Since 1961 the Geator has done it his way, playing a different kind of music - different from what was playing in other cities and even from what other DJs were playing in Philadelphia. Over the years that approach has maintained its consistency and the purity of its focus.
Decades after other stations shackled their DJ's to a limited playlist and a tight, canned format, Blavat plays what sounds good to him from the Geator Gold Vault of classic doo-wop, acapella, motown and Philadelphia area dance hits of the fifties, sixties and seventies, interspersed with his encyclopedic knowledge of the music, its writers and the performers. What holds it all together is the unique on-air personality of the man himself.
On radio for decades, Jerry Blavat long ago transcended the medium. Describing him as a "radio DJ" is like describing Abraham Lincoln as a politician from Illinois. Today he's a true cultural icon of the City of Brotherly Love, as recognizable a symbol as Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell.
Born on July 3, 1940, and raised in South Philadelphia, Jerry Blavat started in show business at the age of 13, jitterbugging on the original Bandstand show on WFIL-TV, hosted by Bob Horn (Dick Clark's predecessor).
His foundation has been radio. He got his start on January 15, 1961. Scheduled for an hour broadcast on WCAM from a local club, a snowstorm shut down the club and the city. Jerry made his way to the WCAM studio in Camden with the rock & roll records he had danced to as a teenager and played them on the air as the snow fell.
Kids started phoning in. No one else could make it to the studio, so Blavat played his favorites, rapped and reminisced all night until relief arrived in the morning. The station's general manager, Bud Hibbs, proclaimed it a smash.
Calling himself "The Geator with the Heater," Blavat began broadcasting regularly, first from WCAM (1310 AM) and later from WHAT (1340 AM) in Philadelphia. By 1963 his show was also heard in Atlantic City and Trenton, while off the air his "record hops" attracted thousands every week to venues like Wagner's Ballroom and the Chez-Vous.
In 1966 Jerry returned to WCAM while hosting TV's Discophonic Scene, which increasingly occupied him through the late sixties. In April 1972 he became one of the first on-air personalities on oldies WCAU-FM (today's WOGL), doing a Sunday night show from 7 to 10. In the mid-seventies he was heard on WFIL (560AM) on occasions like New Year's Eve. He returned there as a regular in the fall of 1983, hosting Sunday nights and weeknights Monday through Thursday, when WFIL returned as "Famous 56" (after a disastrous experiment as a country station). About 1987 Jerry moved to "Philly Gold Radio" WPGR (1540AM), which became "Geator Gold Radio" in April 1992.
WCAU-FM 1972
Following the demise of WPGR in 1995, Jerry brought Geator Gold Radio to WSSJ (1310) in Camden, then in January 1999 to WNJC (1360) after 'SSJ changed to a Spanish-language format. In the mid '90s the Geator Gold network also included WTTM (then 920 AM) in Trenton and WQVL (1600 AM) in Dover, Delaware, serving Cape May County, NJ. 
WPGR PHILADELPHIA
February 15, 1993
[ LISTEN ] (9:30)
[ LISTEN ] (9:30)
The wildest aspects of his patter and performance have mellowed since the early days of the Chez Vous and Wagners, but they retain the distinctive Geator character.
Still rockin'Jerry Blavat was one of the radio greats honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April, 1998.
WHERE DID JERRY WORK? Here is the list: WCAM 1961, WHAT 1962, WCAM 1966, WCAU 1972, WFIL 1983, WPGR 1987, WSSJ 1995, and WNJC 1999.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Rock Radio Scrapbook, Ellis Feaster.
