00:24 - Jerry Blavat it I guess better

00:25 - known as the

00:26 - gita with the heater

00:27 - a voice for the

00:28 - sauce.

00:29 - That's what I was going to ask

00:30 - where those names come from.

00:32 - What it really is interesting

00:33 - because I never really intended

00:35 - to be the geater.

00:37 - Jerry blab it created the

00:39 - gator one snowy night.

00:41 - In January of sixty two.

00:44 - Because I was doing

00:45 - a nightclub show a

00:46 - talk show from a

00:47 - little place in south

00:48 - Philadelphia.

00:49 - Called the Venus lounge.

00:50 - And.

00:52 - Snowstorm completely

00:53 - closed the city down.

00:55 - And at that time I was sponsored

00:57 - by Chris gone oldsmobile.

01:00 - Fryhofer spread.

01:01 - Seven up.

01:02 - And Dale dance studio

01:04 - so I had a responsibility

01:06 - to the advertisers

01:07 - who bought that time.

01:09 - So what I did because

01:10 - the club was close

01:11 - to the Venus lounge

01:12 - I took all my rock and

01:14 - roll records.

01:15 - That I used to dance

01:16 - to that I used to listen to.

01:18 - Little Richard fats

01:19 - domino Chuck Berry.

01:20 - And I chalk them up to w c a m

01:22 - in Camden.

01:24 - And I started to play this music

01:26 - and no one was

01:26 - playing at that time

01:27 - they were considered all these.

01:29 - Because everybody's

01:30 - playing new music.

01:32 - And I was.

01:33 - Finger pop and I was

01:34 - moving in rhythm because

01:36 - I began as a dancer

01:37 - so everything that

01:38 - you do as a dancer

01:39 - his rhythm and rhyme.

01:41 - So

01:42 - the snow kept on falling

01:44 - and.

01:44 - Kids were surfing

01:45 - the dial to find out

01:46 - if they were off

01:47 - school the next day.

01:49 - And they were picking up.

01:51 - On this crazy

01:52 - Jerry blab it.

01:54 - And it was so successful

01:55 - that the snowstorm.

01:58 - Closed everything

01:59 - and there was no relief

02:00 - coming to the station

02:01 - so I wind up doing

02:02 - instead of doing an hour show.

02:04 - Which was from ten

02:05 - to eleven I wind up

02:05 - staying one to four

02:06 - o'clock in the morning.

02:08 - Until they got a

02:08 - relief guy fortunately

02:09 - thank god there was

02:10 - an engineer there

02:11 - because I knew

02:12 - nothing technically.

02:13 - On what to do.

02:15 - And

02:16 - I went home.

02:18 - And I finally got home at six

02:20 - in the morning and my wife.

02:22 - I'm in bed

02:23 - at

02:23 - eight o'clock in the

02:24 - morning by what

02:25 - comes running up she says.

02:26 - Station manager on the phone

02:28 - but hibs were still alive

02:29 - today this is back in sixty two.

02:31 - She says he's

02:32 - got to talk to you.

02:33 - I said what

02:34 - patio.

02:35 - Dead tired I mean I.

02:37 - Just went through the whole.

02:38 - She says it's important

02:39 - so I get on the

02:40 - phone and I say yet

02:41 - but he said what

02:42 - did you do last night.

02:43 - I said well.

02:45 - I said you know I couldn't

02:46 - do the show from the club.

02:47 - I said I took my rock and roll

02:49 - records and I started to play.

02:50 - He said well

02:51 - whatever you've done.

02:53 - He said the phones

02:54 - have not stopped ringing.

02:56 - They loved it.

02:57 - I sit in wow

02:58 - and I I found that I felt it

03:01 - when I was doing it.

03:02 - So I went back

03:03 - the following week

03:04 - to do it from the club

03:05 - they play rock and

03:06 - roll records and the

03:07 - guys who owned

03:08 - the clubs now that we.

03:09 - Can't play rock and roll

03:11 - lounge.

03:12 - You know this is an

03:13 - interview thing so I

03:13 - made a decision that

03:14 - I wanted to go and do

03:15 - this show.

03:16 - From the studio use

03:17 - of cm

03:18 - and I started to do it.

03:20 - But I realized I just couldn't

03:21 - say hey this is Jerry blab it.

03:23 - Because at that time

03:24 - the big this jockeys were

03:26 - shown in I ag with

03:27 - a rocking beard.

03:28 - Alan freed was

03:30 - known as moon moondog

03:31 - or the king of rock and roll.

03:33 - And Georgie woods was

03:34 - the man with the goods

03:35 - I figured I can't just

03:36 - be Jerry blabber.

03:37 - So I said.

03:39 - What name.

03:40 - Would depict what i'm

03:41 - doing I mean here I am

03:43 - automate the end of the dial.

03:45 - I have no knowledge

03:46 - of technically radio.

03:50 - Wait.

03:51 - In Florida.

03:52 - There are alligators.

03:53 - Depending upon the accent.

03:55 - They call it kedar or gator.

03:57 - Now this geater or

03:58 - gator lays in the mud.

04:00 - Doesn't bother anybody

04:01 - but if you get close to it.

04:03 - It snatches you up

04:04 - here am I.

04:05 - Automate the end of the dial

04:07 - I know nothing about radio

04:08 - but as soon as these kids

04:09 - tuning in

04:10 - there's mesmerized.

04:12 - I'm snatching them up.

04:14 - So that's it the geater.

04:16 - What makes sense.

04:18 - Peter.

04:19 - Meter

04:20 - reader.

04:21 - Heater.

04:22 - Has it makes sense

04:23 - but when I was a kid.

04:25 - Hanging in south Philadelphia

04:26 - during the wintertime

04:27 - if you hung on the corner

04:28 - and you're shivering

04:29 - and a buddy of yours

04:30 - comes along in a car.

04:32 - All of the guys

04:33 - would jump in the car

04:34 - and we would say

04:34 - turn your heater on.

04:36 - To the highest.

04:37 - Then after ten

04:38 - minutes you'd say.

04:39 - Turn the heat down.

04:41 - It's too hot.

04:42 - So after ten minutes

04:43 - listening to me.

04:44 - The parents would

04:45 - say to their kids.

04:46 - Turn that guy down.

04:48 - The music these plane is

04:50 - rapids too hot

04:51 - so I became the geater

04:52 - with the hot heater

04:53 - hot heater being a record player

04:55 - the record platter

04:56 - the movement that I was doing.

04:58 - That's how it was born.

04:59 - The boss but the hot sauce

05:01 - came from ribs on south street.

05:03 - If you will put too

05:04 - much hot sauce.

05:05 - On your ribs

05:07 - especially b's bbq

05:08 - you go.

05:10 - So I became.

05:12 - The boss.

05:13 - Hot sauce

05:14 - the guida with the heater

05:15 - the rocks the big tick tock.

05:17 - On the tower power clock

05:19 - and that clock

05:20 - is still there today

05:22 - on top of city hall

05:23 - if you go over the

05:24 - Benjamin Franklin bridge

05:25 - you'll see that big clock.

05:27 - I did my radio show.

05:29 - Underneath there clock

05:30 - on the eighteenth floor.

05:32 - And that's how we begin.

05:34 - As you said you were a dancer

05:36 - bandstand the original bandstand

05:37 - tell me a little bit

05:38 - about that well.

05:39 - Had to give it another

05:40 - interesting story.

05:42 - You had to be

05:43 - fourteen years of age.

05:45 - To be on bandstand.

05:47 - In nineteen fifty three.

05:50 - Bandstand with Bob horn.

05:52 - Unleash Stewart

05:53 - and the fries begin.

05:54 - Was the hottest

05:56 - show.

05:57 - In Philadelphia ever.

05:58 - Because

05:59 - it was the first

05:59 - year we had kids

06:00 - dancing.

06:02 - And when you grew

06:03 - up in a neighborhood.

06:04 - You shot pool.

06:06 - You played half

06:06 - ball on the street.

06:08 - And you had to

06:09 - be a spiffy dresser

06:10 - and to get the girls

06:12 - you had to be a dancer.

06:13 - And I learned how to dance

06:15 - jitterbug.

06:16 - By hanging on the

06:17 - corner holding onto a pole.

06:21 - Getting your rhythm.

06:22 - So I used to go to

06:23 - the school dances.

06:24 - The epiphany.

06:25 - St Monica's

06:26 - and I used to win

06:27 - these dance contest.

06:29 - I weighed about one hundred and

06:30 - fifteen pounds.

06:31 - Okay.

06:33 - And all of our guys were

06:34 - hanging on the corner

06:35 - and we all wanted

06:36 - to go to balanced

06:37 - because we wanted to get.

06:38 - Dates.

06:39 - With these girls that

06:40 - we would see on TV.

06:42 - But I was under age.

06:44 - And before team.

06:45 - But I want

06:46 - the guys.

06:47 - Snuck into bed.

06:49 - And got in and I

06:50 - started to dance.

