The Josh Innes Show - Pierre Robert Dies

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

If you don't know Pierre Robert, he was a longtime Rock DJ in Philly. I never met the guy. I never really listened to him. But, the reaction to his death has been remarkable. USA Today, Rolling Stone and many local outlets have dedicated tons of time and words to his passing. It makes me think of what radio used to be. Let's talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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All right. Welcome in everybody. All up, Ennis. How are you? I am Josh. Greetings. Hello. So, boy, sad story in Philadelphia that Pierre Robert died. He was at MMR for a billion years over there. And he was this legendary DJ. I am going to be completely honest with you. I never once listened when I lived there. I didn't listen to much when I was there. I didn't pay a lot of attention to what WMMR was doing. So I didn't listen. I didn't listen. I didn't listen. to the music. I didn't listen to the station. So I'm being completely honest. This isn't to be a dick. I'm not trying to be titillating or whatever. I had no idea what the guy sounded like on the radio. I've never heard him. All I've heard is like some snippets that people have played in news clips and TV stuff. So again, not trying to be a dick. I've never heard one bad thing said about the guy. Everybody I met in radio in Philadelphia was positive about the guy. So that sucks. It's pretty wild, though, the reaction it's gotten, like thousands of likes on social media and retweets and reposts and shares and news stories everywhere. The thing that's wild about it is that it makes news in other places, like national news, national stories about Pierre-Rober.

Like, if you Google Pierre-Rober today, you'll get obvious things. Like, you'll get the, you know, the stuff from Philadelphia and the action news and. and all the local news there. But if you just Pierre-Rober Google News, 6ABC, New York Post, rolling freaking stone. I mean, it's one thing when you get Fox 29 in Philly or MMR, when you start getting USA Today. Like, it is nuts. So here's what we're going to do. Let's play a couple commercials and we'll get into this.

This is pretty remarkable, the reaction. Like, you know that someone's had an impact when we're talking New York Post. We're talking USA Today. So while I never heard, admittedly, I did not hear him because I didn't listen to WMMR, particularly in the midday. I was never in the car or anything like that. So I never heard. But obviously I knew who the guy was. Pretty remarkable.

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6 ABC's Action News. So let's see how Action News talked about this. Philadelphia is mourning the sudden loss of a radio legend. WMMR DJ Pierre-Rober was an instantly recognizable voice on the airwaves for decades. He died suddenly yesterday morning and generations of music fans are now reflecting on a man that they grew up with. From the local airwaves to world-renowned rock stars, the tributes are pouring in. It is pretty remarkable. Like I've seen John Bon Jovi. I've seen other, maybe collective. soul. There was another band that I saw that posted, like a lot of bands, a lot

of artists, but I think Alice Cooper, I saw Alice Cooper post a photo. Like, that's pretty remarkable. But it also tells you what rock radio used to be and how important rock radio was to a lot of these guys. And why, like, I don't take the rock radio part of it as serious as those guys did, but they were a

huge part in making those bands and making those artists. Like, it was a big deal for an artist like Alice Cooper to get on MMR. It was a big deal for Bon Jovi's latest song be on MMR. It was a big deal for George Thurgood's latest song to be on MMR or where I worked at KChi 95. Well, when I got to KChi 95, Kishi 95 was an oldie station. All we did was played old rock. Now, it's good rock, it's good music, but they don't need us anymore.

That's why I never took it serious. That's why it's a different world now. Like, Sammy Hagar needed Kashi 95 in 1983 when he's putting out an album. Sammy Hagar doesn't need Kashi 95 because he's not putting out new music and we're not playing new music. So, like, I never took the rock aspect of it serious, and I still don't, because I work on radio stations that don't play current music. And let's be real, a lot of the current rock music sucks anyway. So we're not playing a ton of that. There are none of that at this point. So I never lived in the world where the rock DJ mattered. Pierre-Rober lived in this world where the rock DJ was important. The rock DJ was a guy that played the records for these guys. The rock

DJ mattered. That's why Bon Jovi has to be friends with you. And that's why Alice Cooper has to be friends with you. That's why I think the Hooters put something out about Pierre-Rober as well. The Hooters needed Pierre-Rober in the mid-80s when they're putting out and we danced, right? Like, they need that because that mattered. Now with the internet and with the death of the DJ and all that, it's a different world. The world has changed and these bands don't need them because a lot of the bands that he helped break and the artist that he helped break years and years ago, they don't need it anymore because they ain't putting out new music that's going to play on WMMR.

