August 16, 2025
Chubby Checker says he’s happy to finally be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but his fans come first.
Chubby Checker has earned his spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but he’s choosing to skip the induction ceremony in favor of performing live.
The Rock and Roll legend is set to be inducted into the coveted list on Nov. 8, an accolade he’s been eligible for since its inaugural class of 1985. But when thinking about the possibility of being added, Checker, 83, purposely made sure to make other plans.
“When I told my manager, 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, not a television audience,” Checker told a crowd of fans in a video shared on social media.
The manager, following instructions, booked Checker, best known for his 1960 chart-topping hit “The Twist,” for a Nov. 8 live show, not knowing at the time that he’d soon be named a 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
“We’re not coming, we have a gig,” Checker recalled telling the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame staff when they called to invite him out to the ceremony.
He would rather show music lovers that even into his 80s, he can still belt it out and twist with fans in person.
“Getting back to being an ‘older person,’” Checker told the crowd. “Chubby goes to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and they say ‘he’s an old guy, he’s probably retired, he’s not doing anything, maybe he has crutches, he’s coming to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to get his little award and go back home.’”
For Checker, the idea of not performing for a live audience on such a milestone occasion was a dealbreaker, especially since the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame broadcasts the show to a digital crowd.
“Let’s be doing a show like I’m doing today to show that I’m alive and well,” Checker said. “And the audience is wonderful, and my dream is still being fulfilled, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is happening all at the same time.”
Checker, known for popularizing dance styles like the Twist and the Pony, is one of 13 musicians inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. He joins a notable lineup of inductees, including Outkast, Cyndia Lauper, Bad Company, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes.
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