Last week, music-loving Philadelphians — and music lovers in general — mourned the passing of Jerry “The Geator” Blavat, the famed and influential disc jockey who passed away at age 82.
Blavat will be remembered publicly this Saturday, January 28, with a memorial service at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, 1723 Race Street in Philadelphia. A viewing will begin at 9 a.m., with mass scheduled at 11:30 a.m. If you can’t make it in person, the service will be live-streamed via Vimeo.
In lieu of flowers, Blavat’s family is asking folks to consider making a donation to the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, for the Jerry Blavat Endowed Fund.
In the days following his passing, the WXPN community honored his memory and celebrated his life on the air with conversations, playlists, and more. Listen to some of those features below.
Remembering The Geator: Ben Vaughn and Bob Bumbera
One of the Geator’s closest confidants and biggest fans was Ben Vaughn, host of The Many Moods of BenVaughn, and on the day of his passing, he had a 20-minute chat with WXPN Morning Show host Bob Bumbera about losing both his friend and inspiration.
Remembering The Geator: Adam Weiner and Mike Vasilikos
The retro-tinged rock and roll of Low Cut Connie owes a debt to the music The Geator championed all across his career. In this conversation with WXPN Midday Host Mike Vasilikos, the band’s Adam Weiner reflected on how The Geator impacted his artistry and persona.
Remembering The Geator: Dan DeLuca and Mike Vasilikos
Though his star rose high, and he became renowned around the country, The Geator always kept the Philadelphia area in his heart and made it his home. In this conversation, Philadelphia Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca talks about the Geator’s ties to and impact on the city.
Remembering The Geator: Friday Morning Mixtape
Bringing on the weekend with an hour of community-curated radio, as she does every Friday, Kristen Kurtis of the XPN Morning Show turned the theme this week to The Geator, asking the audience to share songs they associate with The Boss With The Hot Sauce. Requests ran the gamut from Blavat’s own song “The Discophonic Stomp” to the classic “Heat Wave” by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and something Kurtis said might be the most-requested song in the history of the Friday morning mixtape: “Bristol Stomp” by The Dovells. Listen above and check out the playlist below.
