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Hank Ballard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
| Hank Ballard | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Henry Kendricks |
| Born | November 18, 1936 Detroit, Michigan |
| Origin | Bessemer, Alabama |
| Died | March 2, 2003 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California |
| Genre(s) | Rock 'n' roll R&B Funk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1954 - 2003 |
| Label(s) | Federal King People |
| Associated acts |
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters James Brown |
Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks) (November 18, 1936 - March 2, 2003) was an African American R&B/rock singer and the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters. He played an integral part in the development of rock music releasing the hit singles "Work With Me, Annie" and "Annie Had a Baby" with his Midnighters, later contributed as the sole songwriter of Chubby Checker's "The Twist".
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Born John Henry Kendricks in Detroit, Michigan, Ballard grew up in Bessemer, Alabama where he began singing in church and later aspired on a career in music. 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 group then changed its name to The Midnighters to avoid confusion with The "5" Royales. 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.
The Midnighters' 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. [1].
Their third major hit was "Sexy Ways," a song that cemented the band as one of the most risqué groups of the time. They are an illustration of why white radio stations tended to avoid playing songs by black R&B performers. For example, in the song "Open Up the Back Door", he sings a line "I want to make a little cream".
They had four more R&B chart hits in 1954-55. The Midnighters continued releasing singles and albums, and also changed their name to "Hank Ballard and The Midnighters". Their label also changed to King. They had no hits in 1956-58. Then between 1959 and 1961 they had several more both on the R&B and Pop charts, including "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go".
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 66.
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[[:Image:|Annie Had a Baby]] [[Image:|noicon]]
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| “ | 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 | ” |
- ^ 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.Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "500 songs that shaped rock and roll" [http://www.rockhall.com/exhibitions/permanent.asp?id=658]
Categories: Articles lacking sources from October 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Michigan musicians | American rock singers | African American musicians | Black rock musicians | American rhythm and blues singers | American rhythm and blues musicians | American funk musicians | People from Birmingham, Alabama | People from Detroit | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees as a Performer | James Brown vocalists | Throat cancer deaths | 1927 births | 2003 deaths