He may not have been "America's oldest teen-ager."

That would have been Dick Clark.

He may not have been one of WAEB's "Good Guys."

That would have included Gene Kaye whose "Notre Dame Bandstand" concerts brought pop stars of the day to the Lehigh Valley during the 1960s' AM radio heyday.

He was "The Geator With The Heator," "The Big Boss With The Hot Sauce."

That would be Jerry Blavat, whose "The Discophonic Scene" (1965-'67), a teen dance show on Philadelphia's WCAU-TV, had quite a following in the Lehigh and Delaware Valleys.

If you're a Baby Boomer, you may remember the days of "TV Dancin,'" when you, and maybe some friends, stood in front of the television set, mimicking the Hully Gully, Mashed Potato, The Swim and other dance crazes done to the latest hits on shows featuring teen dancers.

This summer, former teens who are now senior citizens, plus a sprinkling of twenty to fortysomethings, have been gathering 4 - 8 p.m. Wednesdays at Molten Lounge, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

Blavat was a host of "Bandstand" in 1953 on WFIL-TV, which became Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" (1957 - '64), relocating to Los Angeles (1964 - '89).

While the Civil Rights Movement was fought at schools, luncheonettes and in the streets throughout the south and the halls of Congress, the fight was peaceful and had a "danceable beat," to quote the "Rate-A-Record" segment on "Bandstand," on TV shows where black and white teens danced side by side.

Racial integration of Baltimore's "The Buddy Deane Show" (1957-'64), was the inspiration for writer-director John Waters' "Hairspray" (1988) with the fictional "The Corny Collins Show" as backdrop.

Blavat chronicles the teen scene, his dance shows and his career in "Jerry Blavat: You Only Rock Once" (Running Press, 347 pp. $15), with testimonials by the likes of Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Burt Bacharach, Little Richard, and a forward by the late Dick Clark.

TV broadcaster Larry Kane states, "This riveting page-turner is an important slice in America and the Philadelphia region."

To that, Philadelphia native, movie star, musician and singer-songwriter Kevin Bacon adds, "Jerry was a huge influence on the Philadelphia music scene and continues to be a cornerstone of Philly culture. His unique voice has shaped the history of rock radio."

"The Geator is the last disc jockey," equivocates Steve Van Zandt, guitarist of Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band.

There's a bit of The Bard in Blavat, a Pied Piper to generations of dancers, in explaining the derivation of one of his trademark phrases, "Yon Teens," with origins in the works of William Shakespeare, to wit: "Julius Caesar," where Caesar addresses, "Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look" and "Romeo And Juliet," where Romeo observes, "What light on yon window breaks?"

Blavat brought cool clothes, a cheerfully intense presence and an involvement beyond the music spinning on vinyl to the teen dance scene.

"I created my own persona. I never wore a suit and tie. I never stood behind a podium. I danced with the kids. That's what made it completely different," Blavat says in a recent phone interview from his limo as he travels "down the Shore" for a weekend gig.

"Even today, I'm doing the same thing. The only difference is that they're not Yon Teens. They're Beyond Teens," says Blavat, relishing the comparison.

"I know people who've followed me for 50 years. It's the music and the good times we share," says Blavat, a smile in his voice.

"My greatest fulfillment is seeing those same people who are dancing with me when they were teenagers who are now in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even their 80s. And even for young people who come and see me, it happens all over again. Music is not limited to one age."

Yon Teens or Beyond Teens, Blavat is royalty and the dance floor his court. Some have followed Blavat for years, including Janice Granton of Philadelphia, who likes to catch him at his club, Memories, Margate, N.J., where he's been spinning for 43 years Fridays and Saturdays during the summer, this year through Sept. 6. Blavat has a special relationship with his fans, his dancers, his Yon Teens. He relates to them. "She's a terrific dancer," he says of Granton.

Blavat's roots reach beyond Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore to the Lehigh Valley.

"The amazing thing is that I've always been part of the Lehigh Valley. I've been doing this for 55 years," says Blavat, who turned 75 on July 3.

"It had to be 1954," Blavat says, warming to the subject. "There was a place in Allentown called Mealey's. What happened was there was a tremendous snowstorm. And there were maybe 10 people there. And we stayed at a hotel. I told that story on stage at the Sands and there were people there who remembered that," says Blavat

Blavat, who guest-starred on the TV shows, "The Monkees" (1966 - '68) and "The Mod Squad" (1968 - '73) and appeared on "The Tonight Show," was in the movies, "Baby, It's You" (1983), "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985) and "Cookie" (1989).

Blavat was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 as part of its Museum of Radio and Records exhibit. Blavat's still on the airwaves, including WGPA, the Lehigh Valley; WBCB, Bucks County and Trenton; WXPN, Philadelphia; WTKU and WOND, Atlantic City, and WLVT-FM, South Jersey.

He broadcasts live from the Sands 5 - 7 p.m. Wednesdays on WVLT and wvlt.com.

If you've forgotten the dance steps, or want to learn them, tips and links to tutorials are at Blavat's web site: geatorgigs.webs.com. You can also find Blavat's busy schedule of live appearances and radio shows there. Join his fan group for updates: groups.yahoo.com/group/GeatorFans

Says Blavat, "Music brings people together. Music will make you smile. When you come to hear The Geator, you will smile."