The “King of the Twist” along with his five member band, the Wildcats, entertained concertgoers on the Tioga Downs summer concert stage on Thursday evening, July 16. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Chubby Checker, the legendary rock and roll artist who redefined the way people danced more than 50 years ago with his song “The Twist,” thrilled the Tioga Downs audience by walking off stage and joined them while singing his recent release, “Changes.” Checker also stopped to dance with concertgoers, proving he still has the moves five decades later. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Don Ortner III, lead guitarist of the Wildcats, arrives with Chubby Checker for a Thursday, July 16 performance at Tioga Downs Casino. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Comfortable temperatures and a delightful sunset welcomed concertgoers eager to see Chubby Checker at Tioga Downs on Thursday, July 16, which made for a perfect evening for twisting. Inclement weather canceled the original show on May 30.
When Checker commented during a July 9 phone interview that he “planned to finish burning the place down,” at the July 16 show, he did just that, and more.
The legendary rock and roll artist who redefined the way people danced more than 50 years ago took the Tioga Downs summer concert stage at approximately 8:15 p.m. and proved that he still has the moves and the appeal that has made him a fan-favorite for decades.
As soon as the rock icon stepped on stage sporting a pair of checkered boots, he immediately engaged the audience, and it didn’t take long for guests to tap their feet, twist in their seats and take to the aisles to dance.
The “King of the Twist” entertained concertgoers for well over an hour with his string of top hits and other classic tunes from the 60’s rock and roll era, several of which he artfully combined. “Blueberry Hill,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Twist and Shout,” “Peppermint Twist,” and “Peggy Sue” are just a few of the selections that kept fans twisting in the aisles and dancing in their seats.
Checker asked the audience to sing along with the catchy tune, “Marianne,” made popular by calypso and folk musicians in the 50’s. Checker joked, “Now later or next week when you get up in the middle of the night, you’ll be saying, “Oh Chubby, that song!”
Checker, now 73, thrilled the crowd when he walked off stage and joined concertgoers on their side of the fence. Checker shared, “This one is for you,” as he sang his most recent release, a powerful ballad called “Changes.”
Back on stage, Checker announced, “Get Up! It’s time to do ‘The Pony!’”
“The Pony,” one of Checker’s multiple releases following “The Twist,” was accompanied by a dance he created, as he did for “The Hucklebuck,” and others.
Fans chuckled as Checker explained that “The Hucklebuck” was only done in the privacy of your own room because he said, “Back then, it was too nasty.” Referring to its hip-shaking moves, Checker shared, “The world has changed, so if you have the moves, come up and show your stuff! I’m looking for Hucklebuckers!” Checker then selected a guest to join him on stage for the dance.
Checker also invited other fans on stage to “show their stuff,” including a group of men who joined him for some serious twisting action.
The audience cheered, clapped and twisted as Checker broke into his phenomenal hits, “The Twist” and “Let’s Twist Again.”
“The Twist,” Checker explained during a previous phone interview, “is a gift to me,” and credits Hank Ballard, who wrote and released the song with his group, The Midnighters, although it’s Checker who took the song to its record breaking level. Checker’s version holds the status of being the number one record of all time and also carries the distinction in music history as being the only song ever to hit #1 on the Billboard charts in different years, 1960 and 1962.
Checker paused during the show to tell fans that he often drives from his native Philadelphia to Olean, N.Y. in October, around the time of his birthday. A sentimental trip for him, he enjoys the fall season. “It’s a beautiful part of the world,” Checker said.
Checker, along with his five-member band, The Wildcats, received a standing ovation before the King of the Twist bid farewell to the Tioga Downs crowd. After the concert, Checker stayed to meet fans and sign autographs.
Proceeds from Checker’s show will benefit the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Jeff Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment and owner of Tioga Downs, is matching each guest who attended with a $10 donation to the Food Bank.
Jonathan Fuller, Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s Sr. Manager of Community Engagement, explained, “With our ability to leverage a $1 donation into three meals, assuming a donation of $30,000 or more, we will be able to acquire in the neighborhood of 100,000 meals for families in need throughout the Southern Tier.”
Click here to view more photos from the event.
