- rockin' and a-Rollin' · 1953
- Infamous (Scandaleusement Célèbre) [Douglas McGrath's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] · 2006
- Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - Their Very Best - EP · 1957
- Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - Their Very Best - EP · 1957
- Hit Wonder: Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, Vol. 2 · 1957
- Nearer to You · 1991
- Risqué Blues: Keep On Churnin' · 1976
- Open up the Back Door · 1955
- Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - Their Very Best - EP · 1957
- Brodway - Single · 2015
- No.1 Lost Soul & R&B Collection · 2013
- Work with Me, Annie: The Very Best of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters · 2013
- Work with Me, Annie: The Very Best of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters · 2013
Albums
Compilations
About Hank Ballard
A crucial link between rhythm & blues and early rock & roll during the 1950s, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters' songs may have been rooted in the high-energy spirituals of gospel, but looked to far earthier inspirations for most of their subject matter. While Ballard’s lascivious lyrics and hard-charging doo wop style were considered too risqué for mainstream radio, songs like “Work with Me Annie” and “Sexy Ways” made them darlings of the so-called “chitlin’ circuit” (entertainment venues that attracted largely African-American audiences). In 1960, Chubby Checker’s cover version of a Ballard B-side, “The Twist,” catapulted to number one on the pop charts, bringing renewed interest in the Midnighters for a time. The acclaim was short-lived, however, and the group disbanded in 1965. In coming decades, Ballard tried launching a solo career and new lineups of the Midnighters with little success, eventually succumbing to throat cancer in 2003.
- HOMETOWN
- Detroit, MI, United States
- BORN
- 18 November 1927
- GENRE
- R&B/Soul