“The Twist” was originally written by Hank Ballard, but 2025 Inductee Chubby Checker turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Checker debuted his version of the song in July 1960 at the Rainbow Club in Wildwood, New Jersey. The dance, which was performed in tandem with the song, took the nation by storm, with moves considered scandalous and ahead of their time. Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, was given his now-iconic stage name while working at a produce market where the owner of the market call

On this day in Rock and Roll History - August 6, 1960 Chubby Checker performs "The Twist" for the first time on TV when he appears on Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show. The song would go on to top the Billboard Hot 100 next September, reach #2 in Canada, but did not chart in the UK. "The Twist" is an iconic rock and roll song performed by Chubby Checker, released in 1960. Originally written and first released by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters in 1959, Chubby Checker's version brought t