MUSICIAN

Hank Ballard

1927 - 2003

Photo of Hank Ballard

Icon of person Hank Ballard

Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of the Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of the genre, releasing the hit singles "Work with Me, Annie" and answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie" with his Midnighters. He later wrote and originally recorded (in 1959) "The Twist" which was notably covered a year later by Chubby Checker, this second version spreading the popularity of the dance. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Hank Ballard is the 2,427th most popular musician (down from 2,167th in 2019), the 13,359th most popular biography from United States (down from 11,476th in 2019) and the 1,000th most popular American Musician.

Memorability Metrics

Loading...

Page views of Hank Ballard by language

Loading...

Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Hank Ballard ranks 2,427 out of 3,175. Before him are Ronnie Vannucci Jr., Lisa Batiashvili, Creed Taylor, Guy Lombardo, Hugh Dillon, and Ben Howard. After him are Yoann Lemoine, Simon Webbe, Chris Botti, DJ Shadow, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and Muhal Richard Abrams.

Most Popular Musicians in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1927, Hank Ballard ranks 475. Before him are John Dankworth, Boots Randolph, Sylvia Fedoruk, Cleo Laine, Ann Gillis, and Connie Kay. After him are Robert Bork, Nayantara Sahgal, Sada Thompson, Patsy Mink, Eddie Sachs, and Jim Fuchs. Among people deceased in 2003, Hank Ballard ranks 361. Before him are Gerald Emmett Carter, Dulce Chacón, Al Hirschfeld, Royce D. Applegate, Rachel Corrie, and Road Warrior Hawk. After him are Ellen Drew, Lynne Thigpen, David Kelly, Malcolm Williamson, Johnny Paul Koroma, and Noor Alam.

Others Born in 1927

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2003

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In United States

Among people born in United States, Hank Ballard ranks 13,363 out of 20,380. Before him are Elisabeth Harnois (1979), Lionel Shriver (1957), Preston Foster (1900), Lee Greenwood (1942), Geoffrey A. Landis (1955), and Deidre Hall (1947). After him are Joseph Campanella (1924), Walt Kelly (1913), Sidney Drell (1926), Angela Kinsey (1971), Brenda Chapman (1962), and Cain Velasquez (1982).

Others born in United States

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Hank Ballard ranks 1,000. Before him are Jason Everman (1967), Ian MacKaye (1962), Alex Honnold (1985), Booker Ervin (1930), Synyster Gates (1981), and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (1976). After him are Chris Botti (1962), DJ Shadow (1972), Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (1969), Muhal Richard Abrams (1930), Steve Kuhn (1938), and Geri Allen (1957).

American born Musicians

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous