When news broke on Wednesday that Pierre Robert, the Philadelphia rock DJ, had died at 70, it became apparent it wasn’t just a local story. The city, of course, was mourning, but rock luminaries also began paying tribute.
Jon Bon Jovi, whom Robert often interviewed on air at 93.3 WMMR, where Robert worked for 44 years, wrote a lengthy remembrance on Instagram. “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,” Bon Jovi wrote in part. “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.”
Alice Cooper, who sat with Robert for an interview during an August tour stop in Philly, wrote that he was “very sad to hear that legendary DJ Pierre Robert… has left the airwaves, or at least tuned to another frequency.” Cooper signed his post, “Pierre — See you on the other side!” and included a photo of the two arm-in-arm.
That Robert’s musical friendships were so diverse — he was just as chummy and comfortable with New Jersey rock icons and shock-rock legends as he was with nü-metal bands like Linkin Park and Orange County punks the Offspring — spoke to his genuine appreciation for all types of rock & roll.
“We are absolutely heartbroken to hear about the passing of our long-time friend Pierre Robert,” the Offspring posted on their socials. “We spoke with him many times over the last couple of decades, and he was always one of our favorite interviewers.” The group recalled a wild bus ride from Philly to New York with Robert in tow. “We drank into the wee hours,” they wrote, “before [Robert caught] a train back to do his morning show.”
During an appearance on WMMR’s Preston & Steve morning show on Thursday, which became a tribute to Robert, Shinedown’s Brent Smith talked at length about Robert’s influence on the hard-rock band. “He was never a critic. He’d always find and embrace the quality of what the artist was trying to convey. He let the artist talk to him,” Smith said. “He really was a mentor in a lot of ways.”
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The Struts also paid tribute, calling Robert “one of the most wonderful, supportive and kind natured humans we’ve had the pleasure of meeting in our journey. We couldn’t have loved this man more.” Collective Soul’s Ed Roland tearfully called him “the truest gentleman I or the band Collective Soul ever met. He was just that dude.” Elsewhere, Billy Idol sent his condolences online to the WMMR “listeners in Philadelphia,” Sublime’s Jakob Nowell posted a video of his interview with Robert, and Living Colour recalled the DJ’s inspired dancing during a live performance of their song “Glamour Boys.”
Graham Nash also took to Instagram with a video: “I am really really, truly sad about the passing of Pierre. He was a good friend, he knew his music, he always asked great questions,” he said. “I will miss him for the rest of my life.”
Onstage at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia on Wednesday night, the day Robert died, Bryan Adams somberly told the crowd that he had a Zoom interview scheduled with Robert for that morning, which went unanswered. Then he dedicated his song “Heaven” to the late DJ.
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On the local front, Philadelphia band the Hooters, whose recent concert Robert attended, wrote that they are “gutted to the core… Pierre Robert, you are the original ‘good citizen,’ you are irreplaceable. There is the brightest star shining in the heavens right now.” New Jersey songwriter John Eddie called Robert “one of my biggest champions… His support really helped me gain a following and then a record deal and everything else that came after that.” And Low Cut Connie’s Adam Weiner called him “the best of the best.”
And Philly’s local radio personalities, of all genres, also paid their respects. “When classic rock artists come to town, they remember their first time being in Philly and being with Pierre Robert,” said country music station WXTU’s Andie Summers. “He left a mark on everyone he came in contact with.”
