Blattner, Jules, 78, passed away Friday, June 7, 2019 at Sunrise Senior Living, surrounded by family and friends. Jules was born February 8, 1941 to Frances (Fischang) and Merrill Blattner. Jules has battled ALS for the last three years.
Jules grew up in South County, in 1956 Jules and some friends from high school formed a rock ‘n roll group called Jules Blattner and the Teen Tones. The group was a local hit, playing CYO, high school and community dances in St. Louis. Affton Teen Town was their first gig.
In 1959 the group signed with Bobbin Records, one of many recording companies Jules would work with. They recorded “Rock ‘N Roll Blues” and “Gambling Man.” “Rock ‘N Roll Blues” reached #8 on the charts and #12 on the Rhythm & Blues charts locally. It is now in the Rock A Billy Hall of Fame (National). They played, for many years on top of the Illinois Building, at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.
The band appeared quite regularly on the local TV show, St. Louis Hop, and went on to open for big name national artists that came to St. Louis. The band opened for Dodie Stevens, Isley Brothers, Brenda Lee, Ray Peterson and Little Richard. The Teen Tones also recorded with Chuck Berry.
The group began playing at Whiskey A Go Go and The Butterscotch Lounge in Gaslight Square. The group changed their name to the Twist Tones and spent five years playing six nights a week in Gaslight Square. When Gaslight Square ended Jules put a trio together and went off to see the world. They performed from Los Angeles to Hawaii for the next three years. In 1968 the group joined the USO for a tour through Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Singapore and Japan.
When the tour ended he hooked up with a Wisconsin band and formed Jules Blattner and the Warren Groovy All Star Band. For the next ten years, they played Florida in the winter, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada in the summer.
In 1984 he returned to St. Louis and took a job as a car salesman but that didn’t work out so in 1985 he started a new band and played locally in Missouri, Illinois and even as far as Wisconsin for 18 years. He was voted “Best Local Rock ‘N Roll Artist by the Riverfront Times in 1992. In 2003 Jules retired to take care of his mother.
Jules has recorded for Bobbin (locally) Norman (locally), Bon Air, Coral, Stash, Metro Media, Chess, MGM, and K-Arc.
In his busy life he did find time to marry and divorce a few times. In June of 2018, he married his best friend of almost 60 years, Georgean Goewert, of Breese, Illinois.
Jules was preceded in death by his parents and both sets of grandparents.
Jules is survived by his wife, Georgean; his son Merrill and wife Kate, of St. Louis; Grandsons Bryan and Josh, of Arizona; step-grandchildren Courtney & Michael, of St. Louis; great-grandchildren Ariana, Carter and Holden, of Arizona; a brother-in-law, Robert Roane, of Breese, Illinois; a nephew John Roane and wife Sharon, of Breese, Illinois; great-nieces Hailey, Ashlyn, of Columbia, Missouri, Hannah and Clayton of Breese, Illinois; and four great great-nieces and nephews and many friends.
SERVICES: As per Jules wishes, he will be cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 16th 2019, from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Casa Loma Ballroom, 3354 Iowa Ave.; St. Louis, MO 63118. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to ALS Research and will be received at the Celebration of Life.
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