Chubby Checker /

Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He also popularized the dance style Twist, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist". In September 2008, "The Twist" topped Billboard's list of the most popular singles to have appeared in the Hot 100 since its debut in 1958. Ernest Evans was born in Spring Gulley, South Carolina and as a child was raised in the projects of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lived with his parents and two brothers. By age eight Evans formed a street corner harmony group and, by the time he entered high school, learned to play the piano as well as entertain his classmates by performing vocal impressions of popular entertainers of the day, such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino. One of his classmates and friends at South Philadelphia High School was Fabiano Forte, who would become a popular person of the late 1950s and early 1960s as Fabian. After school, Evans would entertain customers at his various jobs, including Fresh Farm Poultry on Ninth Street and at the Produce Market, with songs and jokes, and it was his boss at the Produce Market, Tony A., who gave Evans the