The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees of 2025 boast names such as The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Outkast, and Cyndi Lauper. Some of these names or remaining representatives for the bands will be in attendance for the celebration on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. Chubby Checker appears not to be one of them.
Checker, 83, rock n’ roll pioneer and most famous for his 1960 cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters’ R&B song “The Twist,” initially appeared excited to be inducted into the hallowed hall after making a demand in 2014 to be included. In a clip circulating on Bluesky, the musician is seen speaking after a show and states that he will not be attending the ceremony. The reason is that the musician is booked for a show on the night of the induction.
“I told my manager, I says, ‘Make sure when we go to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, the induction, that I’m doing what I love doing the most: being in front of an audience,’” said Checker. “A live audience, not a television audience. So she said, ‘Let me just get it for you now, so if it happens.’ So she did, she got me a show. And the Rock Hall says, ‘We want you to come here this day and be here.’ We said, ‘We’re not coming.’ ‘You’re what?!’ I said, ‘We’re not coming. We have a gig.’ ‘Well, forget about your gig.’ You never forget about gigs.”
It’s not clear if Checker got the nod to perform at the Hall of Fame ceremony, but it’s possible the singer was told that younger artists would be performing his music instead.
Checker once took out a full-page ad in Billboard in 2001, stating the case that he is one of rock and roll’s most under-appreciated figures and demanded inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Checker won’t be the only one not attending the ceremony. Bassist Carol Kaye also stated she will not be attending either.
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