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Kimmel Cultural Campus Presents

"A Tribute to Jerry Blavat", a Night Celebrating the Legacy of Philadelphia's Favorite Radio DJ

June 26, 2023

KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO JERRY BLAVAT, A NIGHT CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF PHILADELPHIA’S FAVORITE RADIO DJ, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023

Concert lineup includes performances by Darlene Love, The Intruders, The Happenings, Bobby Wilson, and The Chantels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 26, 2023) – The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents A Tribute to Jerry Blavat, a one-night-only event in the Academy of Music on Saturday, October 21 celebrating Philadelphia’s iconic radio DJ, the late Jerry Blavat. Jerry Blavat AKA the Geator with the Heater AKA the Boss with the Hot Sauce was a fixture on the Campus and an even greater presence in the city of Philadelphia and music world for decades. Lineup includes: Darlene Love, The Intruders, The Happenings, Bobby Wilson, and The Chantels.

“The entertainer of a generation, Jerry Blavat was a beloved friend & fixture on our Campus for years,” said Frances Egler, Vice President, Theatrical Programming & Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “He found joy doing what he loved for a lifetime – bringing music to the masses – so what better way to honor his legacy than to assemble a series of special guests to continue keeping the magic of his shows alive.”

Starting in 2002, Jerry Blavat began bringing high-energy performances to the Kimmel Cultural Campus. Voted “Best Philly Icon” in a recent poll conducted by Philadelphia Magazine, Blavat   spent decades filling Philadelphia’s radio waves with golden oldies. He gained local fame hosting live dances in the area and led his own independent radio station, helping to break many acts in the 1960s, including the Four Seasons and the Isley Brothers.

With over 60 years in the business, at the time of his passing, Blavat was still a DJ for multiple radio stations, including WVLT, WXPN, WTKU, WOND, and WBCB. In 1972, he opened his nightclub, “Memories”, in Margate, NJ, where he put on shows throughout the summer. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia’s Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Tickets

Tickets go on presale to members on Tuesday, June 27, with a public onsale Friday, June 30. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.

A Tribute to Jerry Blavat

Academy of Music on the Kimmel Cultural Campus

October 21, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.

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KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS

Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and esteemed Resident Companies: Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, coworkers, and programs here.

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For photography, please visit https://kcccpress.smugmug.com/

His tireless promotion of pioneering Black artists of the 1950s and 1960s shaped the pop music culture of the city where he maintained an iconic presence for seven decades.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

A live-wire personality and an epic self-promoter, he got a generation of youth in the City of Brotherly Love on its feet with little-known R&B gems.

The New York Times

Press Contacts

Lauren A. Woodard Hall

484-832-1963

Hannah Palermo

267-765-3724