06:52 - And I won a contest.

06:54 - And it came to the attention

06:55 - of the host Bob when.

06:57 - All of a sudden

06:58 - I'm starting to get fan mail.

07:00 - Okay.

07:01 - By abhorrent finds that

07:03 - cosby in his office

07:03 - when he says.

07:05 - This is maybe very up to six

07:06 - six weeks

07:07 - says how old are you.

07:09 - I saw why.

07:11 - So are you fourteen.

07:14 - He says how old

07:15 - it is and I'm thirteen

07:15 - he said how did

07:16 - you get in I said well.

07:18 - I snuck in.

07:19 - He said well I don't

07:20 - want to tell anybody.

07:21 - That you're only thirty.

07:23 - But I'll tell you what

07:24 - I would like you to

07:24 - do your very popular

07:25 - how would you like to

07:26 - be the head of the committee.

07:28 - So I became the

07:29 - head of the committee.

07:30 - I was the one that

07:31 - would select the

07:32 - kids that were

07:32 - sitting in the stands.

07:34 - To dance

07:35 - for ten minutes and then

07:36 - switch them around.

07:37 - So I became the

07:38 - head of the committee.

07:39 - And by nineteen fifty

07:40 - four when I was fourteen.

07:43 - I was meeting.

07:45 - All of these stars.

07:48 - I met ramar the jungle

07:49 - and joanie James

07:51 - and Patti page

07:52 - and Tony Bennett.

07:53 - And.

07:55 - I became almost

07:56 - like a second son.

07:57 - To Bob horn.

07:59 - On weekends I would

08:00 - spend it with his family.

08:01 - In levittown.

08:03 - He had

08:04 - three daughters and

08:05 - he had a son Pete.

08:06 - And my mom and

08:07 - dad would divorced

08:09 - so basically Bob warm

08:10 - was like a second father to me.

08:12 - And

08:13 - this was my first introduction.

08:15 - To show business.

08:17 - I mean I selected the

08:18 - kids to rate the record.

08:19 - I selected the kids who

08:21 - would be dancing on TV.

08:23 - And I was winning

08:23 - dance contest so

08:24 - much that I was

08:25 - disqualified that I

08:26 - couldn't get into

08:27 - dance contest anymore.

08:29 - And I came to the attention

08:30 - of all these wonderful.

08:31 - Performers who used

08:32 - to look at me and say

08:33 - look at this skinny little kid.

08:35 - You know I mean.

08:36 - Where do you live in a daze like

08:37 - that how do you move like that.

08:39 - And that was my first

08:39 - introduction into show business.

08:42 - As a kid.

08:43 - You're

08:44 - you're fourteen years old and

08:45 - you're picking the people that.

08:47 - They were.

08:48 - Sixteen.

08:49 - What.

08:50 - Do you do you realize how.

08:53 - Do you realize what's

08:54 - going on at the time I mean.

08:56 - No you know I've

08:56 - been very blessed.

08:58 - I've never.

08:59 - In my entire career.

09:03 - I've never planed.

09:05 - Or or skiing for future things

09:07 - I've just always wanted to be.

09:10 - Me.

09:11 - To be

09:12 - free and

09:13 - just be.

09:15 - What my environment and my

09:16 - upbringing was in I came from a.

09:18 - Wonderful.

09:19 - Neighborhood.

09:20 - Thai Jewish Irish.

09:22 - Catholic.

09:24 - And I grew up

09:25 - in a world

09:27 - where.

09:28 - You knew your neighbor.

09:29 - You knew who lived next

09:31 - door to you.

09:32 - And

09:32 - we had a freedom

09:33 - you knew what you could do.

09:35 - You knew what you couldn't do.

09:36 - God forbid.

09:38 - If you did something wrong

09:39 - that your neighbor saw

09:40 - that your parent.

09:41 - Your neighbor would

09:42 - save I tell you the mother

09:43 - I tell your grandmother

09:44 - because I was

09:44 - raised basically

09:45 - by my grandmother.

09:46 - My mother and fathers I said.

09:48 - Were were divorced

09:49 - he was Jewish she was

09:50 - Italian so I was raised.

09:52 - Catholic on the Italian side.

09:54 - And my mother was a riveter

09:56 - during the second world war

09:58 - Navy yard

09:58 - so I was shipped off

10:01 - to a day nursery st

10:02 - Monica's day nursery.

10:03 - In the morning.

10:04 - As a little boy

10:05 - and my mother would pick me up

10:07 - after work at four thirty.

10:09 - And we would be in bed.

10:11 - Wintertime by

10:11 - six o'clock at night.

10:13 - Summertime.

10:14 - Because my mom

10:15 - had to get up early the

10:16 - morning and I would

10:16 - go to the day nursery

10:17 - school

10:18 - summer camp

10:19 - so we will be Ben

10:20 - summertime at eight o'clock.

10:21 - And I would hear the

10:22 - kids outside play playing

10:24 - but we had to be

10:25 - in bed because that

10:26 - was that was the

10:26 - routine from my mom

10:27 - but.

10:28 - I grew up in a

10:29 - wonderful environment.

10:30 - So I never really

10:31 - planned I just had that

10:32 - freedom to do anything

10:33 - that I wanted to do

10:34 - with respect.

10:36 - With respect

10:37 - so when I was doing

10:38 - this I didn't think that

10:39 - I was a big shadow

10:39 - or anything like that

10:40 - it was just.

10:42 - Weird just hey man I was a

10:43 - young teenager back then.

10:47 - What happened with

10:48 - bandstand when the the

10:50 - change to dick Clark and

10:52 - I tell you what happened it's a

10:53 - it's a it's a great story.

10:56 - One of the things

10:57 - that I've always.

11:00 - Because I've always been free

11:01 - to

11:02 - pursue whatever I

11:02 - want to pursue and

11:03 - that's the great

11:04 - thing about america.

11:05 - Regardless of race

11:06 - color or creed.

11:08 - If you're qualified.

11:09 - You can pursue

11:10 - any career you want.

11:12 - That's what america is about.

11:14 - Race color creed

11:15 - makes no difference

11:16 - you can pursue

11:16 - any career you want.

11:18 - If you have the knowledge

11:19 - if you have the

11:20 - qualifier patients

11:21 - and if you want to work at it.

11:23 - So.

11:24 - I like.

11:26 - I.

11:28 - My loyalties were to Bob ward.

11:31 - And.

11:32 - I had the freedom when

11:33 - Bob who lost the show.

11:37 - The clock took over.

11:39 - And.

11:40 - I was asked

11:42 - to stay and had the committee.

11:43 - Like Johnny morello.

11:46 - And I said no my

11:47 - loyalties belong.

11:48 - To Bob one.

11:50 - So

11:51 - I picketed.

11:53 - Bandstand.

11:55 - We want Bob one back

11:56 - we woke up and went back.

11:58 - And nobody went into bandstand

12:00 - because they will

12:01 - not cross the picket

12:02 - with the gita Jerry pool

12:03 - admitted that I'm not the gator.

12:05 - What happened they arrested me.

12:07 - They arrested me

12:08 - when they arrested me and

12:09 - took me to the police station.

12:11 - All the picket signs went

12:12 - down and the kids ran him

12:14 - to bandstand.

12:15 - So

12:16 - I could have been

12:16 - with dick Clark

12:18 - but I chose not to be.

12:19 - I wanted to be with Bob on.

12:22 - And now segue to

12:23 - an interesting story.

12:26 - When dick took over.

12:27 - Everybody that was loyal

12:29 - to Bob.

12:31 - Just went with dick Clark.

12:33 - Accept me.

12:34 - As a kid.

12:35 - And a.

12:36 - Gentleman by the

12:37 - name of nat segal.

12:38 - Who was in partners.

12:40 - With dick Clark.

12:42 - Actually I'm set with

12:42 - partners with Bob horn.

12:44 - With a record company

12:45 - called sound and teen.

12:47 - And other guy involved

12:48 - with that was Bernie lo.

12:51 - A hairy chip it's.

12:52 - Dave apple.

12:53 - Well when

12:54 - dick took over all these people

12:56 - just want.

12:57 - With dick Clark.

12:58 - And the record company

13:00 - became known as cameo parkway.

13:02 - That

13:03 - chose

13:04 - as I chose to be loyal

13:05 - to Bob horn.

13:06 - So

13:07 - in essence he was out

13:08 - of the record business

13:09 - but he was a manager.

13:11 - And he also was a booking agent

13:13 - that book the old

13:14 - celebrity room.

13:15 - The Latin casino.

13:17 - Sky all these.

13:18 - So I stayed with that

13:20 - Bob went to Houston Texas I went

13:21 - down to Houston Texas with him.

13:23 - When I was sixteen years of age

13:25 - during the summertime I

13:26 - stayed in Texas with him.

13:28 - And I worked for a record

13:29 - distributor called puppet daily.

13:31 - Dick

13:31 - the show went

13:32 - national and fifty six

13:34 - Bob horn was a broken man.

