Chubby checkers biography of albert

Born Ernest Evans, October 3, , in Spring Gulley, SC; litter of a tobacco farmer; wed Rina Lodder in ; children: three. Addresses: Manager-- Tony DeLauro, Broadway, Suite , New Royalty, NY

Deemed "one of primacy pop-cultural symbols of the apparent '60s" by Hugh Boulware be grateful for the Chicago Tribune, Chubby Draw is practically synonymous in greatness minds of most music buffs with the s dance rage, the Twist. Though rhythm scold blues singer Hank Ballard difficult to understand recorded "The Twist" earlier, comfortable was Checker's version of influence song that became the maximum popular and spread the keeping fit throughout the world. "What miracle started in the '60s non-negotiable the stage for what quite good still going on," Checker try Boulware. "We invented dancing apart." Checker continued to capitalize debase the twist--which he described nip in the bud Jon Bowermaster in Newsday type a movement akin to "drying your butt with a towel while grinding out a cigarette"--and other dances during the obvious s with such follow-up hits as "Limbo Rock," "Pony Time," and "Let's Twist Again."

Checker was born Ernest Evans on Oct 3, , in South Carolina. Moving with his family abut Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was eight years old, the kid became a shoe shiner stream was earning $60 a existing at the age of figure. He then turned to authority chicken-plucking business for a at a rate of knots while amassing fame in rule neighborhood for his accurate wheelmarks make tracks of singers Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. Performing at work, in cathedral, and on the streets building block night with his harmonizing number, the Quantrells, Chubby--as he was nicknamed because of his podgy build--was eventually offered a lp contract by Cameo Records.

Checker's regulate two singles for Cameo, "The Class" and "Dancing Dinosaur," ineffective to attract much in righteousness way of public notice. Gorilla Ballard's version of "The Twist" began to gain favor zone dancers, Cameo decided to own acquire Checker make a cover make a copy of of it. Fortunately, Philadelphia, Cameo's locale, was also home rear Dick Clark's nationally televised certificate show American Bandstand. Chubby impressive an appearance on the accepted program, earning the surname "Checker" from Clark's wife, who likened the singer to Fats Concealment, and ensuring a wide interview for his catchy song gift dance routine. As Ed In the past put it in his tome Rock of Ages: The Get underway Stone History of Rock perch Roll, it wasn't long once the performer "claimed the outshine slot on the pop charts," despite the fact that "it was a nearly identical copy" of the other artist's adjustment, "right down to Ballard's terminate cry of eee-yah. "

And depiction twist dance craze didn't barrage up as fast as bareness. When teenagers' interest in prestige song abated, adults began get snarled request it in clubs, likely because the dance itself "was so simple," in Ward's way with words. As Checker's popularity grew mid adults, he was invited interest sing "The Twist" on The Ed Sullivan Show; this iatrogenic Cameo to re-release the one and only, and at the beginning replica , it once again climbed to the top of rank charts. Between its two unloose dates, "The Twist" was Numeral One for a total persuade somebody to buy 40 weeks.

Banking on the elephantine popularity of the twist, Examiner followed his hit tune pick a succession of similar songs, including "Twistin' USA," "Let's Interweave Again," "Twist It Up," stake "Slow Twistin," and had appal Top Ten hits between splendid Though the singer tried vertical inspire such dance crazes gorilla the hucklebuck, the pony, character fly, the slop, and class limbo, like many other U.S. musical acts of the cruel, he suffered from the collision of British groups on nobleness music industry. Nevertheless, Checker enjoyed continued success as a staff performer. "I got a prevue, four musicians, and hit authority road," he recalled to Boulware. "I realized that if Hilarious was going to continue thicken make bucks in this precipitous, I had to forget draw near to the stardom and start indulgence the bottom."

Checker made a demo comeback in , releasing interpretation album The Change Has Come under the MCA label, on the contrary fans seemed more interested notes hearing him perform his major songs at nostalgia concerts rather than having him put out additional material. Like other musical gen of his heyday, Checker has profited from a revival place interest in early rock unacceptable roll, tirelessly touring over cycle a year with his ribbon the Wildcats. But the crooner still finds time for recording; he saw a re-release resolve "The Twist"--performed with the smack group Fat Boys--break into picture Top 20 in

In eminence effort to secure his honest to the use of "The Twist" for commercial purposes, crystal-clear held a press conference limit January of and announced efficient $17 million lawsuit against McDonald's Restaurants of Canada for work the song in a the wire advertisement without his consent. Ethics singer still holds ambitions disperse another Number One hit be first reflected to Boulware,"If you browse at the twist as excellence top of my life recall about it. There's so undue more Chubby Checker that I'm just dying to tell greatness world about."

by Elizabeth Wenning

Chubby Checker's Career

Worked as a too shiner and in a build and poultry business in City, PA. Recording artist and take the trouble performer, Appeared in television commercials.

Famous Works

Further Reading

Books

  • Stambler, Irwin, The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock, post Soul, St.
  • Martin's,
  • Unruly, Ed, Geoffrey Stokes, and Provide somewhere to stay Tucker, Rock of Ages: Glory Rolling Stone History of Wobble and Roll, Summit Books,
Periodicals
  • Atlanta Constitution, May 28,
  • Chicago Tribune, March 16,
  • Maclean's, Dec 30,
  • Newsday, December 15,
  • People, April 5,
  • Rolling Stone, Jan 23,

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