It’s about damn time that musical icon Chubby Checker be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! Checker rose to fame after popularizing “The Twist” dance in the ’60s. But in a major twist, Checker said he won’t attend the event… Not because it took decades for him to be honored but because he purposefully booked a gig for the exact same day.
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The Hall of Fame ceremony is set to take place on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles, also honoring folks like Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa and Cyndi Lauper. Checker is on the list to finally get the flowers he deserves after a 60-year career, but the 83-year-old told fans he called his manager to make other plans.
“I said ‘make sure when we go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the induction, that I will be doing what I love doing the most– being in front of an audience, a live audience,” Checker said during an interview on July 29. Checker is respected performer known for rocking a crowd, and according to him, going to the Hall of Fame event won’t allow him to do that. So instead, his manager booked another show in front of a live audience full of Checker’s fans.
The singer continued smiling, “We have a gig. Isn’t that nice?” The decorated rock vet has had his share of accolades over the years. He won his first Grammy in 1962. Billboard even put his biggest hit, “The Twist” as the “Hottest Single” of all time in 2008.
Interestingly, Checker was eligible for induction back in 1985. He just never got the call. Now that he’s in his eighties, the performer said he doesn’t want the Hall of Fame honor to take away from the fact that he’s still very active today. “‘He’s an old guy. He’s probably retired. He’s not doing anything. He’s coming to the Hall of fame to get his little award and go back home,’” Checker said, mocking what folks could be thinking about him.
Instead, he said, “‘No, let’s being doing a show.’” He continued, “To show that I’m alive and well.” It’s not about the Hall of Fame honor for Checker. He added. “My dream is still being fulfilled.”
Checker hasn’t announced where his Nov. 8 performance will be at. The Hall of Fame committee hasn’t responded to Checker’s remarks.
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