Arthur Penhallow

Who is Arthur Penhallow?

Arthur Penhallow is a radio presenter in Detroit, Michigan who hosted afternoons on active rock station WRIF from 1970-2009. On March 30, 2009, WRIF owner Greater Media announced that the station and Penhallow had been unable to come to terms on a new contract.

Penhallow was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Arthur being a Vietnam veteran served in the USAF from 1962 through 1968. Before beginning his long tenure with WRIF, Art had toured with a band that played with the Mamas & the Papas, among others. Under the name "Cicero Grimes", he worked at WNRZ in Ann Arbor in 1970, and then moved to WRIF's predecessor, WXYZ-FM, which at the time was airing a syndicated progressive-rock format distributed by ABC called "Love". Penhallow was one of the "Love" format's local announcers and stayed on as WXYZ-FM transitioned to an all-local air staff and moved from progressive rock to the then-new "album oriented rock" format as WRIF.

Penhallow's trademark is the saying of his name as "Arthur Penhallow, BABY", "The Poobah", "The Poob", or "The Grand Poobah", and the cry is one of WRIF's most popular bumper sticker slogans. When Howard Stern was a D.J. briefly at Detroit station WWWW, he mocked Penhallow's "BABY!" by announcing, "This is WWWW in Detroit, MAMMY!"