Radio and TV Personality

Ignoring his family’s suggested career, he persisted in finding a career using his creativity. 

RP was born in Trenton, NJ. His father wanted RP to join him as a worker on the assembly line at the local General Motors Plant, but RP’s entertainment career took off first after he won a disc-jockey contest at a local radio station.

FIRST JOB IN ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS

As a result of winning the contest, RP began “spinning records” and hosting radio shows at local radio stations. 

FIRST BUSINESS DISAPPOINTMENT

RP landed a gig to host a daily comedy radio show, but his timing was unfortunate: it was to begin the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. His employer immediately declined to proceed with a comedy show at all, not even delaying it for a short period of time.

Lesson: Be prepared to roll with circumstances you can’t control.

SECOND BUSINESS DISAPPOINTMENT

Despite initial job disappointment, RP persisted in developing a comedy show for radio and was successful for a while, working with another local comedy writer. However, their proposed show for a well-known station, WCAU, fell through when the station suddenly changed its format to all news.

Lesson: There may be a string of circumstances beyond your control. 

PERSISTENCE FINDS SUCCESS

Despite two job disappointments, neither of which were caused by RP, he continued to seek opportunities within the radio entertainment field. Finally, his creative idea for children’s programming was accepted after he prepared several pilots of an afternoon show aimed at children: “Fun Club”, which featured RP doing skits and jokes and reading letters from viewers who poked fun at him. The tv station bought billboard advertising promoting his show with a large picture of RP (in a goofy pose with his fingers stuck in his ears) next to the words: “Go home and make fun of R– P—” on Channel 29, WIBF-TV. 

Driven to create and express himself wherever he could, RP wrote, directed, produced, and narrated TV commercials for Boscov’s department stores for over 25 years. He attended store openings, and his family accompanied him on Caribbean cruises sponsored by Boscov’s founder, Albert Boscov. 

There is nothing wrong with working on a car assembly line, but a professional entertainment career is certainly a different path!

A friend said of RP: “He was one of a kind and he found his niche. He was very work-oriented and so creative.”