Larger than life

Staring down at what many would call two South Philly icons — Pat’s Steaks and Geno’s — are seven more. A mural featuring several legendary music figures that were born and raised in South Philly has been created at 1231 E. Passyunk Ave., next door to Anastasi’s Café.

Oct. 8, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program will dedicate the colorful depiction of Jerry Blavat, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Eddie Fisher, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and Al Martino. All will be there except Fisher, who lives in California, said Mural Arts Program publicist Debbie Fleishman.

The mural "celebrates the sounds of Philadelphia. And those people are Philadelphia rock ‘n’ roll icons," Fleishman said.

Blavat will start spinning records at 1 p.m. for the crowd. The mural dedication ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Afterward, the legends will perform at a Block Party Sock Hop that lasts until 4.

Those interested in a trolley tour of South Philly murals should meet at Benna’s Café, Eighth and Wharton streets, at 11:30 a.m. for coffee and muffins. The tour is $25 per person and ends at 2 p.m. at the mural, just in time for the dedication. For a tour reservation, call 215-685-0754.

The creation is one of 2,545 indoor and outdoor murals in the city, said Mural Arts Program Director Jane Golden.

The idea for the work came from First District Councilman Frank DiCicco.

"He has been a wonderful supporter of public art and art education for kids. He has been an advocate for the city’s mural-arts program," Golden said.

DiCicco suggested Golden talk to Blavat and the ball began rolling.

A mural begins with a hunt for good space. In the program’s search for a suitable wall in South Philly, they hit jackpot with the area next to Anastasi’s Café. Not only was the spot high-traffic for cars and pedestrians, but it’s near two South Philly cheesesteak icons, said Amy Johnson, the program’s community outreach liaison.

The artwork is part of an ongoing collaboration with radio station WXPN 88.5 for a series of murals dedicated to the sounds of Philadelphia, Johnson said, adding legends of South Philly were a key component.

"The murals in this city really capture the heart and soul of every neighborhood in the city. When you look at the work, it’s really like an autobiography of the city. I feel this South Philly musicians’ mural really captures the soul of South Philly and we were delighted to do it," Golden said.

Peter Pagast painted the mural with assistance from Philadelphia artists Brad Carney and Carlton Williams. The artists used photos provided by those depicted.

"They gave us those photos as to how they wanted to be represented and I worked directly from the photos," said Pagast, who lives in the Fairmount section.

The 36-year-old oil painter, who studied art at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, has worked on dozens of murals in Philly and Chicago. His were the creative hands behind the South Philly mural of opera singer Frank Guarrera at 1532 S. Broad St.

The mural on Passyunk was completed last fall, after working five days a week for two-and-a-half months. Passersby would often stop and inquire who was the subject, Pagast said. When he told them, they seemed pleased

Pagast said he modeled the mural after many South Philly restaurants whose walls are lined with autographed headshots of musicians and movie stars.

"That’s why the drawing was done like it was — like a giant wall of those headshots and they are all signed. It fits into the South Philly tradition of hanging famous people in your restaurant," the artist said.

Pagast said he’s pleased with the end product.

"Just to do a memorial mural of these musicians for South Philly was kind of fun and to learn that all of them came from that area," he said.