Bob Popik

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

Baltimore is rallying around a man who spent decades setting the soundtrack for some of the city’s biggest moments.

Bob Popik, the 59-year-old DJ who played music at Orioles and Ravens home games for years, has entered hospice care as he continues his fight with advanced pancreatic cancer.

He arrived at Gilchrist on Nov. 19, his family said.

Popik is known across Baltimore by a lot of names — Bobby, Woody, Wheel. But the one constant is the way he made people feel. He’s been battling cancer that has spread, and the road has become difficult.

A GoFundMe created to help with treatment and end-of-life expenses has topped $34,000. More than 160 people have chipped in to support him and his family.

His loved ones wrote that the diagnosis brought “challenges that no one should face alone,” and that he has continued to fight “with courage, humor, and grace.” 

They said many of the treatments and supportive care services he needs “are not fully covered by insurance.”

For a man who gave Baltimore decades of music, the community is now giving back.

Popik started his Wheel Entertainment DJ Services in 1993. He joined the Baltimore Orioles in March 2000 as music director and audio operations lead, a job he held for more than 20 years before leaving in May 2025.

In 2010, he took on DJ duties for the Baltimore Ravens. 

He ran the music at M&T Bank Stadium until he was hospitalized on Oct. 21. His last Ravens game was Sept. 22 against the Detroit Lions.

He also DJed for Navy football.

Those gigs made him part of the heartbeat of Baltimore sports. Fans might not have known his name. But they knew the moments he helped create.

People who did know him are now making sure he isn’t facing this stage alone.

Reporter Bruce Cunningham said the news hit hard.

“This is difficult to post. My good friend Robert Popik, known as Woody, is in need of your prayers. He's entertained you for many years as the music guru in both the stadiums, and is now facing a massive challenge: He's been diagnosed with cancer," he wrote. 

"I just spoke with him (Thursday morning) and he sounds tired, but he's ready to fight. Send one up for him, and ask others to do the same. He's going to need the help.”

Others shared memories from different chapters of his life.

Michelle Emmons remembered him from Baltimore clubs and from her own wedding.

“Robert Popik Woody/Wheel was a DJ in different Baltimore clubs and bars during my early 20s. He DJ’d for the Orioles and Ravens for years! And he DJ’d my wedding," she wrote. 

"If you ever enjoyed the music at the O's or Ravens over the last 20-odd years, consider donating to help a really nice person who’s facing a really difficult situation.”

Even as the diagnosis grew more serious, Popik stayed positive. In an interview with Parade, he shared how he’s been facing every day.

“You can tell it in my voice I’m not down; I’m not depressed, I’m not overwhelmed thinking about what I have,” Popik said, via Parade. 

“I’ve been given six to nine months to live, and I take it in stride, and I am going to fight until every breath is out of my body. I’m not giving up, and I’m remaining positive. I believe that you need to remain positive to beat this. And that’s what I continue to do.”

That determination — that steady, upbeat presence — is exactly what Baltimore remembers.

His family said Bob “has always been someone who brings light and laughter to others, and now it’s our turn to lift him up.”

And that’s exactly what the city is doing.

The GoFundMe can be found here.

"We are reaching out to ask for your support," organizers wrote.

"Every contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward helping Bob access the care and comfort he needs and deserves in addition to any end-of-life expenses."