Jerry Blavat Tribute Show to Air on WXPN - Two-hour special

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Created on Friday, 25 June 2010 13:23

Philadelphia, Pa. – It’s not every day that a DJ celebrates 50 years on the air and his 70th birthday at the same time, but leave it to legendary DJ Jerry Blavat to pull off this feat. To celebrate these milestones, WXPN, the nationally-recognized leader in Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) music and a noncommercial radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, will air a two-hour special titled “A Tribute to The Geator.” This feature will air on Blavat’s 70th birthday, Saturday, July 3 from 5-7 p.m. EST and will be rebroadcast on Monday, July 5 from 6-8 p.m. EST.

Blavat will sit down with WXPN host, musician and producer Ben Vaughn to share his legendary record collection with radio listeners and tell the stories behind the music. Fans can expect to hear a mix of the old rock ’n’ roll, doo-wop, R&B and funk ’n’ soul that made Blavat a favorite among “yon teens” of all ages back in the 1960s.

“I grew up listening to The Geator, just like so many people here in Philly, and he has been a hero, role model and mentor to me for most of my life,” said Vaughn. “His incredibly deep love for music impacted the musical landscape of this city, and his staying power is phenomenal. There is no one else like him.”

Listeners can preview the first hour of the special at http://benvaughn.com/GeatorTributePt1.mp3 and the second hour at http://benvaughn.com/GeatorTributePt2.mp3.

“Jerry is a Philadelphia legend, and there just aren’t many DJs like him on the air anymore,” said Bruce Warren, WXPN program director. “We’re proud to honor his 50th anniversary and 70th birthday while exposing our listeners to a truly amazing collection of music.”

Tune in to “A Tribute to The Geator” on WXPN on July 3 and 5 or listen live worldwide at XPN.org/listen

About WXPN

WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe®, public radio’s most popular program of popular music hosted by David Dye and syndicated by NPR, and the Peabody Award winning Kids Corner hosted by Kathy O’Connell. WXPN also produces the alternative rock service, Y-Rock On XPN (yrockonxpn.org) as its secondary radio channel in HD. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM and the world via online streaming at XPN.org.