Hank Ballard

Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) He lived with his paternal aunt and her husband, and began singing in church. His major vocal inspiration during his formative years was the "Singing Cowboy", Gene Autry, and in particular, his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again". Ballard returned to Detroit in his teens and later worked on the assembly line for Ford. although it still made it to number 6 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

The group then changed its name to the Midnighters to avoid confusion with the "5" Royales. In 1954, Ballard wrote a song called "Work with Me, Annie" that was drawn from "Get It". Their third major hit was "Sexy Ways", a song that cemented the band's reputation as one of the most risqué groups of the time. – the only song in the rock and roll era to reach number 1 in two different non-consecutive years.

Ballard and the Midnighters had several other hit singles in the early 1960s, including the Grammy-nominated "Finger Poppin' Time" (1960) and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (1960) which hit number 7 and number 6, respectively, on the Billboard pop chart. In the mid-1980s, Ballard re-formed The Midnighters and the group performed until 2002.

Death On March 2, 2003, he died at age 75 of throat cancer in his Los Angeles home. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.

Legacy In 1990, Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the other Midnighters were inducted in 2012.

In 2010, Hank Ballard & The Midnighters were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

Ballard was the great-uncle of NFL player Christian Ballard. He was a cousin of original Supremes member Florence Ballard.

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– 10 – "That Woman"b/w "Give It Up" (from Mr. Rhythm and Blues)The Midnighters – – –

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"(I'm Going Back to) The House on the Hill"b/w "That Low Down Move" – – – "Walkin' and Talkin'"b/w "How Could You Leave Your Man Alone" – – – "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)"b/w "Those Lonely Lonely Feelings" – – –

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– – – "How You Gonna Get Respect"b/w "Teardrops on Your Letter"Hank Ballard along with "The Dapps" – 15 –

"You're So Sexy"b/w "Thrill on the Hill"Hank Ballard along with "The Dapps" – – – "Are You Lonely for Me Baby"b/w "With You Sweet Lovin' Self" – – –

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