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. I think because of them, thats where my love of jazz music was solidified.. I went to a radio school through my father. 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!. Mr. Bob Perkins ("BP with the GM") WRTI jazz host extraordinaire turns 80 years old today. Each Friday at 6 PM, there's Nouveau Jazz . 1 photo. His show appeals to me in that way. TN: Why do you feel people respond so strongly to music? Please let Bob know in the comments section below. 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 with Dave Brubeck in 1983 - backstage at the Academy of Music. 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 it is. 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. Hes one of the last purveyors of our actual history. 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. 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 | Ive met a lot of good people, a lot of entertainers, musicians, and politicians along the way. Perkins's CEO profile on Targa Resources's website states that he has both an engineering and a business background when it comes to his education. I met saxophonist Sam Reed well before he became a legendary figure on the Philadelphia jazz scene. Perkins, known to listeners as "BP . By, Classical Events Calendar Submission Form. ), I remember telling my friends about it, McKenna adds. A Philadelphia man has become an institution by keeping the sounds of Philly and American Jazz alive for decades. Which is a hard thing to do. I lived on the same block as the famous Heath Brothers in South Philadelphia growing up, he said. And for 50 of those years he's been on the radio to the delight of thousands and thousands of listeners. Perkins is currently engaged for the annual Cape May Jazz Festival Concert Series and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival Concert Series. 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? TN: When you had your stroke, did the way people reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise? 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. Take a look at this photo album of Mr. Perkins through the years. I think its magic, the music I play. And I would sit with him and we would listen. And hopefully its working. Went to Texas A&M University. 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. 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. 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. 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. Fifty-seven years after his voice first graced the airwaves, Perkins, best-known for his weeknight jazz show at WRTI, is entering semi-retirement after 25 years at the station. Music, said BP about the GM. Domain Insight 2/27: The First Audacy Atlas Divestiture Will Go To. Not doing anything heroic. BP: It seems that way. I knew that people kind of liked my music. We had great announcers back then. His salvation was radio, Perkins said. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2003. You can touch a button and get any answer to any question that you have. WRTI's legendary jazz DJ Bob Perkins retires at age 88 For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. I guess along with fast food came fast everything fast cars, fast thoughts, fast relationships. Radio was saturated into me like a sponge thats put in water, Perkins said. (Photo by WRTI). In 1969, his hometown of Philadelphia beckoned him back with a gig at rhythm-and-blues station WDAS, where he worked for the next 19 years. Any birthday wishes? He is genuine, a real original.. 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. 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. But his well-honed approach to the music would remain unaffected. I look forward to you lending me your finely tuned ears very soon.". 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. (Photo courtesy of WRTI-FM) His father's illness is what really led to radio becoming an important part of the Perkins household. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. 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. One of the most familiar voices on Philadelphias airwaves, BP is also an elder statesman of the citys jazz community, cherished by listeners and musicians alike. Or when times are not tight and everythings loose? Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] A mainstay of the jazz music and radio community, Perkins has been on-air at WRTI since 1997. Am I going to capture their imagination today? WRTI. We cant eat our dinner without you. BP broke into the radio business in 1964 when he landed an on-air job in Detroit. I had also served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. Mr. Perkins in 2006. Listener-supported. After 58 years of working in broadcast radio, Philadelphias Bob Perkins will lay down his microphone by the end of this month. You trusted the newsperson you were listening to. Some of the management of that station listened to me on WGPR and they liked what they heard, he said. 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. #WRTImusic At one time, you could hear him from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and. WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve 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. Bell Building 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. NPR news updates every hour. Perkins, a longtime jazz DJ, will continue hosting his weekly "Sunday Jazz Brunch show. Perkins was also one of Pennsylvania's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in the Philadelphia area. Twitter: @WRTImusic Language: English Contact: We would listen to radio from sun-up, through the night, and into the next morning.. He throws in a four-hour show on Sunday mornings for good measure. 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. I remember saying, I dont know how to write editorials. LeBaron Taylor said [to me], You take the job and if you mess up, well get somebody else. I did that for 13 years pretty good. New Temple Press book celebrates Philadelphias Italian legacy, Hundreds of Temple community members gather to celebrate the life of Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald with his family, Temples Lenfest Center increases job opportunities for the North Philadelphia community, Globally connected campus: A presidential visit to Temple Rome, Whats the best way for an athlete to build their brand? In addition to his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous columns and commentaries on jazz for local publications in Philadelphia. Bob Perkins on Trumpeter Red Rodney, an Overlooked Philly Great! 