Hank Ballard

“I never got the money I should have from 'The Twist,' but I got the recognition, and that's important too.”

“You know, Chubby Checker did a great job with 'The Twist,' he really did. But I wrote it. That's my baby.”

“Rhythm and blues, that's the real stuff. That's where it all came from.”

“They told me 'The Twist' was too suggestive. Can you believe that? Now look at what's on TV.”

“If you're looking for the Twist, I'm the man that started it all.”

“I wrote the song 'The Twist' and I was the first one to record it.”

“I saw these kids in Tampa, Florida, doing this dance... back and forth, like they were putting out a cigarette with both feet. That was the Twist.”

“Being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was one of the proudest moments of my life.”

“My advice to young musicians is to write your own songs. That's where the real power is.”

“I came from the ghetto, and I was determined to be a success.”