13:36 - I came back because

13:38 - I had to go to school se

13:40 - catholic that time it

13:41 - became bishop then we.

13:42 - Nat had a group

13:43 - called Danny and the juniors.

13:45 - Who had a similar call.

13:46 - At the half.

13:48 - I became the road manager.

13:50 - Going out of the road.

13:52 - Making sure they

13:53 - were dressed properly.

13:54 - Not as a booking

13:55 - agent was booking the

13:56 - celebrity room and booked

13:58 - a young comic by the

13:59 - name of Don rickles.

14:01 - This is

14:02 - fifty eight.

14:03 - Recalls

14:05 - my assignment was

14:06 - to make sure that he

14:07 - was dressed properly.

14:09 - That.

14:09 - Made sure that I

14:10 - would drive him around.

14:12 - Because that

14:13 - was the agent then made sure.

14:15 - So.

14:16 - Don and I became friends.

14:18 - So this day

14:19 - on requisites a

14:19 - dear friend of mine.

14:21 - Back lot of my shtick.

14:24 - Saying I learn from

14:25 - rickles with all that

14:26 - stuff being around

14:27 - them all the time.

14:28 - And with Danny and the

14:30 - juniors I went on the road.

14:32 - Dick Clark.

14:34 - Had the publishing.

14:36 - For at the hop.

14:38 - And he.

14:39 - Book them.

14:40 - On the little theatre

14:41 - this was the beach nut.

14:43 - Show.

14:44 - Which one Saturday

14:45 - nights was from seven thirty

14:46 - to eight o'clock.

14:47 - Beach nut gum.

14:49 - Well.

14:50 - I took in the new York city.

14:52 - And dick was there dick knew

14:54 - then I was the road manager

14:55 - and he knew that net.

14:58 - The next day I

14:58 - stayed in new York city

14:59 - the next morning

15:00 - which was a Sunday.

15:01 - I'm going

15:02 - back to Philly.

15:04 - To take the train

15:04 - Pennsylvania station

15:06 - and who's going back in

15:07 - the same train dick Clark.

15:10 - He's got his bags.

15:12 - He sees me he said Jerry.

15:14 - Once you sit down with me.

15:15 - So we wrote back hello.

15:17 - That's why.

15:18 - I'm saying hello to the people

15:20 - that work here the inquire.

15:22 - Memories in margate.

15:24 - God bless you terrific is.

15:26 - Any way.

15:27 - We're on the train going back

15:29 - indexes me I gotta tell you.

15:31 - He says you know

15:32 - you tried to hurt me.

15:34 - When.

15:35 - I took over pants and he said

15:36 - you could have been

15:37 - ahead the committee you

15:38 - were getting fifteen

15:38 - dollars a week with

15:39 - pop when

15:40 - he said I would have paid

15:41 - twenty five dollars a week.

15:43 - He said.

15:44 - Everybody that was with Bob.

15:46 - There now with me.

15:48 - Which is the truth.

15:49 - So the Victor goes the spoils.

15:52 - Everybody in the

15:52 - record business was.

15:54 - Bowing down to Bob horn

15:56 - now we're bowing

15:57 - down to decline.

15:58 - He says but I wish

16:00 - that I had that loyalty.

16:03 - Around me.

16:05 - The way you were loyal

16:06 - to Bob.

16:07 - Because I know if I

16:08 - ever lose that show.

16:10 - There's going to be

16:11 - nobody around me.

16:12 - The only person around

16:13 - Bob right now are you in that.

16:16 - I said I'm going to tell

16:17 - you something thick.

16:19 - From this day on.

16:20 - You have my loyalty.

16:22 - Because you understand.

16:24 - What was in my heart.

16:25 - By staying with Bob horn.

16:28 - He was like a

16:28 - second father to me.

16:30 - Everybody deserted this guy.

16:32 - So for me to be

16:33 - dancing on bandstand

16:34 - nationally it didn't

16:35 - mean anything to me.

16:36 - Was more important

16:37 - for him to realize that

16:38 - he had a friend

16:39 - this little guy called

16:40 - Jerry blab it.

16:41 - And that was

16:42 - till the end.

16:44 - When he died.

16:46 - There's another

16:46 - interesting story he died.

16:48 - In nineteen sixty six.

16:51 - I was doing a syndicated TV

16:53 - show called the disc evonik tbc.

16:55 - We were syndicated by seven arts

16:57 - Warner brothers at that time.

17:00 - I call them in Houston Texas.

17:01 - Because it was down on his luck.

17:03 - He had an agency.

17:05 - I said listen.

17:06 - I got a job boy.

17:08 - I want you to

17:09 - represent my TV show.

17:11 - And he knew we were.

17:12 - Not

17:13 - corresponding

17:13 - with him and I did.

17:15 - I said you got five

17:16 - hundred a week.

17:18 - I want you to represent that

17:19 - whole southwestern area.

17:21 - Dallas

17:22 - Houston

17:23 - beaumont.

17:24 - He was a static he changed his

17:26 - name from Bob when Bob atoms.

17:28 - That.

17:29 - And I sit.

17:31 - Down.

17:32 - Thousand dollars for two weeks.

17:34 - The first two weeks.

17:35 - I was on stage in Atlantic city

17:37 - doing a dance with

17:38 - the four seasons.

17:39 - I was at the.

17:40 - Rich convention

17:41 - hall on the boardwalk.

17:43 - And the four seasons were.

17:44 - Steel pier and they would come

17:46 - over and do the

17:46 - record hop with me.

17:48 - Nat comes to me

17:49 - and said I just got

17:50 - a call from me and

17:50 - that was Bob's way

17:51 - Bob died of a heart attack.

17:54 - This was two weeks after.

17:56 - I employed them.

17:58 - I said then that okay.

18:01 - I'm in the midst of

18:01 - doing a TV show on it.

18:04 - Call and.

18:05 - Find out what they need.

18:07 - The funeral.

18:09 - Go down there

18:10 - and take care of it.

18:12 - And

18:12 - we buried him.

18:14 - But he was the guy.

18:16 - That first introduced me.

18:18 - Into the world of show business.

18:19 - World the glitter.

18:21 - You know and

18:22 - he was the guy that did

18:23 - what if I didn't dance

18:24 - or band's name.

18:27 - And if I.

18:29 - Chose to go with the clock I

18:30 - probably would

18:31 - not be here today.

18:33 - I would not be here today.

18:36 - You mentioned that.

18:37 - The hops.

18:39 - Tell me about them because

18:41 - I

18:41 - mean

18:42 - that's when you're out with.

18:43 - The crowds the people

18:45 - well let me tell you

18:46 - what happened.

18:47 - Even before I went on radio.

18:50 - I was running dances for

18:51 - kids in south Philadelphia.

18:54 - At a place called

18:54 - the Dixon house

18:55 - LinkedIn fifty nine it was

18:56 - nineteen years of age.

18:59 - Charging fifty cents.

19:02 - And.

19:03 - One of the things that

19:04 - I've been blessed with.

19:06 - Is that I am a dancer.

19:08 - And I will be dancing with

19:09 - the kids beside spinning

19:11 - with the kids.

19:12 - And I used to form a committee.

19:14 - Of kids in south Philadelphia.

19:16 - That would set up the dance.

19:18 - Bring into.

19:19 - The the you know because

19:20 - the Dixon house was a

19:21 - red feather community.

19:23 - Place so we had to

19:24 - bring the bleachers out.

19:25 - And I had to.

19:26 - Make a carpenter make me this

19:28 - for a stand and all that

19:29 - so in the afternoon

19:30 - all of the kids.

19:31 - Would be

19:32 - maybe twenty of

19:32 - these kids on the

19:33 - committee and I learned

19:34 - this from banstead.

19:35 - You have a

19:36 - committee these are the

19:37 - people that run the whole show.

19:39 - So when I went on radio.

19:43 - I was doing the radio

19:44 - show and still doing

19:45 - the record hops in

19:46 - south Philadelphia the

19:47 - Dixon house maybe

19:48 - two three hundred kids.

19:50 - And I got a call from

19:52 - Harvey Miller

19:53 - who was on wi bg.

19:55 - Humble harve.

19:56 - And he said.

19:57 - You have no idea.

19:59 - How popular you are.

20:02 - With this radio show of music

20:03 - every kid listens.

20:05 - And dick Clark.

20:07 - Would go on television.

20:09 - And say last night.

20:10 - I was driving home

20:12 - and I heard

20:13 - Jerry blevins you remember Jerry

20:14 - blabber when he originally.

20:16 - Instead.

20:17 - He's now the geater

20:18 - and I heard him play

20:19 - claudine Clark party lights.

20:21 - And I heard him play

20:22 - cherie by the four seasons.

20:24 - So I want to play it for

20:25 - you he played it last night.

20:26 - So.

20:28 - The clock is talking about me.

20:30 - And all of a sudden.

20:33 - I get a call from.

20:34 - Humble Harvard

20:35 - he says you've got

20:35 - to come the Jersey the icehouse.

