Ad Disclosure
Legendary Philadelphia Rock DJ Pierre Robert Dead at 70 (UPDATED)
Published:
In a breaking news stunner, iconic Philadelphia rock DJ Pierre Robert has died at the age of 70.
A true radio icon, Pierre was one of the most recognized personalities in the City of Philadelphia. He joined the rock station back in 1981 and hosted the midday show with his unabashed love for music, his listeners, and the city. The legendary rock radio personality was best known for his welcoming ‘Greetings Citizens’ salutation, along with his big heart and warm voice!
Pierre encompassed everything that rocks – the new and familiar, rock and alternative, punk and singer-songwriter… whether presenting in the air studio, on-stage, or unearthing treasures in the MMaRchives.
His daily features, including Noontime Workforce Blocks, Pierre’s Vinyl Cut, exclusive artist interviews, live in-studio performances and “On This Day” history lessons were fully enjoyed by a large and dedicated audience.
In addition, Pierre’s generosity was unparalleled- from attending and hosting the Aids Walk to his on-air support of Manna’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser, along with his active and genuine support of all charitable initiatives of WMMR. He truly cared about his listeners and the people of Philadelphia.
One of the city’s most recognizable celebrities, Pierre was at the center of its live music scene, greeting his legions of fans as if personal friends in the smallest clubs and largest stadiums. His star is included on the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame.
“We all have heavy hearts today,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Executive Officer Caroline Beasley. “Pierre’s unwavering love for music and his deep connection with listeners made him one of radio’s most enduring and beloved voices. He will be greatly missed.”
The entire WMMR and Beasley Media Group family are deeply saddened by this incredible loss. Our condolences go out to Pierre Robert’s family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
There are no details on what actually happened here. WMMR has been in a nonstop block of music, commercials, and promos since the social media scuttlebutt began* (see edits). Radio Ink is reporting that Pierre was found dead at his home, but there’s not much beyond that.
Preston and Steve producer Nick McIlwain, who was Robert’s producer at one time, confirmed the passing in an Instagram post:
Regardless of the circumstances, this one hits particularly hard, especially since Pierre was recently on the radio. There was no reporting of him being sick or dealing with any kind of health issues, and he had been out and about only recently:
Pierre was a Philly legend, icon, etc – whatever word you wanna pick to describe him. In a lot of ways, he was WMMR, just a consistent and familiar voice for more than four decades. Incredibly knowledgeable and a great ambassador for all things Philadelphia music. Fantastic human being as well. We’ll continue to update with more details as they come in.
EDIT 1 – We’re hearing that Pierre did not show up for his shift on Wednesday, which prompted the welfare check. WMMR continues to rifle through music on the air and they haven’t had anybody on the microphone since the chatter first began on social media.
EDIT 2 – It seems like they are playing a tribute to Pierre with these songs. They’ve gone through the Rolling Stones, the Struts, the Chili Peppers, and I think I heard a Grateful Dead song in there as well. The music has carried into Brent Porche’s shift, which usually begins at 3 p.m.
EDIT 3 – They played a short promo (MMR Rocks), then came back with the acoustic live version of Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly.” (Also played Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End by the Beatles). Porche took to the air at 3:35 p.m. to confirm the news, which apparently was reported earlier on the air, around 2:15 p.m., but unable to be confirmed since there’s no rewind on the stream and no YouTube show. Listeners say Preston and Steve were on the air with Program Director Chuck Damico to first report Pierre’s passing.
EDIT 4 – Here’s a statement from Preston and Steve:
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