Hank Ballard (18 November 1927 – 2 March 2003) was the founder and frontman of the American soul and R&B band Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. Born in Detroit, he moved to Bessemer, Alabama, as a child, returned to Detroit at 15, worked for Ford, and sang in a church choir where he met future bandmates. The group, originally The Royals, was discovered by Johnny Otis in 1952 and signed to Federal Records; Hank Ballard joined in 1953, shifting the sound toward harder R&B. Their first single, "Get It", entered the U.S. R&B top 10, followed by the controversial hit "Work with Me Annie", which reached the R&B top 20 and earned inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll”. Hank Ballard composed "The Twist" in 1958, and Chubby Checker’s 1960 recording topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice, bringing national attention to Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. The band's early 1960s singles, including "Finger Poppin’ Time" and "Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go", sustained chart presence. After a period of inactivity, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters briefly reformed in the 1980s but did not regain major success. Hank Ballard died in Los Angeles in 2003 at age 75, leaving a legacy as a key figure in early soul and R&B.