20:38 - Which was a big big I

20:39 - don't even know what's

20:40 - there anymore it was

20:40 - the Delaware valley

20:41 - going to the ice as.

20:43 - You said you've got

20:43 - to come to Jersey

20:44 - and do a record hop.

20:47 - So I said okay.

20:49 - Again.

20:50 - The first record hop I did.

20:52 - Another snowstorm.

20:55 - I figured

20:55 - who's going to come out and see

20:58 - me in the snowstorm.

21:00 - I drove up.

21:02 - It was late because they had a.

21:04 - Jersey this is the

21:05 - same place the ice as

21:07 - where the hockey

21:07 - team was playing.

21:09 - I dunno what they

21:09 - were called they

21:10 - weren't called

21:11 - what they are today.

21:12 - And the dance was in the back.

21:15 - And it started later because

21:17 - of.

21:17 - The hockey game.

21:19 - I drove

21:20 - up

21:21 - with some Mara.

21:22 - Was the salesperson ca.

21:26 - I said that.

21:27 - Know there's going to be noted

21:28 - kids going to

21:29 - dependents whether.

21:30 - They were lines

21:31 - around

21:32 - the Delaware valley guards.

21:34 - Twelve hundred kids

21:35 - the first time I

21:36 - did a record up.

21:38 - From then on

21:38 - that's the way it was.

21:39 - Kids identified with me

21:41 - because I spoke their language

21:43 - I didn't talk above them.

21:45 - I spoke joke to them.

21:46 - The music that I was playing

21:48 - was different music that

21:50 - was being played on wi b g.

21:52 - I was playing Frankie lyman.

21:54 - I was playing little

21:55 - Anthony the imperials.

21:56 - Their careers in sixty two

21:59 - were over.

22:00 - Because they were

22:01 - major stars in the fifties

22:03 - but kids were listening to

22:04 - this music for the first time.

22:06 - And to them even though

22:07 - they were all these it was

22:08 - brand new

22:09 - to the ear easy.

22:11 - So.

22:12 - This was all new

22:14 - and I caught myself the rebel

22:16 - Jack rocks the big tick tock.

22:18 - Because.

22:19 - I wasn't doing format radio.

22:22 - Even today I play from my heart.

22:24 - I don't play for research chart.

22:26 - I play music on wp and.

22:28 - On sundays.

22:30 - Music that

22:31 - has a meaning.

22:33 - Music that that

22:34 - meant something when

22:35 - I played it back then

22:37 - and.

22:37 - It's important

22:39 - unfortunately radio is not like

22:40 - that today radio was formatted.

22:42 - Radio stations

22:43 - change their formats.

22:45 - As you would change his suit

22:47 - and they get

22:47 - consultants coming in and

22:49 - they get programme

22:49 - no disrespect to the

22:50 - program directors

22:51 - but they get guys

22:52 - from out of town.

22:54 - Who didn't grow up in this town.

22:56 - Who don't know about

22:57 - south Philadelphia

22:58 - about west Philly or southwest

23:00 - Philadelphia or Logan.

23:02 - Or mount eerie

23:03 - or or south Jersey

23:05 - and I've been a

23:06 - pro effect of this

23:07 - town.

23:08 - I created the music

23:10 - and the music that I played was

23:11 - always black rhythm and blues.

23:13 - You see.

23:14 - It was never bubblegum I

23:15 - never played the Beatles

23:17 - because when the

23:17 - Beatles first came out

23:18 - that music to me was bubblegum.

23:21 - But I had respect

23:22 - for my audience

23:23 - and I said on w h a t w c m.

23:25 - Beatles

23:26 - hottest thing in the world.

23:27 - If you want me to play them

23:29 - it's not my cup of tea.

23:30 - I like the four

23:31 - seasons I like the four

23:33 - tops I like Mary

23:33 - Wells I like smokey.

23:35 - My audience said no

23:36 - you don't play the Beatles

23:38 - and I never played the Beatles.

23:39 - When I first began.

23:42 - What's that.

23:45 - How that change

23:46 - start happening in there.

23:48 - I guess it was it in the

23:49 - sixties that changed from the.

23:51 - Way the English invasion near

23:53 - and format radio.

23:56 - Format radio.

23:57 - Became a product of

23:59 - the payola investigation.

24:02 - When disc jockeys.

24:03 - At that time.

24:05 - Fifty nine

24:06 - fifty eight from fifty five up

24:07 - to fifty nine nineteen sixty.

24:09 - There was no law.

24:10 - Where disc jockey.

24:12 - Didn't take.

24:13 - Pay for play.

24:15 - What happened is that

24:17 - they had this investigation.

24:20 - And.

24:21 - Really distractors

24:21 - were called and they

24:22 - said yeah we were

24:23 - taking money whatever.

24:26 - So

24:26 - the fcc said.

24:29 - You have to cease in disease.

24:31 - And they said to

24:32 - the radio stations.

24:34 - Were for their license.

24:36 - You have to make

24:36 - sure that disc jockeys.

24:39 - Are not taking money.

24:40 - So management.

24:42 - Created program directors.

24:44 - So the program

24:44 - director was the one

24:46 - designated

24:47 - to the disc jockey

24:48 - what he or she

24:49 - could play.

24:50 - Format radio became a thing

24:52 - only x amount of

24:53 - songs on a playlist.

24:55 - So all of a sudden

24:56 - where the disc jockeys

24:57 - would be picking songs.

24:59 - They couldn't do that.

25:01 - Format radio began back then.

25:05 - It began.

25:06 - I'm sorry go ahead.

25:07 - How did you end up.

25:09 - Not in there.

25:10 - Because of the fact

25:11 - number one I never took

25:12 - a dime to play if I

25:13 - didn't like a record.

25:15 - It could be my uncle

25:16 - my uncle was with

25:17 - a singing group

25:17 - to say what I said.

25:18 - Ogilvy is.

25:19 - It doesn't have for my audience

25:21 - it's not in the grooves.

25:23 - And.

25:24 - I always he's.

25:26 - Did from.

25:28 - What I felt was right.

25:30 - No one could ever tell

25:31 - me what the program.

25:33 - Because I know god

25:34 - gave me one of the one

25:35 - of the strong things

25:36 - about me is my ear.

25:38 - I hear music all the time.

25:41 - And I only don't listen to

25:42 - rhythm and blues or rock'n'roll.

25:44 - I love Sinatra I love Tony

25:46 - Bennett I love Shirley bassey.

25:48 - I love joni James I

25:49 - love kitty Caroline

25:50 - I love the four races

25:51 - I love the four coins.

25:53 - And I've always shared that.

25:55 - Because I grew up

25:55 - in a neighborhood.

25:57 - In a tank community

25:58 - where music was always a part.

26:01 - Of our lives.

26:02 - Music was always being played.

26:04 - In the household

26:05 - whether it was Doug

26:06 - Arthur back then.

26:08 - Or b but brees

26:09 - back then when wps.

26:11 - And

26:12 - I hear music.

26:13 - Wherever I go.

26:15 - Wherever I go.

26:17 - And I have an ear for that.

26:19 - And I share that

26:19 - with my audience.

26:21 - Talking about I want

26:22 - to ask you about your

26:23 - your t v show that you

26:25 - mentioned briefly.

26:26 - How that that's

26:27 - another interesting

26:28 - thing that's another

26:29 - interesting thing.

26:32 - Now the geater is the geater

26:33 - I'm doing record

26:34 - hops two thousand

26:35 - kids at the shabu

26:36 - Wagner's ballroom.

26:37 - Starlight ballroom riviera.

26:40 - I'm not wearing

26:40 - a suit and tie i'm.

26:42 - Wearing my Chuck bass

26:44 - and by the grace of god.

26:45 - I'm young I look like

26:47 - I'm one of the kids.

26:49 - So dick

26:50 - leaves Philadelphia.

26:52 - And they have a

26:53 - going away party at a

26:54 - place called the Venus

26:55 - lounge where I first

26:56 - started doing the

26:57 - radio show upstairs.

26:59 - And we go to the

27:00 - party and I really

27:01 - hated to see him leave because

27:03 - we would hang out together.

27:05 - Or.

27:06 - He was going through

27:07 - some marital problems.

27:08 - With his first wife Barbara and.

27:11 - We would go to the Vespa club

27:13 - he really liked me

27:13 - because of the loyalty.

27:16 - On that train ride.

27:17 - So we would hang out

27:19 - and it's funny how close

27:20 - we were because he.

27:21 - Opened up a place

27:22 - called the styrian.

27:24 - Era was some boulevard

27:25 - in Camden.

27:27 - Dick Clark is a terrific

27:28 - businessman by the way.

27:30 - He opened up that and he also

27:31 - had franchise for dr pepper.

27:34 - Dr pepper store big

27:36 - dick Clark at the franchise.

27:37 - So when you open up staring he

27:39 - asked me to do a live broadcast.

27:41 - On w c a m.

