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If a Bunch of Rappers and Record Label Executives are Good Enough for the “Rock and Roll” Hall of Fame, Then Surely There’s a Place for Pierre Robert
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Jason Barrett at Barrett Media wrote a story titled “Pierre Robert Belongs in the Radio Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” –
Non-artists such as Alan Freed, Tom Donahue, and DJ Kool Herc have been inducted in years past. Label execs, producers, and editors have earned inductions as well. It’s time for the hall to make room for one of the most influential voices ever to grace the rock radio airwaves.
The golden period for a band typically lasts seven to ten years. If they last four decades, they’re usually considered an all-time act. That’s what Pierre Robert was in radio. He was 70 years old when he passed, and was as successful and important today as he was in the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and 10’s.
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When Rick Springfield, Billy Idol and George Thorogood mourn a loss along with Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, and Jacoby Shaddix, you know a special connection was made. Cox Media’s Bob DeBlois shared on Saturday, “WMMR – Means More Rock…but to me it ‘Means More Robert’. Pierre Robert was Mr. WMMR.” If being the face of Philadelphia’s highly successful rock radio station for decades, helping launch and support countless artists, and introducing and educating millions of listeners about the history of rock music and the artists behind the songs isn’t hall of fame worthy, then I’m not sure what is.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t need to take my word for it. Just ask the artists, labels, and citizens of Philadelphia.
Hear hear! If a bunch of rappers and record label executives can get into the Rock Hall, then surely one of the most accomplished rock DJs of all time is good enough.
*But before we even get into it, you know that the RRHOF is a huge joke. If Eminem is a “rock” artist then I’m Ravi Shankar on the sitar. Outkast is in the Rock Hall but Motorhead is not. Dolly Parton even asked to be taken off the ballot and was inducted anyway. Judas Priest didn’t get in until 2022 and I’m pretty sure only three people on the useless nominating committee have even heard of Thin Lizzy.
So it’s really the “Music Hall of Fame” and should be renamed thusly.
But if we’re left to believe that induction remains a honor, then Pierre checks the arbitrary boxes. What are those? Well, he brought people together through rock music for 40 years. He gave a platform to countless bands and individuals, promoting and sharing music both national and regional. He dug deep into live sessions and rare vinyl cuts and conducted high-level interviews for decades, getting typically-reserved artists to open up in a way they normally would not. I’d consider him a journalist in that regard, so to say that he was simply a DJ I think is incorrect, and maybe we need to adjust our descriptions in these stories.
Likewise, when they say in sports that somebody is a “student of the game,” that’s an apt description for Pierre and music. If Ray Didinger sat there during every Eagles game with a yellow notepad, then Pierre’s equivalent was always having a unique fact or story to share about a band or a song. You always felt like you learned something when you were tuning in, or heard a different version of a track you knew by heart. He brought value to the position in a world where we have Spotify and satellite radio and YouTube and a million different options for musical consumption.
Selection for any hall of fame should probably be done in a vacuum, i.e., look at athlete X and his resume and nothing else. But we often compare anyway, like if Scott Rolen is a Hall of Famer, then surely player X, Y, or Z deserves to be in there. And if that’s how we’re operating, then I would like to hear the case for why the corporate suits running record labels had more of an impact on rock music than an iconic DJ and storyteller. I’m willing to bet that the former loved record sales and money, while the latter loved the actual music, but that’s just like, my opinion man.
And even if Pierre was limited to the Philadelphia region in scope, it certainly didn’t feel that way when bands across the country and on various continents paid tribute in the hours following his death.
If you don’t think Pierre Robert belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then you’ve got another thing comin. Get Jann Wenner on line one, STAT –
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com