10 Facts About Legendary Personality Jerry Blavat

In 1953, as a teenager, Jerry Blavat was a dancer on the original American Bandstand.  The show was broadcast on Philadelphia's WFIL TV.  This was before Dick Clark took the show nationally.

Jerry had his first radio show in 1960.  According to legend, Blavat won an hour-long time slot on WCAM in a game of craps.  On the day of his show, a snowstorm hit, and what was originally supposed to be a one-hour show turned into 4 hours.  Jerry played his own records and the response was huge.

If you've ever been to one of the dances he's hosted, you knew that when Martha and the Vandellas', "Heatwave" started playing, the Geator rap was about to start.  What you may not know, is where some of his catchphrases originated.

For instance, "...according to the big tick tock on thee tower of power..." is a reference to his days as a regular on ‘CAU, where he hosted his show from the top floor of Camden's City Hall, which had a giant clock tower.

Where did the name Geator originate?  According to an article on Boardwalk Blog and News, he said,

When we were kids, in the wintertime we’d jump in the car and turn the heater up. When it got too hot, we’d turn the heater down. Parents were yelling at their kids to turn that guy down, so I became the Geator with the Hot Heater.

Between 1965 and 1967, Jerry Blavat hosted his own TV show called, The Discophonic Scene.

In 1998, Jerry Blavat was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1972, Jerry opened his club, Memories in Margate.  It has remained a popular summer destination to this day.

In July 2011, Jerry Blavat published his longawaited autobiography, You Only Rock Once: My Life In Music.

His Wikipedia listed a number of tv shows and movies that Jerry Blavat including The Mod Squad, The Monkees, The Tonight Show, and The Joey Bishop Show. He appeared in the movies Desperately Seeking Susan, Baby It's You, and Cookie.

Jerry leaves behind four daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Jerry was divorced years ago but has been with his longtime companion for years.

Sources: Xpn.org, Watchthetramcarplease.com, YouTube.com