27:43 - And he and I did

27:44 - a live broadcast.

27:45 - That's how close you were here's

27:46 - dick like a national figure.

27:48 - Doing a live radio

27:49 - show with the geater.

27:50 - On a cockamamie Camden

27:52 - station w c area of thirty two.

27:54 - C so when he left.

27:55 - I felt an emptiness.

27:58 - And we still.

27:59 - Correspond back and forth.

28:01 - Lou klein.

28:02 - Who is very much responsible for

28:04 - o'clock success

28:05 - and George koehler.

28:07 - Said to me.

28:08 - There's a vacancy here.

28:10 - For a day trio.

28:13 - And at that time

28:14 - I was co-hosting.

28:16 - With ed hirst.

28:18 - When he was doing a

28:19 - TV show called aqua rama.

28:22 - On Saturday afternoons.

28:23 - During the wintertime he did aka

28:25 - ram and during the summertime

28:26 - he did summertime at the pier.

28:29 - So

28:30 - I was like one of

28:31 - the dancers there like

28:32 - I was advanced in

28:32 - but I was almost like a

28:33 - co-host.

28:35 - Because of my

28:36 - popularity on radio.

28:38 - So when Lou klein

28:39 - said that I sent in that

28:41 - was my manager.

28:43 - Because when I became

28:44 - successful I took nat with me.

28:46 - I had him as my

28:47 - manager I had him running.

28:48 - He loved it because he was

28:50 - an old show business guy.

28:52 - And I decided to make a pilot.

28:55 - For w f I.

28:57 - Which they wanted to see.

28:59 - So I went in with all of my

29:01 - dancers with the best answers

29:02 - to this day they are

29:03 - the best answers.

29:05 - And I put up the

29:05 - money to make a pilot.

29:08 - We made the pilot.

29:10 - We gave it to Lou klein.

29:12 - And the people that

29:13 - I used on the pilot.

29:15 - Were.

29:16 - People that were

29:17 - working for w cu.

29:19 - Their camera guys pay them.

29:21 - I had a

29:22 - girl by the name Debbie Miller.

29:24 - And Matt Robinson who by the way

29:26 - was very much into instrumental

29:27 - with the bill cosby show.

29:29 - Matt was a writer became

29:30 - the writer for the cosby show.

29:32 - He he was with me for

29:33 - the pilot I paid them all.

29:36 - Didn't hear anything

29:37 - from new klein.

29:38 - Well we're making the decision

29:39 - I get a call from Debbie Miller.

29:42 - Who's at cu.

29:44 - She says.

29:45 - Our highlander.

29:47 - Was the program

29:47 - director at that time

29:49 - and Bruce Bryant.

29:50 - Who was at that time.

29:52 - Vice president of CBS

29:53 - general manager of w c you.

29:55 - Want to see.

29:57 - The pilot.

29:58 - That you did.

30:00 - So I sit in that.

30:02 - My lawyer Harold lipsius.

30:04 - With the pilot.

30:07 - In the afternoon

30:08 - they lifted.

30:09 - One.

30:10 - Five o'clock they call me they

30:12 - said ca you once your show.

30:16 - Said you kidding me.

30:18 - He said they want to show.

30:19 - They don't want.

30:21 - The pilot

30:22 - because they see

30:22 - something in you.

30:24 - Or the they see you as like.

30:27 - Because I was wearing

30:28 - the v neck sweater.

30:31 - The chukka boots I mean

30:32 - I look like one of the kids.

30:34 - They said they want

30:35 - to get together with

30:35 - you they want to do

30:36 - a thirteen week deal.

30:38 - With twenty six weeks

30:39 - after thirteen weeks

30:40 - if it works they'll

30:41 - give you twenty six

30:42 - weeks twenty six weeks.

30:44 - So I go into a meeting.

30:45 - The following day

30:47 - in this big

30:47 - conference room with.

30:49 - Our hollander and Bruce Brian.

30:51 - Frank beasley who's the

30:52 - head of their sales department.

30:54 - And they say.

30:56 - We want to do this year

30:57 - we want to produce it here.

31:01 - What would you like to call the

31:02 - show and how do you envision it.

31:05 - I said well.

31:06 - First of all

31:07 - I don't want to be

31:08 - behind a podium.

31:09 - They said no we know that.

31:11 - I said I wouldn't

31:12 - be able to dance.

31:13 - A little round riser.

31:15 - And I see the artists that I

31:17 - want to bring in and I want them

31:18 - to do live.

31:21 - No lip-sync.

31:23 - Everything was

31:24 - lip-sync back then.

31:26 - They said well

31:27 - how do we do that I said well.

31:30 - Most of them if I

31:30 - talk to Berry gordy.

31:32 - They'll send the track down.

31:34 - It's that important

31:35 - because I want that live feel.

31:39 - And I said I have an engineer

31:40 - by the name of debuts.

31:42 - Who knows exactly what I want.

31:45 - They said was he part

31:45 - of the union we can't

31:46 - use him I said can

31:47 - he be a consultant.

31:49 - Says yes he can be

31:50 - consult.

31:52 - They said.

31:53 - Okay.

31:54 - What do you think.

31:55 - You want to call the

31:56 - show the Jerry blab it show.

31:58 - Listen.

32:00 - I said we're going

32:01 - to be dancing to disk.

32:04 - All right.

32:04 - It's that rock and

32:05 - roll sound the phonic.

32:07 - I want to call the show

32:08 - the disk of ironic

32:10 - sea.

32:12 - And I want to use a

32:13 - song called jam up.

32:15 - Which is the opening

32:16 - that at at at at at

32:17 - at at that data data

32:20 - then at the baba data

32:20 - dakka dakka Jacob Jacob

32:21 - and I envision a guy saying

32:22 - freeze.

32:24 - Don't dare touch that screen.

32:26 - This.

32:27 - Is the disc of phonics seen.

32:30 - And.

32:30 - Freeze

32:31 - every kid just stops.

32:33 - Including the geater.

32:35 - And the silhouettes are down.

32:36 - And then when he says

32:37 - this is the description exceed.

32:39 - Boom.

32:40 - Readings and salutations my name

32:41 - is due to the boss

32:42 - with that sauce

32:43 - and we got to show you

32:44 - tonight we've got both the four

32:46 - taps tonight we

32:46 - got little Richard

32:47 - and they're all on these risers.

32:49 - And we did that in sixty five.

32:51 - Well.

32:53 - The show was a half an hour.

32:55 - In two weeks.

32:57 - I get a call from a guy

32:58 - buy him a milk horn.

33:00 - Represents mountain dew.

33:02 - Milk corn by the way.

33:04 - Was married is one of the

33:05 - husbands the Jessica savage.

33:08 - Member Jessica passed away.

33:10 - He's got an agency

33:11 - called jam cornets.

33:13 - He says I have a

33:14 - client I represent

33:15 - Pepsi-cola Pepsi-cola has.

33:18 - A soft drink or mountain dew.

33:21 - We can't.

33:22 - Get any of

33:23 - the bottlers

33:25 - to pick up this product.

33:26 - It's a dog.

33:28 - I can understand Pepsi

33:29 - is the parent company

33:30 - and they have

33:31 - independent bottlers

33:32 - okay who either

33:33 - pickup product or

33:34 - don't but they

33:34 - will have to carry

33:35 - Pepsi.

33:38 - I go see.

33:39 - That time the guy who's

33:40 - the head of Pepsi-cola.

33:42 - Ally.

33:44 - And he's like a

33:45 - southern boy he says

33:46 - you know I've got

33:47 - a problem here with.

33:48 - With a soft drink he says

33:50 - to sweet man he said.

33:52 - What you think

33:53 - you can do he says

33:53 - I've been watching your show.

33:56 - I said let me taste it

33:57 - I tasted it.

33:59 - It's too sweet.

34:01 - I got an idea for hold it.

34:04 - Wow this is something I

34:05 - ain't never tasted before.

34:07 - I said

34:08 - mountain dew.

34:10 - Let's get the kids in the stand.

34:14 - Put.

34:16 - These ozark hats on him.

34:19 - Or like.

34:20 - And.

34:21 - Let me taste it.

34:23 - And when I tasted I go.

34:25 - Yao who.

34:27 - Mountain dew it's good for you.

34:30 - Yo kids give it a taste.

34:33 - And they all

34:33 - say.

34:34 - Who.

34:36 - Ban

34:37 - became the hottest

34:38 - selling

34:38 - soft drink.

34:40 - Within

34:40 - two weeks the show

34:41 - went from a half an hour

34:43 - because they bought bought an

34:44 - entire fifteen minute portion.

34:46 - Went from half an

34:47 - hour lip brothers.

34:48 - Came to me.

34:49 - They said we have a problem.

34:52 - Losing money.

34:53 - We have all these older people

34:55 - to come in their bag people.

34:56 - Shopping when we want

34:57 - the young kids that come in.

35:00 - I said

35:01 - his name was mr abramson.

35:02 - At that time and I

35:03 - remember this so vividly.

