CHUBBY CHECKER DECLARES `IT'S THE ERA OF CHUBBY CHECKER'

CHUBBY CHECKER DECLARES `IT'S THE ERA OF CHUBBY CHECKER'

PHILADELPHIA (Wireless Flash) -- Remember Chubby Checker and "The Twist?" Well, the 58-year-old performer is adding a new twist to the millennium: he's declaring the next 40 months to be "The Era of Chubby Checker." November marks Checker's 40th anniversary in show business, so he figures his 40-month-long "Chubby Checker Era" is a good way to remind people about his contribution to western culture. Checker claims that every dance step created since 1959 has been influenced by one of his four dance moves: "The Twist," "The Pony," "The Shake" and "The Fly." Checker says he doesn't expect a Congressional Medal of Honor for his twisted innovations, but he'd be happy if more people started attending his shows. Checker also says he plans to celebrate the "Chubby Checker Era" by lending his name to several new products including candy bars and a line of Chubby Checker beef jerky.