American musician and media personality
Bob Boilen
|
---|
Bob Boilen (2014)
|
Born
| (
1953-04-10
)
April 10, 1953
(age 71)
|
---|
Career
|
Show
| My Tiny Morning Show
(2021 ? present)
|
---|
Station
| WOWD-LP
|
---|
Style
| Presenter
|
---|
Country
| United States
|
---|
Previous show(s)
| All Songs Considered
(
NPR
, 2000 ? 2023)
|
---|
|
Website
| bobboilen.info
|
---|
Bob B Boilen
(born April 10, 1953, in
Brooklyn
,
New York City
) is an American musician and media personality. He was the host and creator of
NPR
's online music show
All Songs Considered
and the co-creator of NPR's
Tiny Desk Concerts
, a series originally conceived of by NPR's
Stephen Thompson
. He retired from NPR in October 2023 after 35 years.
Since 2021, Boilen has hosted the weekly show
My Tiny Morning Show
on
WOWD-LP
. He will become the station's program director in June 2024.
Career
[
edit
]
In 1978, Bob Boilen played synthesizers in the Washington, D.C. band Tiny Desk Unit. They were the first band to ever play the 9:30 Club at the original location at 930 'F' Street.
[1]
From 1982 to 1986, Boilen filled a variety of roles including composer with
Baltimore
's Impossible Theater. He also worked as a producer for Channel 50, and produced
Science Live
for the
Discovery Channel
.
[2]
He joined
NPR
in 1988 and "was hired to work on the flagship news program
All Things Considered
on a temporary basis. Less than a year later, he became the director of the show".
[3]
He held that position until 2007.
[3]
As director, Boilen chose the music between the news stories for that show. Those musical snippets, or "buttons", were the starting point for the creation of the show
All Songs Considered
in 2000.
[4]
[3]
He then helped create
NPR Music
in 2007.
[3]
[5]
Boilen co-created and produced the
Tiny Desk Concert
series in April 2008 for NPR Music, hosting intimate performances at his desk. The series, curated by Boilen and the team of NPR Music, was inspired by a comment made by NPR Music's
Stephen Thompson
when he jokingly invited musician
Laura Gibson
to perform at Bob's desk. The two of them went to see Gibson at a show at
South by Southwest
in 2008 and the loud crowd made it impossible to hear her. The series is named after the band Boilen played in from 1979 to 1981, Tiny Desk Unit.
[6]
[1]
[7]
He retired from NPR on October 2, 2023.
[3]
[4]
Since August 2021, he has hosted a weekly morning show on
WOWD-LP
, a low-power FM station in
Takoma Park, Maryland
. In April 2024, it was announced he would become program director at the station effective June 1, 2024.
[8]
Bob Boilen continues to play music with friend Michael Barron;
[9]
both were founding members of the psychedelic dance band Tiny Desk Unit (1979?1981), for which Boilen played synthesizer.
[10]
[1]
Boilen continues to write music with Barron in a band called Danger Painters and also writes and releases solo music. Boilen also composed the original theme music for
Talk of the Nation
.
[2]
He voiced himself in "
Gal of Constant Sorrow
", a
Season 27
episode of the animated television series
The Simpsons
.
[11]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Moore, Marcus J. (April 14, 2016).
"How 'All Songs Considered's' Bob Boilen went from Tiny Desk to tastemaker"
.
The Washington Post
.
Archived
from the original on April 14, 2016
. Retrieved
October 3,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Bob Boilen"
.
npr.org
. NPR
. Retrieved
April 21,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Hauser, Christine (2023-09-15).
"Bob Boilen, of NPR, to Push Back From His Tiny Desk"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-10-03
.
- ^
a
b
Boilen, Bob; Hilton, Robin (October 2, 2023).
"Bob Boilen's farewell show: Songs that say 'goodbye'
"
.
NPR
. Retrieved
October 3,
2023
.
- ^
Bain, Katie (2023-09-13).
"
'Tiny Desk' Creator Bob Boilen to Leave NPR"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
2023-10-03
.
- ^
"Tiny Desk: how NPR's intimate concert series earned a cult following"
.
Vox
. 21 November 2016. Archived from
the original
on March 7, 2020.
- ^
Pinto, Julia (2023-10-02).
"
'Tiny Desk' Creator Bob Boilen Retires from NPR"
.
SXSW
. Retrieved
2023-10-03
.
- ^
Ross, T. Carter (2024-04-17).
"From 'Tiny Desk' to LPFM"
.
Radio World
. Retrieved
2024-04-17
.
- ^
"home"
.
michaelbarron.info
. Michael Barron. Archived from
the original
on January 8, 2011.
- ^
"Tiny Desk Unit"
.
lostbands.blogspot.it
. June 2006
. Retrieved
April 21,
2018
.
- ^
Boilen, Bob (2016-02-18).
"So ... I'm Going To Be On 'The Simpsons'
"
.
npr.org
. NPR
. Retrieved
2016-02-18
.
External links
[
edit
]