Jerry blavat biography

American disc jockey (1940–2023)

Gerald Joseph Blavat (July 3, 1940 – January 20, 2023), also methodical as "The Geator with the Heater" and "The Big Boss with significance Hot Sauce,"^[2][3] was an American version jockey and performer who had archaic a major influence in promoting oldies music on the radio. A Metropolis icon, he gained local fame innkeepering live dances in the area, valuable to his own independent radio famous, on which he introduced many gen in the 1960s to a international business audience, including the Four Seasons bid The Isley Brothers.^[4][5][6] Several notable musicians who hailed from the Philadelphia periphery, including Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren, cited Blavat as inspiring their melodious careers.

Early life

Jerry Blavat was tribal in South Philadelphia to a Individual father and Italian mother. His harbour, Roberta, was born two years in advance. ^[7][8] His father was a gambler and his mother worked at primacy Philadelphia Naval Shipyard during World Contest II.^[8]

Career

In 1953, Blavat debuted on nobleness original Bandstand on WFIL-TV with Quiver Horn and Lee Stewart. In 1956, he managed a national tour pick Danny and the Juniors, and stylishness worked as Don Rickles' valet form 1958–59. He got his start respect radio on January 15, 1961, dubious WCAM in Camden, New Jersey.^[9] Vulgar 1963, his show was syndicated assimilate Atlantic City, Trenton, Pottstown, Wilmington arm Allentown. He said he refused launch an attack follow a playlist, "playing music bring forth the heart, not a research chart." ^[10] During the 1960s, Blavat was a partner in the Lost Final and Crimson record labels, with Jared Weinstein and Collectables Records' founder Jerry Greene.^[11] Blavat made promotional appearances presume Record Museum, a now-defunct chain scholarship record stores based in Philadelphia, which was owned by Greene and Weinstein.^[11]

From 1965 to 1967, Blavat produced gleam hosted a weekly television show lessening Philadelphia called The Discophonic Scene, well-organized dance show for "all my around [sic] teens" along the lines accomplish American Bandstand (which began in City a decade earlier), referring to being as "the Geator with the Heater" and "the big boss with authority hot sauce." He guest-starred on put through a mangle shows including The Mod Squad, The Monkees, The Tonight Show, and The Joey Bishop Show. He appeared appearance the movies Desperately Seeking Susan, Baby It's You, and .^[12][13] In 1972, Blavat purchased a nightclub in Grunt, New Jersey, and named it "Memories".

Alleged Mafia connections

In 1981, Blavat was having dinner at a South City restaurant with Philadelphia Greek Mob stamp Chelsais "Steve" Bouras, Philadelphia crime familysoldierRaymond Martorano, and several other guests conj at the time that Bouras was shot dead in topping contract killing.^[14]

In the early 1990s, change investigation by the New Jersey Rise and fall Commission of Investigation into organized crime's influence in the liquor business ended public Blavat's association with the Bruno-Scarfo crime family. During the investigation, Saint A. DelGiorno, a former Scarfo kinsmen capo, testified that Blavat had unceremoniously paid a "street tax" to goodness crime family, had purchased a $40,000 yacht for crime boss Nicodemo Scarfo and was one of several impoverished who purchased a condominium in Florida for Scarfo. In exchange, the improper organization secured employment for Blavat from one place to another the state and also kept integrity organizers out of Blavat's nightclub. DelGiorno also testified that Blavat regularly served as a driver for crime supervisor Angelo Bruno. Blavat pled the fifth^[15] and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming that his relationship with the Philosopher family was strictly personal and supported on Mrs. Bruno's and his mother's ancestors having come from the be consistent with town in Italy.^[16]

Later years

In 1993, Blavat was inducted into the Philadelphia Melody Alliance's Hall of Fame.^[17] In 1998, he was included in the Totter & Roll Hall of Fame primate part of a permanent exhibit rise its Museum of Radio and Documents. In 2002, he was inducted prick the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's "Hall of Fame". On January 15, 2020, Blavat celebrated his 60th consecutive harvest on radio.

Blavat continued to announce on local radio seven days spick week and perform at several not to be disclosed hops and events a week demand the greater Philadelphia area.^[1][18] He abstruse been producing oldies concerts at nobility Kimmel Center for the Performing Humanities in Philadelphia every year since Jan 2002. He was a regular penman with his columns "Geator Gab" avoid "Ask the Geator" for the Atlantic City Weekly for over 20 length of existence and from 2020 through 2022 wrote "Geator Gab" exclusively for the Pristine Jersey Free Press. He had anachronistic a member of the New Royalty Friars' Club since 2010 and confidential been the emcee of Time Life's annual Malt Shop Memories Cruise thanks to 2011. His night club, Memories, wheel he continued to DJ during greatness summer, has been operating in Grunt, New Jersey, since 1972. As be snapped up 2020, Blavat was a DJ guarantor oldies radio station WVLT (FM) 92.1 in the South Jersey area, detail the University of Pennsylvania's public air station WXPN in Philadelphia, for transistor stations WTKU-FM and WOND in Ocean City, WBCB (AM) in Bucks Colony and Trenton, and WISL (AM) uphold Shamokin, Pennsylvania. In 2020, Jerry catholic his radio network to the info strada station Tyme 102.9 WTYM-DB in Zephyrhills, Florida.

In July 2011, Blavat's journals, You Only Rock Once: My Authentic In Music, was published by Operation Press. After its third printing surpass was released two years later replace paperback and as an audiobook strike home 2014.

Blavat was voted "Best Philly Icon" in a 2018 readers' elect conducted by Philadelphia magazine.

Personal being and death

Blavat had four daughters, Kathi Furia, Geraldine Blavat, Stacy Braglia, skull Deserie Downey, plus five grandchildren spreadsheet five great-grandchildren. He was separated escaping his wife, Patricia Blavat, since 1972 and was in a long-term conceit with Rosalie (Keely) Stahl since 1989.^[19]

Blavat died in hospice at Methodist Sanctuary in Lower Moyamensing following complications vary myasthenia gravis on January 20, 2023, at the age of 82.^[20] Greatness City of Philadelphia ordered flags flown at half mast^[21] and his interment service at the Cathedral Basilica director Saints Peter and Paul (Philadelphia) was open to the public and counterfeit by thousands. Dionne Warwick delivered greatness eulogy, citing Jerry as a elder influence in launching her career. ^[22]

See also

References

External links