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You Only Rock Once: My Life in Music
The long-awaited autobiography of entertainment icon Jerry Blavat, You Only Rock Once is the wildly entertaining and unfiltered story of the man whose career began at the age of 13 on the TV dance show Bandstand and became a music legend. Lifelong friendships with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, a controversial relationship with Philadelphia Mafia boss Angelo Bruno that resulted in a decade-long FBI investigation, and much more colors this amazing journey from the early 60s through today.Now, some 50 years after his first radio gig, Blavat puts it all in perspective in this uniquely American tale of a “little cockroach kid” borne out of the immigrant experience who lived the American Dream.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 20, 2011
The audience for this book is, I suspect, rather narrow--but for every member of that audience, YOU ONLY ROCK ONCE: MY LIFE IN MUSIC by Jerry Blavat will be a thrill a minute, much like the Geator himself. I can't imagine anyone who is not a Philadelphian of a certain age enjoying the autobiography, but even though I am not really a Blavat contemporary, I thoroughly enjoyed a trip down his "Memories" lane.
Blavat, known as the Geator with the Heator, the Boss with the Hot Sauce, was on the original American Bandstand, the one hosted by Bob Horn. The teenaged Blavat was a dancer and he also was influential in picking the hits--he had an ear for music. When Horn was unceremoniously dumped by the station so they could put the younger Dick Clark in his place, Blavat organized a protest. (So you know the kind of charming schmoozer Blavat is, Dick Clark wrote a complimentary blurb for the book.)
A wheeler-dealer with boundless energy, Blavat graduated from Bob Horn to other mentors, businessmen in the entertainment field who gave him experience
and valuable advice, which led to his having his first radio show at the age of 21. And when I say "his"--I mean "his"--he owned the show, was responsible for the advertising and costs, and had a remote to offset costs further. Over the years, he made many close friends, many of whom were show business legends (Don Rickles, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr.) and one man who was like family to him: Angelo Bruno, a Philadelphia mob boss. The last relationship drenched the Geator in a lot of hot sauce over the years, as he was investigated heavily because of his relationship with the Brunos.
In many ways, Blavat's Philadelphia was a different one than my own, but reading about Nick's Roast Beef at 20th and Jackson, the late, lamented Harvey House, and the Mike Douglas Show--along with the Geator's passion for music--made the book riveting reading for me. Deathless prose it is not, nor would it interest non-Philadelphians who don't have a lot of Geator-esque Memories. (Memories in Margate has been Blavat's NJ club for many years.) However, if--like me--you loved the movie The In Crowd and saw it repeatedly, which shows a character who is CLEARLY based on the Geator, or simply grew up in the Delaware Valley during the 50's through the 70's, you will likely enjoy this famous and infamous name-studded story.
The book is fast-paced (I would expect nothing less from a man famous for his patter) and personal. You get a sense of who he is: old school, with an amazing work ethic and a desire to be a true sport, thoughtful and generous. He tells some romantic tales that I hope are with people who are now deceased, because otherwise he should have been more discreet. He is open about his sexual exploits, respectful of his wife Pattie, from whom he has been separated for many years, and generally has nice things to say about most people. There are too many business details that will make most readers' eyes glaze over, but I did enjoy the details about his legal run-ins.
I hope I run into Jerry Blavat one day, to tell him how much I love his book, because I genuinely do.
Blavat, known as the Geator with the Heator, the Boss with the Hot Sauce, was on the original American Bandstand, the one hosted by Bob Horn. The teenaged Blavat was a dancer and he also was influential in picking the hits--he had an ear for music. When Horn was unceremoniously dumped by the station so they could put the younger Dick Clark in his place, Blavat organized a protest. (So you know the kind of charming schmoozer Blavat is, Dick Clark wrote a complimentary blurb for the book.)
A wheeler-dealer with boundless energy, Blavat graduated from Bob Horn to other mentors, businessmen in the entertainment field who gave him experience
and valuable advice, which led to his having his first radio show at the age of 21. And when I say "his"--I mean "his"--he owned the show, was responsible for the advertising and costs, and had a remote to offset costs further. Over the years, he made many close friends, many of whom were show business legends (Don Rickles, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr.) and one man who was like family to him: Angelo Bruno, a Philadelphia mob boss. The last relationship drenched the Geator in a lot of hot sauce over the years, as he was investigated heavily because of his relationship with the Brunos.
