The Monkees — minus Peter Tork — and the Geator himself.
ONCE AGAIN, greetings and salutations. Hard to believe — tomorrow is April 1 and the opening of baseball season. The Geator’s prediction? The Phillies are going all the way. Also going all the way are the tickets for our Kimmel Center show May 8, Mother’s Day. I guess because everybody wants to give the gift of love to their moms, they’re giving that along with the gift of music. Hope to see you there. Now let’s ask the Geator.
I read here in the Weekly that Kenny Vance and Jay Black are on the bill at your next show at the Kimmel Center. Will you have them perform together like they did when they were with Jay & the Americans? — Gil D.
Absolutely. As you know, Kenny was one of the original Americans with Jay Traynor, and also when they recorded all of their hits with Jay Black. So you can expect some real excitement when you hear Jay singing lead and Kenny and the Planotones doing backup with a 22-piece orchestra behind them. Also on the show, our special “Gift of Music” for Mother’s Day is Frankie Avalon, plus the Tymes, the Orlons, and the Soul Survivors with a salute to the true sound of Philadelphia. For tickets call 215-893-1999 or go to kimmelcenter.org.
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 1-3, Peter and Mickey, along with David Cassidy and many other artists, will be appearing along with yours truly at the first Davy Jones Memorial Monkees Convention, and it’s right here in the Garden State.
Once again, greetings and salutations. And without a doubt, the most exciting event of the year so far was Boardwalk Live weekend at the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida with yours truly, the Geator, the Bubba Mac Band, Pinky Kravitz, Dave & Tina, and the folks from WTKU and WOND when we took our entire act to the sunny lands along with Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. People are still talking about the excitement that they heard over the airwaves up this way. So many people to thank for this event, but especially Dave Coskey and Longport Media for bringing all the magic...
Greetings and salutations. As you are aware, next weekend the Geator, the Bubba Mac Blues Band, Pinky Kravitz, and the entire Longport Media group, WOND and WTKU and my man, Dave Coskey, will be heading down to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla., for South Jersey “Boardwalk Live” weekend. Also joining the Geator will be my pal Frankie Valli, who’s performing at the Hard Rock Live. We’ll dance starting at 5pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 1, 2, and 3, and I know we’ll see lots of our Florida fans, like Carlos & Vicki, Judi & Jim, and Ed & Linda, down there — hope to see you, too. Before we get to your questions, one of our readers was able to answer a question posed by Joe Breitner in this column a couple months back. The name of the song, from...
Once again, greetings and salutations to all who had a ball with the Geator at the Kimmel. Fabulous show, so nice that we’re going to do it twice. Mark the date: Saturday, April 7, and this will be a doo wop reunion, bringing back some of the classic stars who’ve been with me over the last 10 years — folks like Little Anthony, the Duprees, the Harptones, the Skyliners, the Classics, the Dubs, and more of your favorites. Stay tuned and we’ll announce the complete lineup shortly. And don’t forget, the Geator and the South Jersey/Philly crowd heading down south to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 1-3. That’s got to be a blast, along with Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons’ appearance there, so make your reservations now. And yes, we...
“It’s fun playing the old songs with the guys,” Dolenz says. “That’s always been so. We were fortunate to find each other and have so much success. We appreciate it and enjoy every minute together when we do get back on stage.”
Once again, greetings and salutations. And for you folks who joined us last Sunday for our Mother’s Day spectacular at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, what can I say? Outstanding. Another sold-out show, with thanks going out to Jay Black, Frankie Avalon, the Soul Survivors, the Orlons, the Tymes, and the Planotones. And with that behind us, let’s talk about Memorial Day weekend, right around the corner. Would you believe this year will mark 40 years that you and I have been together at that legendary spot, Memories in Margate? Look for some exciting things to happen when we go live on KOOL 98.3 on weekends, not only from Memories on Saturday nights, but also on Friday nights from Mia’s Restaurant at Caesars Atlantic City. More about that as the weeks go by — now, let’s ask the Geator. After a bunch of people (including me) were reminiscing about the good ol’...
