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Hank Ballard

 


Hank Ballard in 1970. Echoes/Redferns/MTV | tc427

Rhythm and blues singer and songwriter and leader of the group The Midnighters, John Henry Kendricks (Hank Ballard) was born in Detroit,Michigan on 18 November 1927. After his father died the family relocated to Bessamer, Alabama, where he grew up. He started work on the Ford Assembly line in Detroit then in 1953 he joined a vocal group called The Royals, but to avoid confusion with the similarly named Five Royales, the changed the name of the group to The Midnighters. There was a string of successful recordings before he launched his solo career. One of his albums was produced by James Brown.  

Hank Ballard died in Los Angeles, California, on 2 March 2003 from throat cancer. He was buried in Atlanta, Georgia.

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