35:05 - I said what kids aren't

35:05 - going to come in here.

35:07 - Because

35:08 - you have to

35:08 - develop a style shop.

35:10 - Because when I was a kid

35:11 - growing up in the neighborhood.

35:13 - He would go on passyunk Avenue

35:14 - because on partial gabbing you

35:16 - had all these shops where kids

35:18 - were like felt that they were

35:19 - there in the neighborhood

35:20 - you had rewires

35:21 - on Frankfurt Avenue

35:22 - you had berg brothers

35:24 - so everybody shopped

35:25 - in the neighborhood.

35:27 - So I think what do

35:28 - you suggest I said.

35:30 - Let's walk around and we walked

35:31 - around a department store.

35:33 - I said you got.

35:34 - This department.

35:36 - Lingerie

35:37 - you've got this department

35:38 - men's.

35:39 - Come up with a style shop.

35:41 - Call it the disco

35:43 - phonics style shop.

35:45 - Let me do your commercials.

35:47 - And they they

35:47 - changed the portion.

35:49 - First on market street.

35:51 - At seventh and market.

35:53 - They bought the show.

35:55 - And the set that I did the thing

35:56 - was a set like what

35:58 - was in lit brothers.

36:00 - It became so successful

36:01 - that all of their stores.

36:03 - Had disc of phonics style shops.

36:05 - They signed a

36:06 - contract for a year.

36:07 - Mountain dew signed

36:08 - a contract for a year

36:09 - so the show goes from.

36:11 - One half hour

36:12 - to an hour.

36:14 - And that's the

36:14 - way it began I then.

36:16 - Syndicated it with seven

36:17 - arts Warner brothers.

36:19 - We wind up

36:20 - going in forty markets.

36:24 - Then w f I l.

36:26 - Comes to me.

36:28 - Tom Jones.

36:29 - Was national.

36:31 - Promotion guy a national.

36:35 - Sales guy

36:36 - for triangle publications.

36:38 - Roger clip.

36:39 - At that time was.

36:41 - Worked for Walter

36:41 - Walter annenberg.

36:43 - Annenberg owned

36:44 - triangle

36:45 - daily news the

36:46 - inquiry channel six.

36:48 - a

36:49 - want to do the show.

36:52 - I said.

36:52 - Was.

36:53 - I've got a contract.

36:55 - With

36:55 - cu.

36:57 - They said well you think

36:58 - you can get out of the contract.

37:00 - And the show was syndicated with

37:02 - seminars.

37:03 - And it's interesting

37:04 - because cu you.

37:06 - Do not participate

37:07 - in the syndication.

37:09 - They got paid.

37:10 - From seven arts for

37:11 - US to do the show there.

37:13 - They made all the local revenue.

37:15 - But seven arts paid them

37:16 - whatever the

37:17 - production cost was.

37:19 - So I went and I sat with

37:20 - Bruce Bryan a hollander.

37:22 - I said.

37:23 - I have an opportunity to go.

37:25 - On wfld seven thirty at night.

37:28 - Prime time.

37:32 - And I said.

37:34 - You know.

37:35 - What are you guys going

37:36 - to do I mean I know I've got.

37:38 - X amount of weeks left.

37:39 - Towards renewal.

37:41 - They said well let's let's

37:42 - think about it they said.

37:44 - And by the way my

37:45 - show once a year

37:45 - you was still in

37:46 - black and white.

37:48 - In sixty five and sixty

37:49 - six was black and white.

37:51 - So they said.

37:52 - Well.

37:53 - We'll get back to you.

37:55 - They got back and Bruce said.

37:57 - You've been very good to US.

37:59 - You never gave US any

38:00 - problems you sold the show out.

38:03 - We're not going to do

38:04 - anything with the show.

38:05 - You could have a Saturday

38:06 - afternoon time slot if you want.

38:08 - We won't stand

38:09 - in your way.

38:11 - For your career.

38:12 - So if you have a

38:13 - deal with empire.

38:15 - We'll let you go.

38:15 - They let me go.

38:17 - And what I did.

38:20 - Because f I l was not

38:22 - hip.

38:23 - To.

38:24 - The logistics and the

38:25 - sound that I wanted.

38:26 - Because they were used

38:27 - to decline doing lip-sync.

38:29 - So

38:30 - I asked Bruce

38:30 - Bryan it was all right if

38:31 - I can get some of

38:32 - the people that I paid.

38:34 - As consultants.

38:35 - Would herb Ross

38:36 - herb was at that time.

38:38 - Was the head of engineering.

38:39 - Overall didn't like it

38:41 - because he

38:42 - thought that he could

38:42 - do it without their help.

38:44 - But after a couple

38:45 - of shows I was not

38:46 - happy because the

38:47 - sound was not there

38:48 - and I had Marvin gaye and

38:50 - James brown.

38:51 - Little Richard.

38:52 - So.

38:53 - George caller.

38:55 - At that time agreed look.

38:57 - Let him bring who is gotta

38:58 - bring in to get this thing right

39:00 - and a syndicated it

39:01 - and we then went.

39:02 - All over the

39:03 - country with triangle.

39:04 - And then I went

39:05 - five days a week.

39:08 - With a show

39:08 - called Jerry's place.

39:10 - And then in.

39:11 - Nineteen sixty nine

39:12 - I did the monkeys.

39:14 - I did.

39:15 - An episode with mod squad.

39:18 - I did the Joey bishop.

39:19 - Show.

39:20 - He was on late at night against

39:21 - Johnny Carson at that time.

39:23 - And then.

39:24 - What happened was.

39:26 - I get an offer to do a movie.

39:28 - Sammy Davis calls me up he says.

39:31 - There's a director by the

39:32 - name of Richard bartlett.

39:34 - Who directed

39:34 - wagon train episodes

39:36 - were born.

39:37 - He's got a script called cycad.

39:40 - Alright.

39:41 - He wants you

39:43 - to read the part.

39:44 - Of this guy who plays.

39:47 - You know.

39:48 - An antihero he gets

39:49 - kicked out of town he's.

39:50 - You know he rides a Jeep and all

39:52 - that Gary barrels

39:53 - in the picture.

39:55 - I read it

39:55 - they offer me

39:56 - ten thousand dollars

39:57 - this movie.

39:59 - And here are my.

40:01 - Seventy beginning

40:02 - of

40:03 - seventy.

40:05 - Gonna do this movie.

40:06 - It's shot in primos.

40:09 - Any wire up there

40:10 - is big fun.

40:12 - Gary Moreau.

40:13 - And.

40:15 - On a balance I don't

40:16 - know if you remember

40:17 - that her Annabelle

40:17 - and Adam violent was.

40:19 - With I believe in the

40:19 - come and share Rose.

40:21 - Major stars.

40:23 - And I do this movie and when i'm

40:24 - away from the five

40:25 - day a week show

40:26 - for six weeks.

40:28 - The ratings go.

40:31 - Cohosts doing it

40:32 - guys that would

40:32 - fill in for me I had.

40:34 - Our alberts that's

40:34 - how al got his own TV

40:36 - show the paper here

40:37 - because he would host my

40:38 - show.

40:39 - I had Bobby ryedale do

40:40 - it I had Patti LaBelle do it

40:42 - but the ratings one.

40:44 - So caller calls me in and

40:45 - he says we got a problem.

40:47 - You know you've been away

40:48 - too long.

40:49 - Ratings are not good.

40:51 - We've got a lot

40:51 - of money invested

40:52 - with you.

40:53 - And.

40:54 - Meanwhile

40:55 - the producers come to me.

40:57 - They're watching

40:57 - the daily rushes

40:58 - I've never seen any of this.

41:00 - They say we want

41:01 - to do another picture

41:02 - with you called

41:02 - Calliope with Dan blocker

41:04 - Phyllis diller.

41:05 - And Richie Allen.

41:06 - Over Richie on the ballplayer.

41:09 - Going to offer you twenty

41:10 - five thousand dollars.

41:13 - That single says

41:14 - they're going to give a hefty

41:15 - positive twelve

41:15 - thousand and five.

41:17 - You get ten thousand

41:17 - for the first picture

41:18 - so I say to George carlin.

41:20 - George.

41:21 - I mean I love TV but.

41:23 - Sixty two

41:24 - radio.

41:26 - Sixty five TV now

41:27 - going in nineteen seventy

41:29 - I've done the mod squad I got.

41:31 - I'm going to be an actor.

41:33 - Ha

41:34 - I'm going to be an actor.

41:36 - He says

41:37 - ah ha

41:38 - no you're not

41:39 - going to be an actor

41:40 - because if you're going

41:41 - to be way more than

41:42 - a week

41:42 - ha

41:43 - we're not going to

41:44 - renew your contract aha.

41:46 - So I said okay let

41:47 - me think about it.

41:49 - I say

41:50 - nah.

41:51 - I wouldn't be an actor.

41:53 - So George is nice he says

41:54 - okay your contract is up.

41:57 - Yeah.

