Staff

Announcers:

Charlie Perkinson - Jazz Tonight & All That Jazz Host

E-mail: CPerk@vt.edu

Charlie Perkinson is the weekday host of Jazz Tonight from 8 p.m. to midnight on WVTF. It was his passion for jazz music that brought him both on-air as a radio announcer, and, later, to WVWR with "All That Jazz" in 1973.

Charlie grew up in Richmond, first studying classical guitar then later acoustic bass in high school, where he developed an early love for jazz. After attending Virginia Tech, where he played in the big band, "The Southern Colonels," he joined the Air Force. His travels took him to Thailand, where he had the opportunity to play bass in the band backing up legendary singer Rosemary Clooney while she was there on a USO tour.

After the Air Force, Charlie came to Roanoke as the manager of a high-end audio store that advertised on WPVR radio. Both he and the ad manager of WPVR proposed a jazz program for the station that went on-air with Charlie as the host of his first radio program. When the station changed its music format, WVWR quickly picked up the show in 1973, and Charlie’s long tenure with WVTF began.

Charlie is most proud of the live, local music broadcasts that he has both hosted and supervised during his tenure at WVTF, including the broadcast of his own show from the AD Lib Club in the basement of the old Hotel Roanoke. He also has participated in promoting, performing in and broadcasting recent live jazz events, including the Roanoke Blues and Jazz Festival, Skyline Jazz, and Mardi Gras Jazz.

"All That Jazz" airs Sundays, from 9-11 p.m. You can hear Charlie play his favorite music at various nightspots, including Montano’s in Roanoke, Meriwether's and Jazzstreet in Lynchburg. He also leads the Blue Ridge Jazz Ensemble and is a regular member of the Regency Room trio at the Hotel Roanoke. 

• Staff