Music / Chubby Checker

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Ernest Evans (born October 3, 1941) better known as Chubby Checker, is an American singer and songwriter. He popularized “The Twist” dance move and did “The Twist” as a song which became and popular and charted in numerous countries in the 1960s. Later, his song “Limbo Rock” became popular with similar results. That was when he introduced The Fly as another dance move. His song “Let’s Twist Again” has charted in addition to his Roger songs including , “Pony Time” and others.

He was bron in South Carolina but grew up in Philadelphia and lived with his two brothers. He formed a street corner singing group who would sing day by day before taking on piano in high school, and got good at doing impressions of other famous artists at the time.

His music career began in 1958 where after he released a local song, he was signed with a record contract, and “The Class” was his first single released in 1959. That was when he released his version of “The Twist” which charted nationally.

In 2014 he was put into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, and later the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2025.

Discography

albums

• Twist with Chubby Checker (1960)
• For Twisters Only (1960)
• Let’s Twist Again (1961)
• It’s Pony Time (1961)
• For Teen Twisters Only (1961)
• Limbo Party (1962)
• Beach Party (1962)
• Twistin’ Round The World (1962)
• Ket’s Limbo Some More (1963)
• Chubby Checker in Person (1963)
• Chubby’s Folk Album (1964)
• At the Discotheque (1965)
• Chequered! (1971)
• The Change Has Come (1982)
• The Texas Twisting (1994)
• Towards The Light (2001)

Tropes in Chubby Checker

• Audience Participation Song: His music is one of these at least once. Notable one is “The Twist” with the “bird or a plane” question, and it returns for “Let’s Twist Again”.
• Broken Record: “Hooka Tooka” is all this same sentence being said for the whole song.
  Hooka Tooka my soda cracker
  Does your momma chaw tobacca
  If ya momma chaw tobacca, say
  Hooka Tooka my soda cracker
  Hooka Tooka my soda cracker

• Greatest Hits Album: All the Hits (For Your Dancin’ Party) (1962), Chubby Checker’s Biggest Hits (1963), and Chubby Checker’s Greatest Hits (1973)
• Meaningful Name: He is chubby. He isn’t called Chubby Checker for nothing.
• NO INDOOR VOICE: His singing is all loud and fun.
• Large Ham: Checker loves fun and is loud, and he gets the party started with just his singing alone.
• Last-Name Basis: For his nickname, he most is referred to as Checker in interviews.
• Older Than They Look: He still looks the same as he did when he was 59 but he’s two decades older than that.
• One-Word Title: His album Chequered! (1971)
• Only Known by Their Nickname: He has never been referred to as Ernest Evans, his real name. Only Checker.
• Rock: He is rock-and-roll, and his music generally contains it one way or another.
• Sequel Song: “Let’s Twist Again” is an improved sequel to “The Twist”.
• Signature Move: The Twist, as is an early adopter of the move. He does it on album and single covers, pictures, and during performances.