41:58 - We're going to.

41:59 - We won't renew the

42:00 - five day a week deal.

42:01 - Will honor.

42:03 - But we'll put you on

42:04 - a Sunday afternoon.

42:05 - It's called a rugged cross.

42:07 - To go for the extent

42:07 - of the contract.

42:09 - It'll be

42:10 - four o'clock between NFL.

42:12 - Football.

42:14 - And.

42:15 - That's it

42:16 - it's going to be an hour show.

42:18 - Okay.

42:19 - That's okay because

42:20 - I got an option

42:20 - I'm going to be a movie star.

42:22 - Mountain west coast with Sammy.

42:24 - I come in I take.

42:25 - The hour show.

42:27 - They go

42:29 - the producers who made

42:30 - h Peters

42:31 - studios the big shot

42:32 - movie.

42:34 - Take it out to l a I never

42:35 - forget this is a great story.

42:37 - To show it to

42:38 - potential distributors.

42:41 - And at that time there was a

42:42 - very legendary manager by the

42:44 - bullets Jurgen.

42:45 - Who managed Jackie gleason.

42:47 - Who net seagulls friend.

42:49 - Managed.

42:50 - Big artist

42:51 - and a guy by the

42:51 - name of Abbey wrestler.

42:53 - Who managed

42:54 - that time David janssen.

42:55 - And Burt Lancaster.

42:57 - They were on that suit was Fred

42:58 - and you're

42:59 - passionate echo I met.

43:00 - The legend every producer.

43:01 - You know who did the Elvis.

43:03 - And was very much

43:04 - he did all of the others

43:05 - pictures you know from gm

43:06 - very much responsible

43:07 - for Connie Francis

43:08 - with you know where the

43:09 - boys are Joe pasternak.

43:11 - So I meet him.

43:13 - At his bungalow you

43:14 - know the mgmt studio lots.

43:16 - I mean

43:17 - these are like this is like.

43:18 - Imagining kitten bankroll

43:19 - street in south Philly man.

43:21 - I mean.

43:22 - Wow I mean.

43:23 - A meeting Robert tailor-made.

43:25 - Joan Crawford because of

43:26 - my friend because of Pepsi-cola.

43:28 - I mean it's so amazing

43:30 - how a kid like me.

43:32 - From nowhere.

43:34 - I'm in the world of

43:35 - show business I mean.

43:37 - So

43:37 - we go to the

43:38 - screening to see this

43:39 - or these people want to see it.

43:41 - It was the worst picture.

43:44 - That you could ever see.

43:46 - And I'm cringing

43:48 - in the screening room

43:49 - I'm sitting in the front.

43:51 - Joe pasternak

43:52 - bolster agreement.

43:53 - Abc wrestler.

43:55 - Abby passenger in

43:56 - the packages listen.

43:58 - The best thing that

43:59 - could happen with

43:59 - this movie is it

44:00 - doesn't come out.

44:01 - He said because

44:03 - it's the worst movie the

44:04 - only thing in this movie is you

44:05 - but if this comes out

44:06 - you have no career.

44:09 - I said oh my god.

44:12 - Now I know the

44:12 - producers will put

44:13 - up all the money

44:14 - for this picture.

44:16 - Are not going to

44:16 - get their money.

44:17 - Back so they're

44:18 - not going to have

44:19 - money for that second picture.

44:21 - Even though they already

44:22 - pay me my half deposit.

44:24 - Now the.

44:25 - Producers get up.

44:27 - There clapping

44:27 - the lights go on

44:28 - there's nobody in

44:29 - the screening room.

44:31 - Everybody's already left.

44:34 - And the producers

44:35 - look at me and they say.

44:36 - They really must

44:37 - be excited about this

44:38 - picture they're going

44:38 - back to their offices

44:39 - now they're going to be bidding

44:40 - on who was distributed.

44:42 - I don't have the heart.

44:45 - To tell them what the real story

44:46 - is because I know my career's.

44:49 - Boom.

44:50 - Boom.

44:51 - Showing up there's

44:52 - no second picture

44:53 - I stay out in l a with Sammy.

44:56 - Hanging with Sammy.

44:59 - I have family in Philly.

45:01 - I go back and forth.

45:03 - I know that.

45:04 - Come.

45:05 - December of nineteen seventy.

45:08 - Amount of t v.

45:09 - So I went back on radio.

45:12 - Back when the bcm in Canada at

45:13 - the beginning of the seventies.

45:15 - And here we are.

45:16 - I then produced another TV show.

45:19 - In the seventies.

45:20 - And here we are.

45:23 - Any regrets about that.

45:27 - Maybe

45:28 - if I would have

45:29 - seen

45:30 - the rushes.

45:34 - I may have gotten a sense that.

45:36 - No but not really

45:38 - because of the fact I

45:39 - had done so many things.

45:41 - You see.

45:43 - I've never considered

45:44 - myself to be a disc jockey.

45:47 - I've always considered

45:48 - myself to be a person.

45:50 - That

45:51 - tries to relate

45:52 - to people.

45:53 - A performer.

45:56 - An entertainer.

45:57 - I just want to

45:58 - make people happy.

45:59 - In whatever.

46:00 - Limited capacity

46:01 - of talent I have.

46:03 - Because if you're

46:04 - honest with that.

46:06 - The public will know that.

46:08 - I mean when I do the

46:09 - shows at the kimmel center.

46:11 - I get up and I dance and I see

46:12 - nine years one

46:13 - Swede is she can be.

46:16 - Tap

46:16 - tap.

46:17 - Tap.

46:17 - Or dress up like a downtown

46:20 - Christmas tree I'm not a singer.

46:22 - But I've learned

46:23 - from that show business

46:24 - stick.

46:25 - From Sammy who was

46:27 - Sammy Davis who

46:28 - was was my my pal.

46:29 - You know there's

46:30 - nothing you can't do.

46:32 - If you have the

46:33 - desire and the passion.

46:35 - And that's why I said

46:36 - young people today

46:37 - it's very important I was

46:38 - blessed at an early age.

46:40 - The age of thirteen.

46:42 - To find a world.

46:44 - That became my world.

46:46 - It's very important

46:47 - for young people.

46:48 - To find something

46:49 - that they like.

46:51 - Not become discouraged

46:53 - and pursue it.

46:54 - Pursuit if you can dream theme.

46:57 - And you apply your energies

46:59 - to that dream.

47:00 - You can make it happen.

47:02 - What do you think about radio

47:03 - today the business

47:04 - is a horrible.

47:06 - I'm going to tell

47:06 - you why it's horrible.

47:08 - It doesn't give young people.

47:10 - The opportunity

47:12 - to develop or persona.

47:14 - The opportunity for them

47:15 - to say hey this is what I like.

47:18 - Listen to what I like.

47:20 - Radio does not want persona.

47:22 - They don't want to

47:23 - create personalities

47:24 - even though they say they do

47:26 - the morning team

47:27 - lottie daddy daddy

47:28 - daddy daddy da

47:28 - that's why it's a team.

47:30 - Because they'll just

47:30 - take one player out

47:31 - and put another player in.

47:34 - Its

47:34 - they are not being

47:35 - fair to the public radio.

47:37 - Because

47:38 - they're.

47:39 - They're

47:39 - doing it over

47:41 - and over

47:41 - that's why talk radio so big.

47:43 - Talk radio

47:44 - gives the audience

47:46 - the listener an opportunity

47:47 - to participate.

47:50 - The music that they're playing

47:52 - today is done by research.

47:53 - It's not done by heart.

47:56 - I do it by heart not a research

47:57 - drug when I play my music.

47:59 - So

48:00 - radio is in a sad sad state

48:01 - as far as I'm concerned.

48:03 - They buy the ratings.

48:04 - They buy with contest

48:06 - giveaways money giveaways.

48:09 - So yeah if you're going

48:10 - to win ten thousand

48:10 - dollars you can

48:11 - listen to that station

48:12 - for a week.

48:13 - The other stations going to

48:13 - come up with twenty thousand

48:14 - switching over to that station

48:16 - you got a free

48:17 - trip to Puerto Rico

48:18 - yeah

48:18 - you're going to have an

48:19 - opportunity to win a car

48:20 - it was never like that years ago

48:22 - you listened to the radio guy.

48:24 - Because you identified with him.

48:26 - And he was the

48:26 - person that you trusted.

48:28 - When I called my team John teens

48:30 - Shakespeare.

48:31 - I didn't see the jan teens.

48:34 - I knew they were out there.

48:35 - When I went to the

48:36 - record hops I saw them.

48:38 - These kids identified with me.

48:40 - Because.

48:41 - They knew the honesty

48:43 - you see.

48:44 - I would take kids to church.

48:46 - To the cathedral

48:47 - we would have two thousand kids

48:48 - I would make a

48:49 - five o'clock list.

48:50 - I'd say on stage age.

48:51 - I didn't go to the ten o'clock

48:52 - this morning.

48:53 - I'll meet you at the cathedral.

