Beloved WMMR-FM DJ Pierre Robert, a Gladwyne resident who died in October, will be honored with a memorial bench in Rittenhouse Square, writes Dan DeLuca for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Robert was a Philadelphia mainstay on radio, at live concerts, and at community and charitable events for over four decades. In December, fans and colleagues remembered the classic rock station’s midday host during a memorial concert at the Fillmore Philadelphia.
Robert frequently spent time in Rittenhouse Square, just a short walk from the WMMR studios where he began his career. The station later moved first to Fifth and Market, and eventually to Bala Cynwyd.
In a 2024 interview, Robert said that Rittenhouse was his favorite neighborhood. He had never gotten over not being there, he said.
“I love the restaurants adorning the square, and I’ll often go and have brunch at Rouge or Devon,” he said. “I love escapism and spy novels and stuff like that, so I’ll just go and have a nice queenly brunch and then go sit on the square with a cup of La Colombe. It’s like heaven to me.”
Friends of Rittenhouse Square aim to raise $10,000 to fund the memorial, which will help maintain and preserve the park.
Read more about Pierre Robert’s memorial in Rittenhouse Square in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
