This business of Rock ‘N Roll has given me many blessings and many once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  I have met and come to be not only friendly, but in many cases family to some of the biggest names in entertainment because of my “day job”.  And when it comes to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I have had more than my fair share of interactivity with that sacred place. 

From being a guest of Joan Jett at her induction and meeting Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Dave Grohl and Stevie Wonder, to accompanying Danny Seraphine and his family to his induction with the other founding members of the band, “Chicago,” I pinch myself every time I think about it.  But what occurred at The Des Plaines Theatre recently could not have been more surreal.

Ernest Evans, who goes by the household name of “Chubby Checker”, hit the am radio airwaves hard in 1958 with “The Twist”.  Now, at eighty-three-years-young, he shows no sign of slowing down!

Chubby has been a good friend for over thirty years.  We have worked together more times than I can count.  Our first experience was at the Hawthorne Racecourse in Cicero, outdoors in the middle of the track.  It was that first experience of a thirty-minute “Twist” that enamored me with this show-biz legend for life.

Chubby has played my events and venues for years, delighting crowds, consistently transforming concerts into actual cardio-workouts for the audience members!  Everyone goes home with warmth in their hearts, and beads of perspiration on their foreheads.

So on April 27, when the 2025 class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced, we all were elated.“Joe Cocker. Cyndi Lauper, Warren Zevon, Soundgarden…CHUBBY CHECKER!” 

Chubby has been lobbying-not caring-lobbying-not caring about this honor for over twenty years.  But when it actually happened, he was in disbelief, mixed in with an “It’s about time” element in there somewhere!

Then they gave him the date of the induction ceremony, November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

“Uh oh,” Chubby said.  “Sorry, I can’t make it.  I have a gig.”  The producer of the event couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “Is there any way you can make it work?” he asked.  “After all, this IS The Rock Hall of Fame!”

Chubby did not hesitate.  I have never cancelled a gig, and I am not about to start now,” he said. 

When Shelly, his manager of over fifty-one years, told me this, I could not believe my ears!  “He’s GOT to go!” I said.  “Not a chance,” was her response.  “He has ever missed a gig, and never will!”

Then she suggested another option.  Could Chubby accept the honor at one of his shows?  “The producer said that could work,” “But I said, it can only be by Ron’s place!” she said.

So on Sunday, just before his show at the Des Plaines Theatre, I went out to do my normal audience greeting.  We rehearsed some responses, applauses and screams of joy.

Then I introduced Chubby to the audience as an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  He walked out and the audience jumped to its feet.  It was pure mayhem of happiness.  The actual statue he was to be presented with was flown in and was given to me to present to Chubby.  I gave it to him and introduced him. 

We put the camera in front of the drums so that the emblazoned audience was actually in the shot behind him.  His acceptance speech was brief, thanking the loyal fans and crediting the song that got him there.

Then, with a pre-rehearsed que to his band, he went right inti singing and dancing, “The Twist”.  The crowd went insane!

He handed the statue back to me and went seamlessly back to his show.  For ninety straight minutes, he did hit after hit, Twist after Twist.

After his show, I went out and did a brief, on stage interview with him.  “How does it feel,” I asked.  “It’s about time!” he said.  We continued to speak a bit about his history, then instead of walking off stage, he decided to do the Twist, one more time.  This guy is energetically insane!

The whole time, he met fans including obvious E Bay sellers.  But that didn’t matter to him.  He signed every autograph and consistently took photos with adoring fans.  He would stop on the street, walk to the crowds waiting behind the theatre, and sign everything I asked for.

He was nothing but class.

As I was driving home, it hit me hard.  I ACTUALLY inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I HELD the statue!  I introduced him!  What an honor!  What a “Twist” of fate!

Now, I raise a glass to a guy who was there in the days of Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Alan Freed, Ed Sullivan, The Beatles…the list goes on and on.  But he is one of the very last men standing, and “Twisting”.  He has a heart that is red, white and blue and as big as the country itself.  Is he a music icon, a national treasure, a pop hero?  If you ask him, he is just, “Chubby.”  And if you ask how he is doing, he says, “Let’s Twist Again!”