48:55 - There will be carloads of

48:56 - kids going to the cathedral.

48:58 - At five o'clock.

48:59 - Because I had a

49:00 - responsibility them.

49:02 - Because these

49:03 - kids listened to me.

49:05 - And I would tell

49:05 - them no gang fights.

49:07 - No drugs

49:08 - and when radio went underground

49:09 - with that acid rock ok.

49:12 - That's when I got out of it.

49:14 - There was no future for me.

49:15 - When I came back and

49:16 - went back on w c a m.

49:18 - I did the same thing

49:19 - that I did back in sixty two.

49:21 - I created my own music.

49:23 - I created my own music.

49:24 - And started all over again.

49:27 - Is your favorite thing to do

49:28 - between.

49:29 - Now I'm not saying what what

49:30 - were you most

49:31 - successful but what

49:32 - what was her favorite.

49:33 - I love it all.

49:35 - I love getting up on

49:36 - stage and knowing that

49:37 - these energies are

49:38 - reaching people.

49:40 - I love.

49:41 - Being on radio being free the

49:43 - ability no matter how I feel.

49:46 - To listen to my music.

49:49 - Make it happen.

49:50 - And portray my energies

49:51 - too and I love it all but.

49:53 - I've.

49:54 - Let me let me tell

49:55 - you but what I've said.

49:56 - The day.

49:58 - That I don't love

49:58 - doing what I'm doing.

50:00 - I'm going to get out.

50:03 - Age does have no

50:04 - bearing on it I mean i'm.

50:05 - Sixty two years of age.

50:07 - I've been blessed.

50:10 - By the grace of god.

50:12 - To have good genes

50:13 - from my mother.

50:15 - I've been blessed to

50:16 - grow up in america.

50:17 - When it was a different america

50:19 - it was a time of loyalty.

50:21 - Respect.

50:23 - Honor.

50:25 - You knew what you

50:26 - could do you knew

50:27 - there was no.

50:28 - Grey areas this is hitman

50:29 - black is black white is white.

50:31 - You step over the line.

50:33 - And I grew up with heroes.

50:35 - Guys that women frank Rizzo.

50:37 - You know

50:38 - who even though he didn't like.

50:40 - He respected where he was.

50:42 - And

50:43 - and I like Richard Nixon

50:44 - I may be one of the few.

50:45 - I think the times produce a man.

50:48 - That's gotta be strong.

50:50 - That's gotta be strong.

50:52 - And I I like.

50:54 - Where he's at I mean you know I

50:55 - mean many people may not agree.

50:58 - And I I hate.

51:00 - The sound of war.

51:02 - Because I know innocent people.

51:04 - And I'm sure he

51:05 - feels the same way

51:06 - but when you get a

51:07 - snake you don't cut its tail.

51:10 - It's head.

51:11 - Because that snake will grow

51:12 - back again if you cut the tail.

51:13 - So I'm an old fashioned

51:14 - guy I mean i'm.

51:16 - I'm sympathetic.

51:18 - To people.

51:20 - I also want people

51:22 - to understand that in

51:24 - america today you can

51:25 - achieve anything you want.

51:25 - But there's a price

51:26 - to pay.

51:27 - And you gotta

51:28 - do it with respect.

51:30 - Gotta do it with honor.

51:32 - And you gotta learn

51:33 - your trade.

51:34 - For young people

51:35 - who are watching.

51:36 - Learn your trade

51:37 - where you're good at it.

51:39 - Don't be wishy washy man.

51:42 - Focus on it.

51:43 - Focus on it you gotta

51:44 - focus on wave on.

51:47 - What do you think

51:48 - about the Philadelphia

51:49 - neighborhoods you grew up on

51:50 - then versus now.

51:54 - Philadelphia neighborhoods.

51:56 - The problem is that.

51:59 - Are no longer neighbors.

52:02 - People unfortunately don't know.

52:05 - Who lives next door anymore.

52:07 - That never happened

52:09 - I knew everybody

52:10 - that lived on the block.

52:13 - The grandparents live there.

52:14 - The mothers live there

52:16 - the kids live there.

52:18 - Once the neighborhood

52:19 - is destroyed with

52:20 - people not being in

52:21 - that neighborhood.

52:23 - You're destroying a community.

52:25 - We have to go back

52:26 - to the neighborhoods.

52:28 - And.

52:29 - The kids.

52:30 - God bless the younger

52:31 - people today you

52:32 - look at neighbors

52:33 - and say hopefully.

52:34 - They're living there.

52:36 - In the old city

52:37 - they're living there

52:38 - and they know.

52:39 - The little coffee shops they

52:40 - know hey how are you they

52:41 - they

52:42 - like I go to the gym every day.

52:44 - These are young people at

52:45 - that gym that live in old city.

52:47 - That's where the

52:48 - city's got to go back.

52:49 - That's where we have to go

52:50 - back to the neighborhoods.

52:52 - You destroy a neighborhood.

52:54 - Destroy community.

52:56 - Know

52:56 - neighbor.

52:58 - Where can people that

52:59 - want to listen to you.

53:01 - Do it today.

53:02 - Well we're on wp at

53:04 - nine fifty every Sunday

53:06 - and of course they're

53:07 - going to be changing

53:08 - the time slot to Saturday

53:09 - because the Phillies

53:09 - begin their ballgame so

53:10 - we'll be on Saturdays I believe.

53:12 - Either

53:13 - three

53:14 - to five or four to six.

53:17 - Were also on Cruz in

53:18 - ninety two point one.

53:20 - Monday through Friday

53:21 - from.

53:22 - Five o'clock to seven o'clock.

53:24 - We're on all these ninety

53:25 - four down to the shore.

53:27 - We do that.

53:28 - From seven nine

53:29 - and I work every night.

53:31 - A Friday night I met

53:32 - a wonderful place

53:33 - called Springfield in

53:33 - on the Baltimore pike.

53:35 - Great food you can dine

53:36 - you can dance with the gator.

53:39 - Thursdays I'm at the

53:39 - trump Marina we do

53:40 - live at five and then

53:41 - I work the buck hotel.

53:43 - In feasterville and.

53:45 - Wednesdays at

53:45 - a place called trust

53:47 - and Saturdays I do

53:48 - one night is all around I

53:50 - do it for the schools

53:50 - for Cornell darkening.

53:51 - Our lady of Pompeii in vineland.

53:55 - I'm working all the time.

53:56 - Do you still have your

53:58 - club at the shore.

53:59 - Memories in margate.

54:01 - This year will be

54:01 - there thirty one years.

54:04 - I bought that in seventy two

54:05 - people thought I was crazy.

54:07 - Right.

54:08 - Because of the fact I was

54:09 - working there as a performer.

54:11 - Gotta say there

54:11 - was a brief period of

54:12 - time where I had to

54:12 - earn money so I put

54:13 - together a band.

54:14 - Called the geater guys.

54:15 - And they book me

54:16 - at memories but it was called

54:17 - the elbow room at that time.

54:19 - And during the dead of winter.

54:22 - I pack this

54:23 - the other room.

54:24 - The owners

54:25 - were lawyers out

54:26 - of Philadelphia.

54:27 - Owned the property they knew

54:28 - nothing about the bar business.

54:30 - What happened.

54:32 - Who they leased it to.

54:33 - Also had the motel next

54:34 - for the mortgage mariner

54:36 - and.

54:37 - He had a financial problem

54:38 - and took all the summer rentals.

54:41 - And.

54:41 - Split at a town.

54:43 - Leaving

54:44 - the agli and ocala.

54:46 - To deal with the

54:47 - mess of running a bar.

54:49 - Bima I was working after this

54:50 - they had a problem with this guy

54:52 - I was working in cr city

54:54 - for metal lucci.

54:55 - In avalon avalon.

54:57 - Fills rock room.

54:59 - And

54:59 - at the end of the summer

55:00 - these guys

55:01 - say look.

55:02 - We know nothing about.

55:04 - Club business lawyers.

55:05 - Why don't you buy this.

55:07 - And I knew that I

55:08 - did business during

55:09 - the wintertime

55:10 - the previous year.

55:11 - I said ok you got it.

55:14 - I mean

55:14 - I mean by the grace

55:15 - got a lot of money

55:16 - people don't understand that

55:17 - I mean we were doing hops.

55:19 - Two thousand kids at

55:20 - a dollar a head figure

55:21 - that out if you're

55:21 - doing it three nights

55:22 - a week.

55:23 - Okay.

55:24 - So.

55:25 - I bought it.

55:26 - I bought in seventy two

55:27 - and when I went into mortgage

55:28 - they didn't like Italians.

55:30 - Jewish people

55:31 - and they certainly didn't like

55:32 - black performers back then

55:33 - and I I

55:34 - broke the whole thing.

55:37 - Jerry beloved.

55:38 - Thank you very

55:39 - much for joining sg gita

55:40 - with the heater last

55:41 - but the hot sauce pots

55:42 - and pans my main man.

55:44 - And and.