Chubby Checker will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 8, but the singer has made clear he won’t be in attendance.
And interestingly, the Rock Hall is on board with that. At Checker’s July 27 concert in Des Plaines, Illinois, the organization presented him with his induction trophy early. Additionally, Checker then explained from the stage in an interview that he purposely had his manager book him a concert for the evening of Nov. 8.
“I told my manager, ‘Make sure when we go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the induction that I’m doing what I love doing the most, being in front of an audience. A live audience, not a television audience,'” Checker explained (via Future Rock Legends). His manager has purportedly done exactly as requested, though exact details of where Checker will be performing that night have yet to be revealed.
Checker did, however, alert the Rock Hall: “We’re not coming. We have a gig.”
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As far as why Checker is uninterested in attending the November ceremony, he explained that he’d far rather be playing shows to his current fans.
“Chubby goes to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he’s an old guy, he’s probably retired, he’s not doing anything. Maybe he has crutches and he’s coming to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to get his little award and go back home,” he explained. “I said, ‘No. Let’s be doing a show like I’m doing today.’ This shows that I’m alive and well and the audience is wonderful and my dream is still being fulfilled, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is happening all at the same time.”
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Checker is not the only inductee this year to decline the invitation. The veteran bassist Carol Kaye has also said she won’t be attending. (The 90-year-old is set to be inducted via the Musical Excellence category.)
In a Facebook post, Kaye said that she is “turning it down because it wasn’t something that reflects the work that studio musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s recording hits.
“I refuse to be part of a process that is something else rather than what I believe in, for others’ benefit and not reflecting on the truth. We all enjoyed working with EACH OTHER. Thank you for understanding.”
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Rambling speeches, fights between ex-bandmates and bad performances have marked many induction ceremonies over the years.
Gallery Credit: Dave Lifton