In many ways, Blavat's Philadelphia was a different one than my own, but reading about Nick's Roast Beef at 20th and Jackson, the late, lamented Harvey House, and the Mike Douglas Show--along with the Geator's passion for music--made the book riveting reading for me. Deathless prose it is not, nor would it interest non-Philadelphians who don't have a lot of Geator-esque Memories. (Memories in Margate has been Blavat's NJ club for many years.) However, if--like me--you loved the movie The In Crowd and saw it repeatedly, which shows a character who is CLEARLY based on the Geator, or simply grew up in the Delaware Valley during the 50's through the 70's, you will likely enjoy this famous and infamous name-studded story.
The book is fast-paced (I would expect nothing less from a man famous for his patter) and personal. You get a sense of who he is: old school, with an amazing work ethic and a desire to be a true sport, thoughtful and generous. He tells some romantic tales that I hope are with people who are now deceased, because otherwise he should have been more discreet. He is open about his sexual exploits, respectful of his wife Pattie, from whom he has been separated for many years, and generally has nice things to say about most people. There are too many business details that will make most readers' eyes glaze over, but I did enjoy the details about his legal run-ins.
I hope I run into Jerry Blavat one day, to tell him how much I love his book, because I genuinely do.
August 8, 2023
This is a book for locals who loved to dance in their teen years. It is a book about a local DJ from South Philly who made it on his own terms. It was fun reading about local places that don't exist anymore and singers and musicians that were popular in the 60s and 70s. He personally knew a lot of people in his life, including Frank Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Sammy Davis, and tons more. And he lived near where I grew up in Overbrook (a Philly neighborhood) And he DJed at Chez Vous, where we went to dance on Friday nights. He was also a dancer on Bandstand when it was in Philly.
If I had to rate it on the writing, it would get 3 stars. It was written by someone else for Jerry Blavat, the Geator with the Heator. A fun book for me.
If I had to rate it on the writing, it would get 3 stars. It was written by someone else for Jerry Blavat, the Geator with the Heator. A fun book for me.
October 12, 2021
Lots of names, dates, locations and stories in the biography of ‘The Geator.’ Because I am from the Philadelphia area and of an age that allows me to remember the events from the eighties on, I found the second half of the book to be the most interesting. I’ve forgotten or never knew of Jerry’s legal issues but my respect for the man is there as I read how he fought the system and remained true to himself and his roots. PPCH
October 20, 2020
This was a fun read. Jerry Blavat spans The entire history of rock ‘n’ roll in the city of Philadelphia. He has made an interesting journey from a poor family in South Philadelphia to his current place as a Philadelphia musical icon. He is a good storyteller and he has many fun tales to tell.
October 26, 2017
Pretty much a "How great am I" commercial, but I gave it 4 stars because it did have a few tidbits about some real stars inside.
September 20, 2019
read this years ago...
October 2, 2019
A must-read for anyone interested in Philadelphia's rock music history! Docked one star for all the details about his sexual conquests.
September 2, 2021
Incredibly entertaining, particularly if you are from Philadelphia. Lots of local references that bring back great memories.
March 9, 2023
HE IS THE BEST
What a great book I read it three times ,a truly good man and he love life we will miss you Jerry you bought happiness to our family.
What a great book I read it three times ,a truly good man and he love life we will miss you Jerry you bought happiness to our family.
August 13, 2024
4 stars for the life, 2 stars for the telling.
December 31, 2024
I don't think I have ever been so uninterested in a person.
October 7, 2011
For someone who grew up in Philadelphia listening to the Geator on the radio this book is fascinating, but anyone interested in the radio or music scene, especially of the 1950-60’s, should find a lot of interest in Jerry Blavat’s straight-talking memoir. He’s still on the radio and his shows are great, especially his Saturday night show on Philadelphia’s WXPN which you can catch on line if you live somewhere else. Blavat considers the Beatles too bubblegum, so the records he chooses to spin have a gritty, rhythmic, soulful quality, and since it’s not the music that has been overplayed on traditional Oldies stations it still sounds fantastic.
You Only Rock Once has a lot of behind the scenes Philadelphia politics and celebrity stories, Blavat was friends with a host of the rich, powerful and famous including Frank Rizzo, Walter Annenberg, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dick Clark, and mobster Angelo Bruno. What gave me a bigger thrill though was his offhand mentions of Sally Starr, Gene London and Pixanne who were big stars of local children’s TV shows when I was young.
