Nutbush City Limits: The little Australian town that danced their way into the World Record books

Horsham has danced itself into the Guinness World Record book by having the most people perform the Nutbush at the same time.

A record-breaking 256 dancers rocked in simultaneous rhythm to the beat of the great Tina Turner’s classic Nutbush City Limits at Horsham City Oval.

Only this week, the seemingly ageless Tina Turner turned 76. That’s right. The leggy grandma with the voice to move us all, is 76 years young.

Whenever we hear the first few bars of the Nutbush, everyone is up on the dance floor, getting into position for the ‘routine’. This legendary dance has the ability to bring all ages together. The oldest participant among Horsham’s performers was Claire McKenry, who at 90, still rocks with the best of them.

As someone who has just turned 65, I have years to enjoy and to keep doing what I love to do. Perhaps it’s a generational baby boomers thing – rock till we drop! However, as loathe, as I am to say this, today’s music is awful and doesn’t make sense to me. No rock, no roll, no rhythm, no future.

Will One Direction, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift still be singing in 50 years time?

All my favourite are still doing it – most in the 70s, some even in their 80s.

Let hope, baby boomers that our rock ‘n’ roll legacy doesn’t die out when we do.

The greatest bands and singers of our time left an indelible print on our page in history. Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones (no one will ever again repeat the staying power of these legends); Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys; Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Eric Burdon, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen (81) with the beautiful Hallelujah and the great Chuck Berry, 89, with Johnny B Goode.

Like most of my generation, we are still doing it. Whether it is still rocking and rolling, being in the paid work, helping to guide our grandchildren, travelling or indulging in our favourite hobby, we were (and still are) the revolutionaries, the protesters, the bra burners and the generation that shaped history. But most of all, we had the music. We rocked. We rolled.