American rock and roll singer and dancer Chubby Checker has been entertaining us for 80 years with his unique talent.

Perhaps best known for making dance styles like the Twist and the Pony popular, he is also famous for his hit songs such as “Let’s Twist Again.”

Born in 1941 in South Carolina and raised in the projects of South Philadelphia, Checker soon realized that one of his greatest gifts was his skills for imitating others. By high school, he was entertaining his classmates with impersonations of Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, Checker signed with Cameo-Parkway Records and music bosses urged him to make his version of “The Twist,” which Hank Ballard had originally written and performed.

When Checker released his version with an accompanying dance routine, the song became an instant hit. “The Twist” was revolutionary as a dance movement as it gave couples the freedom to break apart on the dance floor He has also been happily married to former beauty queen Catharina Lodders for 57 years – a union that has faced many obstacles.

When the couple got married in 1964 it was the same year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been introduced. The act meant that restrictions on voting rights for African-Americans were lifted and segregation in the army, education and basic public services fell but bans on interracial marriage still remained.