Hank Ballard

Born John Henry Kendricks in Detroit, Michigan, he and his brother, Dove Ballard, grew up and attended school in Bessemer, Alabama, after the death of their father. 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. ==Hank Ballard and the Midnighters==

In 1953, Ballard joined doo-wop group the Royals, which had previously been discovered by Johnny Otis and signed to Federal Records (a division of King Records), in Cincinnati. Ballard joined Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Sonny Woods and Alonzo Tucker in the group, replacing previous singer Lawson Smith, who went on to serve in the Army. 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. They did not reach the charts again after 1962 and dissolved in 1965. ==Later career==

After the Midnighters disbanded, Ballard launched a solo career. His 1968 single, "How You Gonna Get Respect (When You Haven't Cut Your Process Yet)", was his biggest post-Midnighters hit, peaking at number 15 on the R&B chart. James Brown produced Ballard's 1969 album ''You Can't Keep a Good Man Down''. A 1972 single, "From the Love Side", credited to Hank Ballard and the Midnight Lighters, went to number 43 on the R&B chart. Ballard also appeared on Brown's 1972 album Get on the Good Foot, on two tracks, "Recitation By Hank Ballard", that features Ballard describing Brown and the album, and “Funky Side of Town”, in duet, with James Brown. One-off sides, "Sunday Morning, Coming Down", and "I'm a Junkie for My Baby's Love", followed in the 1970s. He had some more upbeat releases in the mid-1970s, including "Hey There Sexy Lady" and "Let’s Go Streaking", as well as a beat ballad, "Love On Love". In 1979, he had moderate success with the disco number, "Freak Your Boom-Boom". During the 1960s, Ballard's cousin, Florence Ballard, was a member of the Detroit girl group the Supremes. 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. ==Discography==

Solo albums • A Star in Your Eyes (King Records, 1964) • ''You Can't Keep a Good Man Down'' (King Records, 1968) • Hanging with Hank (Stang Records, 1976) Singles • Note: Credited as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters unless stated otherwise. ==References==