Checker's Dance
Checker's Dance
One morning I walked into the office of MCA Records in Dallas (where I worked) and was affronted for a task. The branch manager wanted me to visit a little hotel off I35 and pick up a celebrity; show him around town and make him feel welcome.
When I got to the destination, I knocked on a door and waited. The door flew open, and there stood the celebrity. It was none other than Chubby Checker for the readers who may not know who Chubby Checker is, he became an icon in the 60's by introducing a dance craze the twist. He might be one of the first singer/entertainers to start such a dance in our American culture. It became an enormous hit. I remember doing the twist at dance parties in the gym of my junior high school.
The three days he was in Dallas, we became good friends. Whenever he came into the branch office unattended, he wanted to know where "good looking" was, A riddance he gave me still brings a smile to my face.
It was in the 80's when we met, and Mr. Checker was in the middle of a comeback tour. It must be difficult to regain the electricity and attention that a person might have early in life. HUGE success beginning life can become a curse as you mature and find yourself longing for those days again, I suppose.
I found chubby to be a warm, Forial, and inquisitive fellow. I recall our three days together with fondness. Whenever I think of those days, I leave the memories with a grin.
Poems
