Jon Bon Jovi Remembers His Friend Pierre Robert, Who Has Died
The two were longtime friends.
Jon Bon Jovi and Pierre Robert in Philadelphia in 2005. WMMR reported the death of Pierre Robert on Wednesday. (Photo via Getty Images)
Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!
Jon Bon Jovi Remembers His Friend Pierre Robert, Who Has Died
In case you somehow missed Wednesday’s sad news in Philadelphia, legendary WMMR DJ Pierre Robert has died.
The station reported his death on the air on Wednesday afternoon. Since then, the tributes have been pouring in from rock bands and personalities all over the country.
One such came from New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi, a performer who knew Pierre Robert better than most. The two were tight for decades.
Once, when Bon Jovi played at Veterans Stadium, he called the DJ out on stage with him to thunderous applause. Robert was a backstage regular at Bon Jovi concerts. And I remember when Robert called and scolded me after I reviewed Bon Jovi’s 2011 concert at Wells Fargo Center, taking aim at the singer for having to rely on teleprompters for the songs he had been singing for decades. (Robert, who was a friend of mine, told me it was a “cheap shot.” I continue to respectfully disagree.)
Here’s what Jon Bon Jovi took to Instagram to say on Wednesday about his friend Pierre:
Today we lost a great friend. Someone who truly LOVED music. All types of music. Someone who loved musicians. Not just famous ones, or chart toppers. He admired local artists and tomorrow’s rising stars.
This man was as curious as he was clever, he was a real musicologist. He knew your influence and your influences. He was a loyal friend. He didn’t care if you were the fad or the fashion of the moment. He just cared. And that mattered.
I’ve often talked about the loneliest man in showbiz. The DJ, someone who preached the gospel of the song to anyone who would listen. This man was also very in touch with his humanity. 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 wonder filled place to live.
His memory will live with us as it will with all of the people he touched.
That man is Pierre Robert. The legendary DJ at WMMR… The station was lucky to have him on the air. We were all lucky to have him as a guide to his musical galaxy. And I was lucky to have him as a friend.
Thank you Pierre.
Godspeed,
JBJ
Well said.
New Nukes
President Trump has announced that South Korea is going to build a nuclear-powered submarine in South Philly. As part of that plan, we’ll be sharing closely-guarded secrets about our nuclear propulsion systems with South Korea.
By the Numbers
50 million: Doses of fentanyl seized across Pennsylvania this year, according to Pennsylvania’s attorney general. The Philadelphia area is responsible for more than half of that tally, with a whopping 9.9 million doses seized in North Philly in May alone.
63: Years it took investigators to solve the cold case rape and murder of nine-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty in Bristol. Alas, her killer died in 2002, so he cannot be punished for the crime.
0%: Chances of rain on Friday afternoon and evening during prime trick-or-treating time. Happy Halloween!
Local Talent
Do we need another steakhouse in the region? Do we need another steakhouse near King of Prussia, which already has a Sullivan’s, Eddie V’s, Davio’s, and Capital Grille? Basketball legend Charles Barkley seems to think so. Thirty-three years after Barkley left the 76ers, he’s working on a steakhouse and cigar lounge at Valley Forge Casino. The casino hasn’t released the name of the steakhouse (Sir Charles’ Prime Meats, perhaps?) or when it’s going to open, but in a statement, Barkley promised that it will be “fun, comfortable, and full of personality.” With the prices of beef these days and casino-dining costs being what they are, you might need to get lucky on the slots to afford dinner at this place.