Once again, greetings and salutations, and a very happy St. Paddy’s Day to all. Hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend is only 10 weeks away, and with it, the opening of our 40th year at Memories in Margate and partying down at the Jersey shore. Meanwhile, back in Philly we’re getting things together for our special Mother’s Day show at the Kimmel Center on May 8, “A Gift of Music,” with special guest stars Frankie Avalon, Jay Black, the Tymes, the Orlons, the Soul Survivors, and Kenny Vance & the Planotones. More about that next week — but now, it’s time to ask the Geator. We saw you in the PBS documentary on rock DJs, Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio. Do you think that with the variety of programming available on satellite radio, those great days of creativity on the air will...
Once again, greetings and salutations. Before we get to your questions, just a word of thanks to you folks down here in Atlantic City. The reaction we have gotten is amazing now that we are broadcasting Monday through Friday from 5-7pm on KOOL 98.3. Apparently there is a need down here at the shore for the freedom that radio once represented. And as I think back, the Philadelphia market is really no different from the A.C. market. The music that I play and the memories that come along with our broadcasts are what made radio what it was back then, and what it still is today with the Geator and you, the fans. So thanks for the compliments, and we will continue. Now, let’s ask the Geator — but before we start, some Oscar trivia. Believe it or not,...
Greetings and salutations. What can I tell you about our 21st show at the Kimmel Center? Again, a complete sellout. But more important, everyone raved about the combination of Darlene Love on stage with Freda Payne. The salute to the Platters was unbelievable, with a 22-piece orchestra backing them up on all of their classic hits, and of course the Duprees, Kenny Vance & the Planotones, and the Soul Survivors — all proven stars time and time again. And you won’t want to miss the next one. It’s a special “Gift of Music on Mother’s Day.” Stay tuned for the lineup. But get your tickets in advance, because this will surely be another sellout. Call 215-893-1999 or go online at kimmelcenter.org. Now let’s ask the Geator. First, a trivia question for Oscar season: Who was the first host of Academy Awards? Answer below. I used to come to Wagner’s and Chez Vous. Whatever happened to the Nixon brothers? Thanks for the memories — Nancy When we began doing hops in the early ’60s, Bobby and Eddie Nixon were among the earliest kids who followed the Geator everywhere — not only to the Chez Vous, Wagner’s and Atlantic City, but also when...
Once again, greetings and salutations. Unfortunately for those who have been trying to get tickets to see the Geator at the Kimmel Center with Darlene Love, Freda Payne, and the Duprees this Saturday night, it’s completely sold out. Look for our next show on May 8 with a special Mother’s Day tribute — thinking about Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, and Bobby Rydell. And if you’re home this Saturday evening, tune in to the Geator’s Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues Express on WXPN from 6-7pm for a special salute to artists and labels from the West Coast. Many folks didn’t realize that many familiar songs we heard on the East Coast were covers of originals from west of the Mississippi. For example, “Adorable” by the Drifters was originally by the Colts; “Church Bells May Ring,” the gigantic hit by the Willows with Neil Sedaka playing chimes, was first done by the Cadets on the West Coast. Also, to all of you folks who listen to...
Greetings and salutations. Hope you had a blessed Christmas with family and friends, and now, as we celebrate the coming new year, a healthy, prosperous, and happy 2011 to one and all. And we’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve together at the Trump Taj Mahal. Don’t know if any more tickets are available as I write this, but call the box office at 449-5150 to find out about that and other events at the Trump properties. The big news for the New Year — the Geator returns to KOOL 98.3 weekdays from 5-7pm over the Geator Gold Radio Network. We’ll start in the next few weeks. But now, time for your questions. My zaida (grandfather) was Sam Cohen, the owner of Sam’s Clothing at 7th and Snyder. Did you know him? We lived in the house next to the store for a few years...
The technological gadgets of today simply weren’t around when Vance was a young Jewish kid from Brooklyn, a music lover who would become a founding member of Jay & The Americans in the early 1960s. It was an era in music when things like pop charts, 45s and live radio DJs were still relevant and made a huge impact on mainstream culture.
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Shore Birds
1. Ellen A. Gauthier said... on Apr 29, 2011 at 09:29PM
“Jerry,
I was at the Kimmel Center, January 29, 2011 for your show. At the end of the show you announced that Connie Francis and Dion would be part of the Mother's day show schedule for May 8, 2011, 7:30 pm. In reviewing the names of the guests posted for that program, Connie Francis and Dion were omitted. I bought five (5) tickets on the premise I would be entertained by Connie Francis and Dion. Of course, the other guests are excellent. However, I have seen them in concert. Please tell me I won't be disappointed.”