Bob Perkins, a Wyncote resident and legendary Philadelphia jazz DJ, passed away in the early hours of Sunday, January 19 at Jefferson Abington Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for the last two weeks, WRTI reported today. He was 91.

Perkins is a 2003 inductee into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame and a 2016 Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame honoree. He earned over forty different honors and awards from major government, artistic, journalistic and community organizations.

In September 2024, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the third annual Montco Jazz Festival.

“I’m glad somebody still remembers me,” Perkins told the Inquirer. “I hope that somebody would like my input to get these stories on the air.”

Perkins, or “BP with the GM” (“Bob Perkins with the Good Music”) as he was affectionately known, broadcast his final weeknight Jazz radio show on 90.1 WRTI-FM in July 2022 and hosted his final show for Temple University Radio in April 2023. He then hosted a podcast called “Stay Tuned with Bob Perkins” which used his life in broadcasting as a source for storytelling.

“The jazz DJ who’s been a staple on Philadelphia radio for over half a century and a fixture on Temple University station WRTI-FM (90.1) for the last 25 years, is set to retire from the airwaves,” wrote The Inquirer.

From WRTI’s obituary:

Dr. Sheila Perkins said that during his time in the hospital, Bob remained in good spirits. “He was still very active and busy doing the work he had loved to do — writing, and planning things,” she tells WRTI. “He was still very engaged in conversations with friends and musicians. So he was active up until the last minutes.”

Among the countless musicians touched by BP with the GM is vocalist Denise King, an independent artist with her own record label. Hearing him play her recordings on air, and knowing he was in her corner, was invaluable. “When he played my music, he would always say, ‘She sings better than a Singer sewing machine!’” King recalled. “Having his support meant everything. It was just like a stamp of approval.”

His dedication to music, as well as his ability to connect with musicians and listeners, will be his legacy. “He’s been a rock musically for so many people and for so many musicians and artists who he supported over the years,” King said. “He was an icon, the last of an era [and] the last of a particular type of radio personality.”

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Photos: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Temple University