Jerry Blavat Returns to the Kimmel Center to Host Doo Wop Reunion at the Kimmel Center on April 15
April 4, 2007
Philadelphia’s legendary radio personality Jerry Blavat returns to the Kimmel Center to host a Doo Wop Reunion with Special Guests in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 7:30pm. The Doo Wop reunion features the vocal talents of Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge bringing back Geator Gold Vault classics such as "The Worst That Could Happen," The Duprees "You Belong to Me," and also features special guests Kenny Vance & The Planotones, Lenny Cocco & The Chimes, The Passions, The Clickettes, and The Classics.
Free at the Kimmel Pre- and Post-show dance parties will take place in the Commonwealth Plaza at 6pm and after the 7:30pm Doo Wop Reunion.
Tickets for Jerry Blavat’s Doo Wop Reunion are $41, $46, $56, $71, $81 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10pm to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
Now in his 45th year on the radio, South Philadelphia bred "Boss with the Hot Sauce" and "Geator with the Heater" Jerry Blavat was the first DJ to play hits such as "Sherry" by the Four Seasons and "Twist and Shout" by the Isley Brothers on air in the Philadelphia region. He has entertained audiences since the age of 13, made his first television appearances dancing on the original Bandstand, and later served as a road manager. Beginning in March 1965, Blavat produced and hosted the Discophonic Scene on WCAU-TV 10. All performances were live, including the Supremes’ only Philadelphia television appearance. In 1967, WIFL-TV 6 offered the Geator a daily show called Jerry’s Place, which aired five days per week, and before long the ABC affiliate, owned by Walter Annenberg’s Triangle Productions, syndicated the show coast-to-coast in 42 markets.
The Geator has made appearances on The Tonight Show, the Joey Bishop Show, The Mod Squad, and The Monkees. He has also appeared in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan, Baby It’s You, and Cookie. In 1992 Jerry began hosting On the Air With the Geator, which ran locally on Philly-57 TV, and nationally on the Nostalgia Channel, as well as in syndication. In 1997 the Boss with the Hot Sauce began syndication with Backstage with Jerry Blavat. In 1998 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then he has appeared on the PBS fundraising event DooWop 50 and DooWop 51.
Johnny Maestro began his career singing with The Crests on their breakthrough hit "Sixteen Candles." By 1962 the group disbanded, and Johnny Maestro joined Brooklyn Bridge. Johnny Maestro’s powerful performance of Jim Webb’s "The Worst That Could Happen" backed by the Bridge’s trademark strong vocal and horn arrangements, led to a gold record for the band. By 1972 the Brooklyn Bridge had sold more than ten million records.
The Duprees were one of the final doo wop groups to make a wave in the early 60’s. Their New Jersey street-corner roots were audible in their doo wop harmonies, giving their songs a contemporary flavor to compete in the rock and pop marketplace. In 1962-63 "You Belong to Me" made the Top Ten, and "My Own True Love" (from the soundtrack of Gone With the Wind), "Have You Heard," and "Why Don’t You Believe Me" were Top 40 hits.
Singer, songwriter and producer Kenny Vance had a long and varied career in music that began in the late 1950s and was still going strong in the early years of the 21st century. The core of his interest in music was vocal harmony, from the doo wop groups with which he started out to his long tenure as a member of Jay and the Americans in the 1960s. From the 1970s on, he used his musical knowledge in a series of films while also releasing the occasional solo album. In the 1990s, he returned to his original love by forming his own new-doo wop group, Kenny Vance & The Planotones.
The Chimes- led by Lenny Cocco, the son of a Brooklyn accordion player- organized the group in the mid-50s, and their first record was a vocal arrangement of the old Tommy Dorsey hit "Once in a While," which was issued on the Tag label. The quintet scored right out of the box as that record reached number 11, which led to a follow-up record, a recording of the 1930s standard "I’m in the Mood for Love." By 1962, they were cutting songs under the name Lenny & The Chimes. They left Tag Records in 1963, jumping first to Metro and then to Laurie, before releasing a single, "Two Times," on Vee Jay in 1964.
A talented doo wop ensemble from Brooklyn, the Passions began as the Sinceres, then changed their name to the Passions when they began recording in the late ‘50s. Lead vocalist Jimmy Gallagher, Tony Armato, Albie Gallone and Vinnie Acierno cormprised the group. Although they never managed either an R&B or pop hit, their debut, "Just to Be With You," made significant impact. Another beloved Passions song is "Gloria."
The Clickettes gained popularity as a teenage girl doo wop group during the late 50’s that continued on into the 60’s and reunited in 1999 to bring back classics such as "Because of My Best Friend," "Light A Candle," "Lover’s Prayer," and "Jive Time Turkey."
The Classics recorded their debut song "Cinderella" in the summer of 1959 that showcased their range, from falsetto to bass with a rocking beat. They continued to record and in 1963, the group made the Top 20 their first time out for the newly founded company, with "Till Then." Stucchio still performs with a version of the Classics, and his lead voice one of the most beloved ever to come out of Brooklyn.
Kimmel Center Presents' 2006/2007 season is supported by: Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health System, National Endowment for the Arts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, ARC Wheeler, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents. The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com are media sponsors for the Great Orchestras on Tour series.
FREE AT THE KIMMEL events are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program supported by a generous grant from Wachovia Foundation.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS
Sunday, April 15, 2007 | 7:30pm
Verizon Hall
Verizon World Pop Mix
Jerry Blavat’s Doo Wop Reunion
Jerry Blavat, host
Featuring
Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge
The Duprees
Kenny Vance & The Planotones
Lenny Cocco & The Chimes
The Passions
The Clickettes
The Classics
FREE AT THE KIMMEL
Sunday, April 15, 2007 |6pm and Post Show
Commonwealth Plaza
Plaza Dance Party with DJ Mark the Spark
Join us for a Dance Party full of the Geator’s DJ spun favorites; Prior to and following the ticketed Jerry Blavat concert in Verizon Hall.
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