I mean, Bon Jovi puts out mom rock. They ain't going to play that on WMMR. So that's how these guys were so important. Guys like Pierre-Rober were so important and are getting this tribute because they were a huge part of it when the music truly did matter and they were breaking artists and it was important. Now we're mostly just old these stations and these guys are 900 years old. They're not putting out new stuff.

Action news reporter, Catherine Scott, is live right now at WMMR Studios in Ballot Kinwood this morning where a special dedication will begin a little later today. Catherine. That's right, guys. We're inside the studio this morning, and you can see their pictures all over WMMR. Look at him here and here, just all over. He was so loved. His voice was just so genuine and chill, just such a great demeanor. He's truly missed. greetings good citizens pierre robert here a beloved philadelphia radio DJ for more than four decades pierre robert's warm voice and laugh could be heard on 93-3 wmmr's midday show each day and also philadelphia is still a town where radio people matter like i think every town might have you know one person who's been on the radio for a hundred years and when they die it'll be sad and people will talk about it but that's everybody in philadelphia because radio is still a king

there. That's why when a disc jockey dies in Philadelphia, his face is on the marquee of the basketball arena and every concert venue. The reason you get that is because radio is still a very important, powerful thing in Philadelphia. And when I talk about regrets,

you could live forever being on the radio in Philadelphia because it still matters there. You go other places, it's just there and the people are fine, but you don't get that star power like he had in Philadelphia in a lot of places. because disc jockeys just don't matter there, but they matter, and he mattered in Philly.

Robert was found dead in his home yesterday at the age of 70. You can see tributes on concert venues, Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Met, the Fillmore. It's a known voice. Like, as soon as you hear it, you knew it was Pierre-Rober. He was always that comforting voice that you heard. He made you laugh, made you smile. Lo, I was listening to him on a radio, hon, and Pierre-robert, he was just great, hon. He was just amazing on a radio, and I would listen to him, then I'll listen to the birds on a radio.

Photos of Robert with notable musicians decorate the studio walls. Beasley Media Group, the parent company of WMMR, said the circumstances of his death are not yet known, but no foul play is suspected. I actually feel bad that this guy had to end his 50-year radio career and ultimately his life working for a shitty company like Beasley. My God, they're the worst. I'm honest to God, and this is not a knock on him at all. I'm shocked that he was still employed there given that they just go through there with an axe and take everybody out. We talked about how they bummed the girl off of the Kathy off of the Preston and Steve's show to save a buck. I'm shocked because I bet Pierre was making some coin.

I would imagine. I would imagine a guy that's been there for 50 years and has been there through different ownerships. He was making some money. Now, maybe they sliced him at some point and they cut him down. I don't know how much they would have cut him down. It would be hard to avoid that, really, in this class. in this world of radio, so I don't know. But, I mean, it sucks that this guy's last run here was with Beasley, a bunch of shitheads.

The California native began his career out in San Francisco, but soon came to MMR in Philadelphia, where he's remained since 1981. Morning Show team, Preston and Steve. Became a real friend, a citizen, and he always celebrated the good citizens of Philadelphia. It was all sincere. It was never phoned in. When I tell you he had a profound love for music, for rock and roll, for presenting that music to people, it was just, it was all in his heart. Robert was well respected in the rock industry, and he knew music.

John Bon Jovi, George Thorogood, and collective soul among those who posted tributes. See, I think back in the day, I would have been in that kind of mindset, too, because it had to have been badass to, like, be there in the middle of it when rock music was important. And that went all the way up until about the mid-90s, really, that rock music really mattered. And then it just kind of tailed off, and you'd have some bands that popped. Like, Nickelback is huge, still is huge, and you'd get bands like that, and they'd have moments, and But Rock had its moment. You know, I love But Rock, but it's not like But Rock changed the world by any means. Hinder is not, you know, going to be remembered in the same way as Led Zeppelin.

So you had that moment in time where it was such a big boom, and rock mattered, and rock radio mattered, and progressive rock stations mattered, and the radio stations were playing an eclectic mix of rock that wasn't just corporate rock, but you might hear Chuck Berry on a rock station, like it was a wild time, and you got to be there. The coolest part about working at Casey, which is, you know, the MMR of St. Louis, except, you know, we're a classic rock station now and not, you know, an active rock, is you'd hear the stories about the bands they broke, and you'd see pictures of Billy Joel just showing up at this old dinky radio station in the 70s, or you'd hear about Kiss basically getting broken in St. Louis by them or or Janice Joplin or the stories were cool.

