[StBernard] Chubby Checker and the Wild Cats to perform at the Sigur Civic Center Auditorium on Aug. 14

[Westley Annis]

Chubby Checker and the Wild Cats to perform at the Sigur Civic Center Auditorium on Aug. 14  to celebrate the 50th anniversary 

of the Number One song on the Planet: “The Twist"
Other musical legends will join to sing their top hits; Event to benefit the Tower of Lights will include Local Celebrity Twist Contest and Cruising With Chubby Car Show

 

Grammy award winning Chubby Checker and the Wild Cats will perform August 14 at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center Auditorium in Chalmette in an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of the legendary Number One song of all time: "The Twist." The concert will include a variety of performers who will sing their top hits, including Dee Dee Kenniebrew of the Crystals. 

The event at the Sigur Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette, will benefit the Tower of Lights project to illuminate the Port of St. Bernard (Kaiser) tower as a colorful beacon to be seen from miles around. Doors for the concert will open at 6 p.m. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Cruising with Chubby car show will be in the parking lot from 3 to 6 p.m. will precede the concert and set the mood for returning to the sixties.

Chubby Checker was in town in early August to promote the concert. He stopped by offices in the government complex and courthouse complex, and he ate lunch with fans at Rocky and Carlo's in Chalmette. He was given proclamations by St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr., the Parish Council and Sen. A.G. Crowe at the  Parish Council meeting.


Tickets are $40. You can get them online at www.tizm.com <http://www.tizm.com> . Or you get yours today at all A1 Appliance and Electronics stores: Chalmette, Elmwood, Gretna, Veterans/Metairie, Kenner, Covington, Lapalco and Slidell. For store locations, visit www.a1ontheweb.com <http://www.a1ontheweb.com>  or call 504-341-9999 or 504-271-9999. For more information, contact Darleen Asevedo 504-271-9999, 504-261-5447 or checkerbar at aol.com <mailto:checkerbar at aol.com>  or the St. Bernard Tourism Office at 504-278-4242. Tickets also can be purchased at the St. Bernard Tourism Office, Chalmette High School, Dr. Shoemaker’s office, Tonry & Ginart Law Office, Rocky & Carlo's, Gulf Coast Bank and Trust, N'Tini's Restaurant in Mandeville and Bee’s Salon in Picayune.  

Music lovers know Chubby Checker's repertoire includes decades of high-energy, unforgettable songs and dance hits from his landmark, 60s-era, to his Rock ‘n Roll showstoppers. This will be Checker's only show in Chalmette, said Darleen Asevedo, personal friends of Legend for the last 15 years. Asevedo is promoting this concert along with Senator A.G. Crowe. The concert currently has two sponsors: A1 Appliance where Asevedo works and The Joseph and Arlene Meraux Foundation.
 
"The Twist," released in the summer of 1960, was not only the number one song but it introduced the concept of "dancing apart to the beat." Over the next few years, endless songs incorporating "The Twist" into its name sprang up such as "Peppermint Twist," "Twist and Shout" and "Twistin' the Night Away." At the forefront of this era, was Chubby with "The Fly," "The Pony" and "The Hucklebuck."
 
In the fall of 1961, record industry history was made when Checker's original hit record, "The Twist," re-entered the charts and by January of 1962, it was back in the #1 position. No other record before or since has accomplished that feat. Combining its 1960 run with its 1961-62 return, "The Twist" spent an amazing nine month total on the U.S. best seller charts. 
 
Checker won a Grammy for “The Best Rock Performance” for "Let's Twist Again." More hit records followed. "Slow Twistin'," "Dancin' Party," "Popeye the Hitchhiker" and "The Limbo Rock" all came along in 1962. In 1963, Checker returned to the hit parade with "Birdland" and "Twist It Up," after which he followed with "Loddy Lo" and a series of other novelty type tunes. Eventually, teens incorporated these movements to all songs that had a beat and called these movements "The Boogie," a permanent fixture in Rock and Roll.
 
Frank Davis of WWL-TV will host the evening that will include Dee Dee Kenniebrew of the Crystals who will perform as well. The Crystals, Legendary Ladies of Rock-And-Roll, had a top 20 hit in 1961 with “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)” and another Top 20 hit the next year with “Uptown.” The Crystals also had a major #1 hit (a song that is still popular today), “He’s A Rebel” “Uptown,” “He's Sure the Boy I Love,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and “Then He Kissed Me.” Two of the TOP 50 most popular records in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame belong to The Crystals.  

The Chalmette High Jazz Band, under the direction of Jason Rusk, will perform and provide the music for the following musical performers who will sing some of their top hits.

Jean Knight will sing "Mr. Big Stuff," the song that proved to be an instant smash in 1971, reaching #2 on the pop chart and becoming a #1 R&B hit. It went double-platinum and received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female. In October 2007, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame honored Knight for her contributions to Louisiana music by inducting her 1985 “My Toot Toot" into The Billboard Hot 100.

Donald Morgan, son of Oliver Morgan, New Orleans R&B singer who had a hit in the 60's with "Who Shot the La La?" will sing his father’s signature in his father’s memory.

Al “Carnival” Johnson will sing his famous song, “Carnival Time." Johnson, a Rhythm and Blues performer, has been honored with induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. His song "Carnival Time," has been a New Orleans Mardi Gras icon for over 40 years.

Trish Diaz, a St. Bernard Parish resident, also will perform with Chalmette Jazz Band. Special guests also appearing with the Chalmette Jazz Band will include the New Orleans Saints Dancing Robot, The Pope and many more. The event also will include a local celebrity twist contest with St. Bernard Parish “Legends” that will be judged by Bob Walker, Bobby Reno and Michael in the Morning from WTIX-FM Radio Station. Chubby Checker will start at 8:00 p.m.

“Cruising with Chubby Checker,” a pre-concert event, will include a WTIX live remote broadcast from the St. Bernard Civic Center on Aug. 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. All cars – antiques, displays, show, street rods, street machines, trucks and motorcycles – are welcome to join the show for an entry fee of $10 per vehicle that will go to the Tower of Lights charity. Chubby Checker will be looking for his favorite Machines so guests will be able to meet him. Come have some fun before the concert, bring you car or just visit. The Civic Center will be open for concessions and restroom facilities. 

Any profits will go to TOWER OF LIGHTS: A Gift to the World from the Citizens of St. Bernard Parish. For more information, visit www.thetoweroflights.com.Sen <http://www.thetoweroflights.com.Sen> . A.G. Crowe is leading a team of community leaders to raise money to creating the “Tower of Lights” to be displayed on the 540’ Port of St. Bernard (Kaiser) tower. Sen. Crowe said this monumental display of lights will be St. Bernard’s way of thanking those who came to help us in our time of great need since Hurricane Katrina. 

###