Quick to compare his achievement to Thomas Edison’s invention of the lightbulb, and to take credit for every dance that came in its wake, Philadelphia-raised Ernest Evans will be the first to tell you that before the Twist, no one could be found dancing apart to the beat. With a stage name suggested by the wife of American Bandstand’s Dick Clark (as a take off on Fas Domino), Checker’s breakthrough came when Clark advised Cameo-Parkway to record a version of the song the Twist, which was written and originally released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side. Checker sang his parts over an already-recorded instrumental track, released in June 1959, the record took nearly fourteen months to reach the top of the charts. Checker’s nonstop itinerary of interviews, TV dates, and live appearances ultimately paid off, however, when the single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1960.

The song then set a record by being the only single to reach number one again when it resurfaced and topped the chart in January, 1962. In 1988 the song “The Twist” became popular once again, due to a new recording of the song by The Fat Boys featuring Chubby Checker. This version reached number two in the United Kingdom and number one in Germany.

Checker re-recorded the song numerous times. An updated 1982 recording was retitled “T-82″, and in the 1990s he recorded a country version. The Twist phenomenon inspired a rapid succession of additional dance fads. Due to his close relationship with Clark and a savvy record label, Checker was well positioned to continue as the King of Dance King. His dance hits included “The Hucklebuck,” “Pony Time,””Dance the Mess Around,” “Let’s Twist Again,” “Slow Twistin’,” “Limbo Rock,” “Let’s Limbo Some More,” and “Twist It Up.”

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Chubby Checker website