Like, make no mistake. I make fun of all that and I bust balls about it. I thought it was cool as shit to say that I was part of that. My criticism of it was always that we're never going to get to do that again and that's why I hated it. I hated that that all we heard was about all the cool shit that used to happen on Casey and now all the cool shit's over. And here we are just, you know, living off the past. not doing anything new or progressive or fun. And that would always be my main complaint.

And I think that would piss people off when I would tell them that. I'd say, this sucks. I get to hear all these great stories. And I get it. Part of it is that these things don't exist anymore. These bands don't exist anymore. We're not playing new music. I get that.

So you don't get to do that. But it sucked to hear stories about how Charlie Daniels and Kiss, they had X number of people for Charlie Daniels and Kiss at Forest Park and St. Louis and all that shit. Like that's cool as shit. And we didn't get to live that. Like, I wanted to live that, and that was my complaint. MMR, to a degree, still gets to do that because MMR at least play some current rock. But, like, to be a guy like Pierre-Rober and be in the middle of all that, that's really freaking cool.

And I think I would have dug that. Like, I would have dug that. radio dead at 70. Known for his warm, welcoming timber, his greeting citizens address, and fandom of the Grateful Dead, Robert was the last DJ. I think that's an eloquent way of putting it. I think that's like, and that there's something to be said about that. The art of the DJ is dead because the DJ isn't needed anymore.

I mean, I told you, I'm on the radio in Salt Lake City tonight. I live in Detroit. I'm on the radio in Salt Lake City. I've never been in Salt Lake City. So, but, you know, it's just a different world. USA Today, iconic radio personality, Pierre-Robera found dead at his home. That's in the USA Today online. Was familiar for decades on 93-3 WMMR and a distinctive figure on the local music scene.

The 70-year-old was found dead at his home, October 29th, according to a police report. No foul play is suspected. You got all that. And it's also, you know, it's, you know, and obviously when people do. die. I mean, everybody's in love with them when they die. And so that's to be expected. But everything here feels pretty genuine, you know. And that's kind of the thing you'd like to hope is like when you die, people remember you and people like you and people have something to say about you. And that's been kind of one of my regrets is that like no one's going to remember me or care

about me or be passionate about me when I die. Like you guys listen to this podcast. But like when I die, it'll be, oh, that's a drag. Josh is dead. And then we're on to the next one. Like, I haven't been anywhere long enough and no one's cared about me long. enough anywhere for me to have that sort of impact. And very few people will. That's what's special about that. Like, you know what's going to happen when I die? Crossing Broad will say Josh Ennis, who ruined Philadelphia Radio, died today. And in Houston, it'll say Josh Ennis, who fought on Radio Road died today. Like, that's all it'll be. And they'll use me to get some clicks, and that will be it. But to see people being, and part of it is, and here's the

thing. And this is not an insult. But when you're just, you're the nice disc jockey guy, everybody's going to like the nice disc jockey guy. You don't have to say anything that's controversial or do anything that's controversial, so there's no reason to dislike you. When you're on the radio, and like when Howard Stern dies, there's controversy that surrounds it, you know, or when Angelo dies, there'll be divisive viewpoints on Angelo. There are no divisive viewpoints on the disc jockey, the disc jockey that everybody likes and is a super nice guy. And there's something to be said about being that guy. You know, you want to be the controversial figure that everybody talks about, but on the other hand, you kind of like to be the disc jockey that plays

the songs people like and people really dig. You know, there is something to be said about that, but it's a sad story either way. I mean, 70s, it's weird that 70 feels young. Like when you see Robert De Niro and his girlfriend, like she's shitting out his kids when he's 82, you see that kind of stuff and you're like, huh, 70 feels really young. Hell, my dad's almost 60. It's like it's just weird to think about that kind of stuff. Like 70 doesn't feel that old. He didn't really look that old but yeah just sad story there but pretty iconic dude and

when you're getting the run in USA today and it's for good as I said like you know when I die unless I change the narrative about me and people start to remember me as something else or whatever when I die if anybody writes about me at all when I die

it'll be controversial hosts that did blank will be you know die and then everything will be about how shitty I was or you know whatever it's And obviously, I don't know that he'll see this. I don't know how the afterlife works, but like to be someone who people write nothing but positives about and you're getting Rolling Stone coverage and USA Today coverage. And it's about how good of a person you were and how much you were liked and how everyone liked you. There's something to be said about that.

That's something that's something that's pretty freaking awesome. And that's something to be proud of. So anyway, more to come.