Chubby Checker was born Ernest Evans in Spring Gulley, South Carolina on October 3, 1941. He moved to South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his family as a youngster, where he was raised in the area’s housing projects. Checker sang in a variety of vocal groups with classmates at South Philadelphia High School. He truly excelled, however, giving solo performances for the customers at various small shops where he worked. Chubby’s major break came when Henry Colt, who owned the poultry shop where he worked, managed to pass his demo recording on to Dick Clark. The television host loved what he heard and hired Checker to record a personal holiday greeting for his friends. The recording had such a great response that Clark signed him to Cameo-Parkway Records.