Pierre Robert, a fixture of Philadelphia rock radio for more than four decades and one of the city’s most recognizable broadcast voices, has died at 70. His agent confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Thursday.
For 44 years, Robert was the midday host on 93.3 WMMR, where his mix of enthusiasm, humor, and deep love of rock music made him a local institution. His familiar greeting, “Great day in the morning!”, became a touchstone for generations of listeners who tuned in between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Born William Pierre Robert in 1955 in California, he began his career at a San Francisco progressive rock station before joining WMMR in 1981, where he remained for the rest of his life. Over time, Robert became inseparable from the identity of Philadelphia radio, a DJ who was both a historian of rock and a companion to his audience.
Known for his long hair, gray beard, and laid-back wit, Robert built his on-air persona around authenticity. His self-effacing jokes, about always running late, which he called “Pierre Standard Time,” or about his vague sports loyalties (“the boys in blue”), became part of his charm. More importantly, his love of music was genuine and unfiltered.
“He didn’t care if you were the fad or the fashion of the moment. He just cared,” Jon Bon Jovi wrote in a tribute on Instagram. The Offspring echoed that sentiment, calling him “first and foremost a music fan,” noting that “his listeners knew it because they saw him in the pit with them.”
Though a lifelong Grateful Dead devotee, Robert was also an unwavering supporter of the Philadelphia and New Jersey music scenes. His playlists regularly featured both global stars and regional acts, Bruce Springsteen, Hall & Oates, The Hooters, Bon Jovi, and local cult favorites like Beru Revue.
Through segments like “On This Day,” Robert shared stories of the region’s musical legacy, highlighting anniversaries and notable concerts. His “Workforce Blocks”, a trio of songs by one artist played during the lunch hour, became a staple for local workers and fans alike. Even as radio playlists became increasingly homogenized, Robert remained a curator, mixing deep cuts with hits and championing artists who might otherwise have gone unheard.
Each Christmas Eve, Robert hosted a long-running holiday broadcast that combined rock anthems, vintage comedy sketches, and local favorites like Alan Mann’s “Christmas on the Block.” His annual show became as much a holiday tradition for Philadelphians as the city’s light displays or parades.
Robert’s voice wasn’t limited to music. Over the years, he lent his platform to local charities and social causes, using his visibility to support the city’s homeless and hungry.
On Thursday night, Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! arena paid tribute by projecting his photo on its marquee ahead of a Bryan Adams concert, reading: “In Loving Memory: Pierre Robert.”
He represented a kind of radio that felt personal: imperfect, human, and deeply connected to the community it served. As the industry shifted toward automation and streaming, Robert remained defiantly himself, laughing on-air, taking listener calls, and sharing the music he loved with genuine warmth.
In his tribute, Bon Jovi summed up what many Philadelphians felt: “His voice helped the hungry and the homeless, and he did it because he cared. About you, about me, about making the world a little kinder place to live.”
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