Chubby Checker Performs Tonight at Threadgill’s World Headquarters
Chubby Checker’s real name, in case you were wondering, is Ernest Evans. He was born in Spring Gulley, South Carolina, and raised in South Philadelphia – which is where he got his nickname.
It was in June of 1959 that Chubby recorded “The Twist” for Cameo Parkway Records. It’s interesting to note that Bernie Lowe, then the president of Cameo Parkway, didn’t really dig what he was hearing and thought the song was only sufficient for a “B” side, if on a record at all. But Chubby Checker wasn’t taking that response for the final answer. He performed the song everywhere and anywhere he could, on radio and TV, and in the summer of 1960, “The Twist” became a hit.
Can you imagine that being a “B”-side song? Look at what it started – the “Twist” name began popping up in all sorts of songs made for dance moves, like “Peppermint Twist”, “Twist and Shout” and “Twistin’ the Night Away”. That’s right. Chubby Checker was at the forefront.
You can see him perform tonight at Threadgill’s World Headquarters, 301 W. Riverside Dr. The show starts at 9 p.m.
Don’t leave your dancing shoes at home, now.
