Remembering Dave Rogers, aka Professor Bebop (1947-2026)
By WTJU
Dave Rogers, known on-air and beyond as Professor Bebop, passed away on July 6, 2026. For a half century, he was a fixture of WTJU and the whole community. By day, Dave spent decades working as a public school teacher and then principal. By night, he transformed into Professor Bebop, sharing fantastic music with his trademark on-air presence every Friday night:
“I hope you have a great new year. Stay safe, be good. Give a hug to your neighbor or somebody you don’t even know. You know it’s really all about how we treat each other, and you want to do it right…. From a land of razz-ma-tazz, the Sound Choice in Central Virginia, WTJU Charlottesville. Professor Bebop ’til next Friday night.”
Dave Rogers shared his passion, his knowledge, his talents, his joy, and his whole self. He improved the lives of thousands of people in Charlottesville and beyond. A few of us here at WTJU wish to pay tribute to Professor Bebop. If you are a current or former WTJU host that would like to have a tribute included here, please send to wtju@virginia.edu.
PETER WELCH, host of “Nothing But The Blues”
Heartbreaking. Dave had so much musical knowledge, was a great guy who cared about the right things, had a great sense of humor, and saw the humor and absurdities of life through music. His passing is a terrible loss, but we’ll always have great memories of his shows and personality.
Dave was my musical educator growing up listening to WTJU as a teenager in high school and college in the 80s and 90s, and then I had the honor of becoming host of “Nothin’ But The Blues” before his show and I would hang out with him during his show and learn so much, We would always have a good laugh. We always got a kick out of introducing new artists or songs to each other that we didn’t know about.
Dave even did one of his shows dedicated to my wedding in 2002 with fun songs about love and marriage.
Condolences to Judy, Dave’s family and to all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
DON HARRISON, host of “Radio Wowsville”
How do you properly eulogize someone who changed your life? Dave Rogers was not only that magical voice in the night who inspired me to become a DJ — I wasn’t the only one — he was someone who set me off on a still-evolving quest to document the music and musicians of Virginia. It was a WTJU marathon show he hosted long ago on the legends of Virginia music — from the Golden Gate Quartet to Margie Day and the Griffin Brothers to Ruth Brown to the Five Keys to Gary U.S. Bonds — that inspired me to write about and/or interview these and other legendary music-makers. Everyone who knew him or heard him has some kind of story like this about Dave — he left us all with a pep in our step, a glide in our stride. The Professor has exited the classroom, but his lessons live on. “Yes indeed!”
NATHAN MOORE, WTJU General Manager
Dear Dave — I’ve known you as long as I’ve known WTJU. From my first week on the job, I could hear that you brought the coolest vibes to our airwaves. No one else could pull off the playful wordplay, the groovy tunes, the shared joy and love. You were a unique character.
You tapped into the spirit of the station and your iconic energy flowed through it. For half a century, you nourished our community and cared so deeply about this place. The Film Fest needs someone to give a lecture about film in music? Professor Bebop can do it. WTJU has 10-year-olds coming in for summer camps? Bebop is happy to put them on his show. The station is working on a strategic plan? Let’s get Bebop’s input.
I’ve known older people who got crankier as their years progressed. You were the opposite — somehow, you kept getting kinder, more joyful. Because that’s who you were at your core. At key junctures in my time managing this station, you shared words that hit just right. Words that I am still touched by today.
In emails, you used to sign off: “Copacetically, Professor Bebop.” I’ll be sad today, but before long, things will be copacetic. Thank you for infusing your spirit into our community.
NICK RUBIN (aka POUBELLE), host of “Radio Freedonia“
At a party not so long ago, Dave told me he had moved to a place outside of Charlottesville – when I asked him which direction, he shrugged his shoulders and grinned wide. I was perplexed; then shocked; then sad; then awed; even though his mind had begun to slip, he hadn’t lost his humor or his joy in living.
Dave was, of course, a titan of WTJU, but more than that, he was a stone-cold mensch – relentlessly friendly, generous, positive. During shows we hosted, he was the chill antidote to my anxious fusspot; during occasionally-tense Leadership Committee meetings, he was always ready with a temperate tone and useful insights; during countless station picnics, holiday parties, listener events, and hallway conversations, he was simply fun to be around. He was a blessing to WTJU, and to all of us.
So farewell, Professor. I’ll miss you and your Giants hat. I’ll miss your tireless advocacy for the Quicksilver Messenger Service. I’ll miss your buoyant presence and quick smile. Rest easy, and never forget to boogie.
