Question: Who is the official songwriter of The Twist?
Answer: While Hank Ballard is officially credited with writing The Twist, the song’s roots lie with gospel singer Joseph “Jo Jo” Wallace of the Sensational Nightingales. Inspired by a childhood memory of his sister’s dance, Wallace and Bill Woodruff developed the idea in the mid-1950s but passed it to Ballard, who adapted and recorded it.
Bonus info: The twist’s signature style is often described as dancers moving as if they are drying their buttocks with an imaginary towel while simultaneously grinding out an imaginary cigarette with one foot. Partners face each other and match these gyrations and body positions, yet they never make physical contact.