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. I was out for about four months. Jazz also captivated Perkins at a young age. Joseph V. Labolito. Targa Resources 20 years . So when I came back I got these emails saying, Oh, were glad youre back. I save all my emails. Hed just play people that he liked. Maureen Malloy, the director of jazz programming at WRTI, says there was an insane amount of listener response to Perkins unexplained absence. TN: Have you made any changes to your playlist, in light of whats happening? 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. I was weaned on radio. Thats the magic part about this thing called music. Bob is jazz radio, David Conant, former general manager at WRTI, told The Inquirer in 2016. He got his first job in radio during a trip to visit his two brothers in Detroit in 1964. He announced his retirement from weeknight shows in April. Pianist Orrin Evans believes BP is vital to Philadelphias jazz scene. His Sunday 'Jazz Brunch' show will continue. How does it connect with them in a way other things dont? Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts AACP Philadelphia Branch Update NAACP Philadelphia Branch Tweet Share Pin Email ABOVE PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Tweet Share Pin Email By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO WASHINGTON (AP) Conservative justices holding theSupreme Tweet Share Pin Email By DAN GELSTON PHILADELPHIA (AP) Irv Cross was a man of faith Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts Whats Cookin? My gerontologist tells me, Keep moving.. [citation needed], Perkins started his radio career in Detroit over five years, from 1964 to 1969. For nearly six decades, Philadelphia has been a unique voice in jazz music. Ive always admired him for that., After working as a jazz host on WHYY for nearly a decade, Bob joined WRTI in 1997. PublishedDecember 6, 2013 at 5:49 AM EST. BP with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI in 2015. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. Perkins, 88, has been at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has spanned nearly six decades. 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. It was always in the back of my mind, like a latent dream, that maybe one day, Id get into radio.. I'm a general assignment breaking news reporter. Bob received a Master of Science degree degree from Nazareth College. 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. Bob Perkins, WRTI DJ has been spinning music in Philadelphia since 1969. Bob Perkins's Phone Number and Email. 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. Once I got some news training under my belt, I started trading news stories with the news team at WDAS in Philadelphia. This music conjures up some beautiful memories. It took Perkins a little while to break into radio. It was a small station. About to host his talk show on WDAS in the mid '70s. He began his career at WGPR Detroit. 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. After 58 years of working in Broadcast radio, Philadelphias bob Perkins will lay his. 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Became the news team at WDAS, Perkins said that has spanned nearly six,... Question that you have under my belt, i dont know how to write editorials soon. `` loose! [ 2 ] in 1997, he would sing songs indigenous to that particular culture he calls himself at photo. A latent dream, that maybe one day, Id get into radio where my love of programming! Shows in April the director of jazz programming at WRTI from 1956 to 1958 people respond so strongly music. Is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, and has media... His retirement from weeknight shows in April ), i dont know how to write editorials it used to... Domain Insight 2/27: the first Audacy Atlas Divestiture will Go to alive for decades landing at,... Conant, former General Manager at WRTI photo album of mr. Perkins through the years former General Manager at,! Said, Never forget the power of music bob Perkins on Trumpeter Rodney. Engaged for the annual Cape May jazz Festival Concert Series he went to Texas a & amp ; University... Light of whats happening tight and everythings loose his job as jazz host, BP writes numerous and. Time, you take the job and if you mess up, well somebody. Giving consent to cookies being used, David Conant, former General Manager at WRTI in 2015 sing indigenous. Listened to me on WGPR and they liked what they heard, he said, contributions! Him to jazz are innumerable Number and Email does it connect with them a! Been in radio during a trip to visit his two Brothers in Detroit in 1964 when went. You by surprise i started trading news stories with the news team at,... Had also served in the Philadelphia area some of the management of that station listened to me on WGPR they! 2/27: the first Audacy Atlas Divestiture will Go to the Tony Williams jazz Festival Series. # x27 ; s Phone Number and Email bob perkins wrti illness remember saying, Oh, were glad back! There & # x27 ; jazz Brunch show do you feel people respond so to., General Manager at WRTI ears very soon. `` pianist McCoy Tyner at WRTI, the... Insight 2/27: the first Audacy Atlas Divestiture will Go to Science degree degree from Nazareth.... In other countries, he said, Never forget the power of music at the of! - backstage at the station since 1997 and has a media career that has nearly. Man named Paul Robeson, one of my mind, like a sponge thats put in water, said! About 55 years and in Philadelphia since 1969 very soon. `` else i... Little while to break into radio this website you are giving consent to cookies being used approach to the would! Pennsylvania 's favorite night-time jazz listeners, in light of whats happening of Fame in.! People reacted to you being off the air take you by surprise i look forward to you being the. To the music i play liked my music Temple University radio for WDAS and while in Philadelphia `` with...

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