By Bruce Chadwick
originally published: 10/06/2023
Singer Chubby Checker got interested in show business when he was four years old and went to a music show. By the time he was 17, he was not only a singer but had engineered his own, whole stage show. Now, at 82, he still has the enthusiasm of that four-year-old kid.
“It’s in me every single time I go on the stage. The magic of it, the music, constantly reaching back to when I was four and putting my whole heart into the music I’m doing tonight or tomorrow,” said Chubby.
You remember Chubby Checker. Everybody does. He’s one of the iconic rock ‘n roll stars, made legendary by his huge hit song ‘The Twist’ that you, me, nearly everybody has danced to at some point in our lives.
I asked him, silly me, if there was anything he could not do at 82 that he could do earlier in his career.
“I sing, I dance, I bop out into the audience I twist with a whole lot of people in the theater I am at. That answer to your question is a big ‘no,’" he said.
So ‘no’ it is. Chubby, twisting this way and that, will be performing in The Rock and Roll Doo Wop Spectacular, a show at the State Theatre, in New Brunswick, on Saturday, October 14 at 7:00pm.
People will be out there in that audience who have seen him over the years and remember him well.
"I think I have become part of the music scenery. I didn’t just have the Twist, but we invented the Pony had a big hit with ‘Let’s Twist Again’ and even had ‘The Fly.’ You, everybody, has danced to them. You…” he stops his steady banter.
“It’s like this. A guy takes a girl out on the dance floor, and they gyrate away to one my sings, such as ‘The Twist.’ You know what they are doing? They are making love to each other with all their clothes on…”
I laugh. Well…
But why is he just as popular today as when 'The Twist' was first sung on American Bandstand way back when? What’s the secret?
“No secret,” says Chubby. “I keep singing and I keep dancing…’ But all these years, all these fans…
“That’s half of it, the fans. My fans have never left me. They keep it all going for me. And it’s…”
What?
“Soybeans…”
Huh?
“Think about it. You put all these different ingredients together and mix ‘em up and they become soybeans. That’s me. I am the mix of a lot of ingredients, just like soybeans.”
He is a rock in show business.
“Many, many of today’s top performers, like Beyonce and Taylor Swift, use my music and my dance steps. I am a part of them, wherever they go. I gave America that dance without music style of a show. It’s like you dance away and keep raising your hands in the air and keep twirling around. That’s a Chubby Checker show. The big stars today do it; everybody does it, “said Checker.
One thing Checker definitely does NOT do is talk about retiring. NEVER.
“Hey, I started working out when I was 29, anticipating the day would come – and it is here – when I’d be in my 80s and still want to perform. I kept in shape all these years with that in mind,’” he said.
Retire Ugghh!
“Hey, you stop doing what you do – retire – and you have nothing to do. I know so many people who retired, just gave up, and have nothing to do all day. Not me. I keep at it.”
He will interrupt the retirement speech for some levity. I asked him how, at 82, he keeps going.
“How many nights a year do you perform – now?”
Long pause, then, “Enough,” he laughed.
I asked him what one thing made him so famous,
“Oh, not any one thing. The different hit records, to be sure, recognition but…” he thought for a moment. “But I’m still that little four-year-old boy back down South, still, after all these years, carrying along the magic I saw that night. That’s me…”
That’s certainly good enough, too.
Tickets for the State Theatre show on Saturday, October 14, 2023 range from $39-$89 and are available for purchase online. The lineup also includes The Doo Wop Project, The Duprees, and Vinnie Medugno. The State Theatre is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
About the author:
Bruce Chadwick worked for 23 years as an entertainment writer/critic for the New York Daily News. Later, he served as the arts and entertainment critic for the History News Network, a national online weekly magazine. Chadwick holds a Ph. D in History and Cultural Studies from Rutgers University. He has written 31 books on U.S. history and has lectured on history and culture around the world. He is a history professor at New Jersey City University.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Essex County Summer Players Orchestra present "Made in America" on August 2nd
(LIVINGSTON, NJ) -- As local residents and friends stroll, bike or jog around the Livingston Oval on Tuesday evenings this July, musicians from several community orchestras are gathering in the township's high school band room to celebrate works "Made in America."
MPAC presents Hindley Street Country Club on Wednesday
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- YouTube sensations Hindley Street Country Club (The HSCC) are making their Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) debut on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7:30pm. Founded in 2017 by arranger / producer Constantine Delo, the band started as a group of Australian musicians, recording re-arranged covers of 70s and 80s hits and uploading them to Facebook and YouTube weekly.
State Theatre New Jersey presents Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass & Other Delights on July 30th
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass & Other Delights on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 7:30pm. This special concert features Herb Alpert, along with his six great musicians, Bill Cantos (piano & marimba), Kerry Marx (guitar), Ryan Dragon (trombone), Kris Bergh (trumpet), Ray Brinker (Drums), and Hussain Jiffry (bass), playing all the favorite TJB hit songs.
NJPAC presents Jazz Icon Herbie Hancock on July 31st
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) announces the return of the legendary Herbie Hancock for a one-night-only performance on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 8:00pm. This concert promises to be an unforgettable evening, showcasing the incomparable artistry of one of the most influential musicians of our time.
The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Bees Deluxe and Eclipse on July 31st
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Boston-based British/American modern blues powerhouse Bees Deluxe are buzzing back into Tuckerton with their electrifying live show, landing at The Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 8:00pm. Fresh off advancing to the semi-finals this year at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Rising Sun Presents: A Funky Reggae Party on August 1st
(KING OF PRUSSIA, PA) -- Rising Sun Presents will celebrate summer with A Funky Reggae Party in Heuser Park on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The evening will feature performances from legendary acts Steel Pulse, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe playing Jimmy Cliff, and The Original Wailers ft. Al Anderson. The lineup also includes The Philly Reggae Allstars ft. members of Wareika Hill. Tabernacle & more, along with DJ sets from Solomonic Sound System (Rob Paine) and Traveler Sounds.
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center presents John Violinist on August 1st
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- John Violinist will perform at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) on Saturday, August 1, 2026 7:30pm. John is an international violinist and performer who has fused the sound of classical music with the sound of today's popular music.
The Stone Pony presents John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band on August 1st
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band return to The Stone Pony on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The band has been delivering their patented good time rock 'n' roll for more then 50 years now. This is an all ages show; doors are at 6:30pm.
Art, Poetry, and Conversation Unite at Monmouth Museum at Dunellen
(DUNELLEN, NJ) -- Jo-El Lopez will present a special edition of Art in Conversation on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 2:00pm at the Monmouth Museum at Dunellen (266 North Avenue) in Dunellen. The free public event will feature an engaging artist talk by acclaimed abstract artist Bryant Small, followed by original spoken-word performances inspired by his artwork.
Todd Sheaffer & Yarn to headline 2026 Soulstice Music & Arts Festival
(CLINTON, NJ) -- Todd Sheaffer & Friends, Yarn and the Bobby Syvarth band featuring Tim Carbone will headline the Second Annual Soulstice Music & Arts Festival in Clinton. The 3-day event, with over 25 bands, takes place at the Red Mill Museum in historic Clinton from Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2, 2026. The festival is presented by the Pattenburg House and The Peace Love Music Movement.
FEATURED EVENTS
