Philadelphia

Jersey Shore Town Where ‘The Twist' Began Dedicates Mural to Chubby Checker

Music legend Chubby Checker was on hand for the unveiling of a 12-by-40-foot mural in Wildwood paying homage to "The Twist" singer, who first performed his iconic dance at a local club.

The Press of Atlantic City reports the mural, dedicated at the corner of Pacific and Garfield avenues Monday, is the third honoring music stars that played the Jersey shore town.

An 18-year-old Checker, aka Ernest Evans, debuted the twist at the Rainbow Club in the summer of 1960. He had just finished high school.

A few weeks later Checker performed the song on American Bandstand in Philadelphia, igniting a dance craze that swept the nation.

The previous murals erected by the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority depict Bill Haley and the Comets and Bobby Rydell.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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