Hank Ballard
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Hank Ballard (November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an African American rhythm and blues singer and the lead vocalist of the group Hank Ballard & the Midnighters. His birth name was John Henry Kendricks.
He was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, where he sang in church.
In 1951, Ballard moved back to Detroit and formed a doo wop group. He soon joined a group called The Royals along with Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Sonny Woods and Alonzo Tucker. The Royals had already signed to Federal Records when Ballard joined, and the group soon released Get It (1953), an R&B hit.
The Royals' first major hit was "Work With Me, Annie", a R&B hit that also sold well in mainstream markets, along with the answer song Annie had a Baby The song "Work With Me Annie" is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[1].
The group changed its name to The Midnighters to avoid confusion with The "5" Royales. Their last major hit was "Sexy Ways," a song that cemented the band as one of the most risqué groups of the time. Sutton was replaced by Lawson Smith, while Thrasher was replaced by Sonny Woods. Tucker was replaced first by Arthur Porter and then by Cal Green.
In 1959 Ballard's song "The Twist" was released as the B-side of "Teardrops on Your Letter." A year later Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to #1 on the pop charts. (It would return to the top of the charts in 1962.) Though this brought about renewed interest in Ballard and The Midnighters for a time, this lasted for only a few years, and the group dissolved in 1965. Ballard tried to launch a solo career, working with James Brown. Though he later tried to re-form The Midnighters, the new lineups never achieved much success.
In 1990 Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On March 2, 2003 he died of throat cancer in his Los Angeles home, aged 75.
[edit] Quotation
| “ | If you're looking for youth, you're looking for longevity, just take a dose of rock 'n' roll—it keeps you going. Just like the caffeine in your coffee, rock 'n' roll is good for the soul, for the well being, for the psyche, for your everything. I love it. I can't even picture being without rock 'n'roll. — Hank Ballard | ” |