You Only Rock Once has a lot of behind the scenes Philadelphia politics and celebrity stories, Blavat was friends with a host of the rich, powerful and famous including Frank Rizzo, Walter Annenberg, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dick Clark, and mobster Angelo Bruno. What gave me a bigger thrill though was his offhand mentions of Sally Starr, Gene London and Pixanne who were big stars of local children’s TV shows when I was young.
January 11, 2012
I wasn't sure who Jerry Blavat was, but it sounded like I should and I picked this book up to see what I was missing. I didn't grow up in Philly so I had no clue that he was one of the original American Bandstand kids/dancers before Dick Clark hosted it. He went onto become a leading disc jockey and a music "kingmaker." However this book really needed an editor. Mr. Blavat ran on and on about incidents and other topics he barely scratched the surface. He drops every name he can remember including the prostitute that he lost his virginity to. I'm definitely not a prude especially based on the other books I have read like Laurell K. Hamilton, however I don't need to know every woman that Mr. Blavat slept with and why. I enjoyed the sections about Bob Horn firing (didn't know who he was) and the Dick Clark being hired for Bandstand. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone that wasn't from that era or Philly looking to relive those moments.
August 2, 2011
Jerry "The Geator" Blavat was a nationally syndicated disc jockey and TV host who got his start as a 15-year-old dancer on "Philadelphia Bandstand." He parlayed his contacts in the early rock/rhythm & blues scene into a career that has spanned more than 50 years.
Blavat talks frankly about growing up on the mean streets of South Philadelphia -- which included being family friends with Mafiosos. Blavat was investigated repeatedly by the FBI to see whether these family friends helped him with his career, but found that he had kept his nose clean.
Blavat also makes no bones about his sexual conquests. While there is nothing explicit here, hyper-moral types may find themselves looking down their noses.
Overall, an entertaining look at the earliest days of the rock business. Good fun for those with an interest in the subject matter.
Blavat talks frankly about growing up on the mean streets of South Philadelphia -- which included being family friends with Mafiosos. Blavat was investigated repeatedly by the FBI to see whether these family friends helped him with his career, but found that he had kept his nose clean.
Blavat also makes no bones about his sexual conquests. While there is nothing explicit here, hyper-moral types may find themselves looking down their noses.
Overall, an entertaining look at the earliest days of the rock business. Good fun for those with an interest in the subject matter.
September 6, 2012
An only somewhat interesting account of Jerry Blavat's long career. Since I do enjoy the music he plays, I thought his biography might be interesting. Not! He spent too much time dropping names and relating how people screwed him over. He should stick to being a DJ and dance party host and leave the writing to others.
July 29, 2012
Just started the book, but looking forward to reading it. I have many fond memories of going to Jerry's dances down the Jersey Shore..remember seeing him in a convertible sports car in the wee hours of the morning in Ocean City N.J. Wonder if I remember how to do the 'WALK"?
September 27, 2012
I would rate this higher for people like me who love rock'n'roll from the pre-Beatles era and like nostalgia about Philadelphia from the same era. Blavat was quite a character and his seemingly honest memoir would make this 3 stars for even those without the special interests.
July 22, 2025
Growing up in Philly and attending many of his dances it was a wonderful return to some very good times. All made his self gratification easier to digest. The music and the history still resonates today.
April 5, 2012
Wow! The Geator is a pretty good writer. A fun line-dance down memory lane for any Philadelphian of the 50s & 60s.
BTW Jerry, it's Jeff SpectEr and Sil Scaglione, not Phil Siglione.
BTW Jerry, it's Jeff SpectEr and Sil Scaglione, not Phil Siglione.
April 5, 2017
Surprisingly well written book. If you were one of Jerry's "yon teenages", a teen of the 50s or 60s you will have a good time listening or reading this. You will certainly it enjoy it if you have any interested in:
Oldies Music
Frank Sinatra
Jerry Lewis
Angelo Bruno
Disc Jockeys
Bandstand
Dick Clark
South Philadelphia
AM Radio
I recommend it.
Oldies Music
Frank Sinatra
Jerry Lewis
Angelo Bruno
Disc Jockeys
Bandstand
Dick Clark
South Philadelphia
AM Radio
I recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews