Chubby Checker

Singer • Dancer

Birth Date: October 3, 1941

Age: 81 years old

Birth Place: Georgetown, South Carolina

If the popular opinion that singer Chubby Checker was a one-hit act was to be considered, one had to take into consideration that the hit in question was "The Twist," one of the mightiest dance songs ever recorded, and the only track in history to reach the No. 1 spot on the charts twice in two separate years. The song was also responsible for making dance and pop music socially acceptable among adults, who took to the floors in 1961-62 to follow the lead of celebrities and socialites who embraced the song in clubs across the globe. The truth about Checker was that from 1959 to 1965, he was an astonishingly prolific and successful singer who netted 20 Top 40 hits during his time in the spotlight, including "Pony Time," "Limbo Rock" and "Let's Twist Again." Shifts in music tastes in the late 1960s hobbled Checker's career, and his long association with "The Twist" relegated him to the status of novelty act, which may have prevented his entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for decades. If the prospect galled him, Checker refused to show it, preferring instead to lead the faithful into twisting again at concerts around the world for over four decades.