PETER JONES, WTJU Program Director
I have been at WTJU for three decades now, and in those early years there were two promos played on pretty much every show I listened to on a regular basis. One was Leftover Biscuits, and the other Professor Bebop. There is a general rule that you should only play promos for shows coming up in the next 48 hours, and definitely not something from earlier in the day or previous day. No one paid attention to that rule with those two show promos. So when it came time to do a promo for my own show, I decided to imitate that amazing voice on the Professor Bebop one in the hopes it too might get serious airplay. I had no idea it was done by the host himself. I figured some musician had recorded it for him. I recorded mine and looked forward to hearing it on the air. When I later ran into Chuck Taylor, the general manager at the time, he congratulated me on getting Dave Rogers to record it. I told Chuck I had done it myself. He was surprised and informed me the promo could not air any longer because there was only one Professor Bebop. Never were truer words spoken.
MARCIA DORAN (aka SPOT), former WTJU Program Director & host
Professor Bebop was a legend. His show, which ran for decades, set so many standards in excellence in broadcasting. He was a powerhouse of knowledge, and he had a darn good time sharing that treasure trove with the rest of us. As one fan noted, “he was the only DJ who could keep college students home on a Friday night just to listen to his show.” So very true.
DAVID WELLBELOVED, former WTJU Program Director & host
Sad news about the passing of one of my music mentors. So long David “Professor Bebop” Rogers
For about two years I followed his show with my 2 to 6 overnight program on Friday nights/Saturday mornings. I always came in at least an hour early to watch, listen and learn. He taught me so much about the roots of rock and roll and the amazing performers who brought it to life. Because of him I learned about Stax, R&B, Blues, Soul, and so much more.
And he often stayed late, digging the new music I was playing… from Clash to Cramps to Prince to Grandmaster Flash… in fact he was blown away by The Message… it was brand new at the time and he stopped what he was doing and stood there listening to it
“Don’t push me‘cause I’m close to the edge and I’m trying not to lose my head!”
When it ended he said “wow… post modern urban blues!”
He was a fantastic teacher and an eternal student. He will be missed.
ELIZABETH HULL (aka THAT GIRL), former host
It was hard to even think for a while when Dave Rogers copped his final final. But after Maynard reminded me that Dave had gone to Virginia, I poked around, and a piece on his retirement from his show said he graduated in 1970. That was a landmark year: David Rogers graduated in the last class of the all-male College, at the end of the 1960s and the turmoil over the war in Vietnam and Cambodia. His show looked far past that time, but there was always something gloriously 60s about the man. He promoted love for our fellows on this planet, and he put that into practice with an open heart and mind for the music we loved and for our often spiky selves.
For me professionally, he was the kind friend, the mentor with more experience wrangling administrations, poised between his teacher colleagues and his administrator colleagues. He helped me figure out how to get a 3-D printer for a new program, and taught me how to see ways to negotiate with students and even deans.
And Professor Bebop, that hepcat confection, that extraordinary visitor from razzmatazz, was one of the great teachers. He didn’t tell: he showed. For those hours over the years we all lived with the sound of another world, a world hipper and richer than our own, listening to his sweet spiel, his spontaneous flow of jive. And the tunes! Both the mother of everything we were used to liking and so, so much stranger than our cherished musical idiosyncrasies. That world is gone now. There may be recordings here and there, but they’re ghostly echoes. That living world is gone.
My radio partner in crime Mlle. Spot and Maynard called when we heard, and so many Exiles chatted online about our experiences. We talk about TJU being a community station, but for those of us on the air it is even more. We are brothers and sisters in music, listening to each other, learning from each other, arguing with each other, and there for each other in sorrow and in joy. That was copasetic with Dave; that was what he demonstrated.
He went, as he always did, in the early bright. For so many of us he called hepcats and kittens, he will always be *The* Professor, and in the land of razzmatazz forever.
REA PASHKORIAN GINER-SOROLLA, former host and Bar Nones member
What a sweet guy and cornucopia of knowledge, style, class, and community. I called into the site one night requesting the Funky Chicken (his “biscuit snatchers” served up the Greasy Chicken a bit later) and chatting about modern pop’s roots in the blues. He was the soul of the old WTJU as so many will attest. May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration.
SCOTT SHISLER (aka GOLDFINGER), host of “Reggae Vibrations”
Back when I was finally able to get a reliable signal from WTJU (early 1980s… then, 91.3FM), it was usually around the “witching hour” for us night owls.
The static and interference were gone… and, right here in central Virginia, we had a radio personality with the delivery, depth of knowledge and gut instinct to make Rhythm & Blues an institution on a late Friday night.
It wasn’t just the twelve-bar, electric Chicago blues, either.
Overlooked talent, one-hit-wonders… folks whose efforts struggled to arise from the background noise, or were forever trapped in a lonely, ephemeral jukebox.
But, Professor BeBop (Dave Rogers) noticed.
And, he shared it… instructed us… made it part of our hearts and minds.
Just like an educator (as he was) would do.
How he never went “national”, I’ll never understand.
But… those of us who dialed in considered him the ultimate authority, a kind, ebullient soul.
An inspiration.
And, an R&B Master of Ceremonies for the Ages.
We carry on the influence of Professor Bebop as better listeners, ambassadors of sound, and better people.
Rest well, Brother.
