Radio didn’t just “play” the song. Twisting became a phenomenon, much bigger than other crazes like the Macarena.

Swindell said that he would hold record hops in shopping center parking lots during that time.

“I can well remember, I played that record out,” he said of “The Twist.” “It got so scratchy I couldn’t use it. The kids just always wanted me to keep playing that song over and over.

“Of course, you didn’t have to know how to dance. You just had to know how to twist.”

And the new thing Chubby Checker helped to make popular? Dancing apart.

Before then, everyone danced in a chaste embrace, or at least holding hands. “The Twist” changed all that. In its wake came such dances as the Mashed Potato, the Monkey and the Funky Chicken. There were also songs by other artists, most notably Joey Dee’s “Peppermint Twist.”

(In 1987, he recorded a new version of the song with rap trio The Fat Boys. Two more recent instances: John Travolta and Uma Thurman dancing in 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” and James Franco and Kirsten Dunst giving it a go in 2007’s “Spider-Man 3.”)

Still, Checker held to his earlier visions, honing his stagecraft. One performance coach told him that, with training, “When your hit records stop, then you can go on.”

And the hits did stop, with the British invasion. Until the 1970s, when “oldies” records became hot, Checker was all but forgotten.

“In the ’60s, the one thing that kept me in good spirits was that people were dancing apart to the beat. ... I mean, people are trying to dance together again, but it’s just too much trouble. It’s much easier to just stand there and be cool.”

And the man is not shy about the dance’s subtext.

“When you’re doing the Twist, you’re looking at her, and she’s looking at you. And you’re watching each other explore your sexuality.”

After all that, Checker is not a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite having been eligible for 24 years.

Still, Checker tours with his band, almost 30 shows this year, giving each one his professional touch.

“He’s always been an enthusiastic performer,” said Dick Clark. “And to this day, he still captivates the audience with his performance. He sings his hits like it was his first time on stage.”