JOE “BUTTERBALL” TAMBURRO

Joe “Butterball” Tamburro was a legendary R&B music and Soul music radio personality and Program Director at Philadelphia’s WDAS-AM/FM, where he worked for nearly 50 years.

An Italian American raised in South Philadelphia, he began at WDAS in 1964 in advertising sales. He earned his nickname, “Butterball”, from program director Jimmy Bishop—initially because of his physique, later embraced as his on-air persona.   Tamburro quickly transitioned to on-air work and launched what’s considered the first Oldies show on black radio, a major success that led to a full-time on-air career and eventually Program Director status. He helped break major R&B artists and groups, including many from the Philadelphia are.

Beyond music, Tamburro gave a platform to civil rights leaders including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cecil B. Moore.  He received honors from Philadelphia mayors, the NAACP, the Pennsylvania legislature, and was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame in 1997 and received the Ken Garland Lifetime Achievement Award that same year.

 Philadelphia listeners remember Joe Tamburro for his empathic broadcasting style. Joe often said, “I smile when I speak on the air”.  Tamburro passed away at age 70, leaving a legacy as one of American radio’s most beloved voices and music tastemakers.

 In 2023, Joe Tamburro received a Legends Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.