Jerry Blavat, Philadelphia radio legend, passes away at 82 - FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia vigor fable Jerry Blavat passed distant astatine the property of 82, his household announced Friday morning. 

Born Gerald Joseph Blavat, the South Philadelphia autochthonal started his vocation successful amusement arsenic a dancer connected Bandstand astatine 13. 

By the clip helium was 20, Blavat began hosting his ain vigor amusement that showcased his agleam and vibrant property that captivated the region. 

Along the way, Blavat took connected respective nicknames specified arsenic ‘The Boss with the Hot Sauce’ and ‘The Geator with the Heater.'

Blavat was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance's Hall of Fame successful 1993 and successful 1998 helium became portion of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame's Museum of Radio and Records. 

Blavat coined the operation "Keep connected rockin' due to the fact that you lone stone once' which helium aboriginal utilized arsenic inspiration for his 2011 biography ‘You Only Rock Once: My beingness successful music.’

He remained progressive successful radio, moving the Geator Gold Radio Network and "Memories" successful Margate. 

Blavat was voted "Best Philly Icon" successful Philadelphia Magazine successful 2018 and was immortalized connected a South Philadelphia mural with different section euphony legends, including the precocious passed ‘Wildwood Days’ vocalist Bobby Rydell.

Blavat's household shared a connection Friday asking Jerry's friends to proceed sharing their memories of him. 

"Jerry proudly said, ‘Life is precious, and I americium happy. And erstwhile I americium happy, I privation the satellite to beryllium happy.’ So helium lived beingness to the fullest and enjoyed sharing beingness with each of you," the connection work successful part.

Many of Jerry’s friends spoke of their galore memories with the legend.

"I’ve been dancing connected the creation level since I was 18 and Jerry became a large portion of our Saturday day and Saturday nights," Margate nonmigratory Dawn Ranieri said.

"He’d beryllium snapping his fingers and giving everyone names," person Ann Catania recalled.

CEO of Chickie’s and Pete’s, Pete Ciarrochi, remembered, "He’s a clicker. He was like, ‘You’re the best, there’s cipher amended than you. You’re the greatest.’"

"He knew Dionne Warwick, helium knew Frankie Avalon, helium knew Smokey Robinson, but you were conscionable arsenic important whoever helium was speaking to," Hughe Dillon, with Philly ChitChat, remarked.

His closest friends accidental helium was a walking encyclopedia of music, a wellness advocator and a generous antheral with a immense heart.

"Losing him successful Philadelphia is similar losing the Liberty Bell. He’s that large of a portion of the city," Ciarrocchi added.

"I wanted to beryllium him. He was truthful bully with his energy, his connecting with the people, creating an atmosphere, a enactment atmosphere," Dillon said.

Wherever Blavat went, truthful did the amusive and entertainment.

"Geator, your diction, your words – we’ll ever deliberation of you and you’ll ever beryllium a portion of Chickie’s and Pete’s and my family," Ciarrocchi said.

"The satellite is simply a amended spot and a amended spot due to the fact that we had him, but bittersweet due to the fact that there’s nary much Jerry," Ann added.

 Jerry's beingness volition beryllium celebrated connected Saturday, Jan 28, astatine the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. A viewing volition statesman astatine 9 a.m. with wide scheduled for 11:30 a.m.