Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans on October 3, 1941, in Spring Gully, South Carolina, and raised in South Philadelphia, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class, a long-overdue recognition for the artist who revolutionized dance culture with his 1960 hit “The Twist.”
The announcement came Sunday night during a live broadcast of American Idol, with the induction ceremony set for November 8, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, to be streamed live on Disney+ and later rebroadcast on Hulu and ABC.
Checker, now 83, joins fellow 2025 inductees including Bad Company, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Soundgarden, the White Stripes, and others, with special committee honorees like Philadelphia producer Thom Bell, Salt-N-Pepa, and Warren Zevon also recognized.
Checker’s induction follows decades of advocacy for his inclusion, as he was eligible since the Hall’s inaugural class in 1986 but only received his first nomination in 2025. His signature song, “The Twist,” a cover of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ 1958 B-side, became a cultural phenomenon after Checker’s version, recorded for Philly’s Parkway Records, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 and again in 1962—the only song to achieve this feat.
Its accompanying dance, popularized through Checker’s August 6, 1960, American Bandstand appearance, was groundbreaking for its solo dance style, allowing people to dance without a partner, influencing countless dance crazes and modern pop, rock, and hip-hop choreography. Billboard later named “The Twist” the most successful single of all time on the Hot 100.
Beyond “The Twist,” Checker charted 32 hits between 1960 and 1966, including “Pony Time” (No. 1), “Let’s Twist Again” (which won a 1962 Grammy for Best Rock and Roll Recording), “The Fly,” “Limbo Rock,” and “Slow Twistin’” with Dee Dee Sharp. He starred in films like Twist Around the Clock (1961) and Don’t Knock the Twist (1962), showcasing his dynamic dance moves.
His stage name, suggested by Barbara Clark (wife of American Bandstand host Dick Clark) after Checker’s Fats Domino impression, reflected his early talent for vocal mimicry, seen in his 1959 single “The Class.”
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