Born John Henry Kendricks in Detroit, Michigan, Ballard along with 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.
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.
The Royals released "Get It" (1953), an R&B song with possibly sexually oriented lyrics, which some radio stations refused to play, although it still made it to number 6 on the 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". It became The Midnighters' first major R&B hit, spending seven weeks at number 1 on the R&B charts and also selling well in mainstream markets, along with the answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie"; all were banned by the FCC from radio air play. 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.
They had four other R&B chart hits in 1954–55, but no others until 1959, by which time the group was billed as "Hank Ballard and The Midnighters" with their label changed from Federal to King, the parent label. Between 1959 and 1961 they had several more both on the R&B and Pop charts, starting with "Teardrops on Your Letter", a number 4 R&B hit in 1960 that had as its B-side the Ballard-written song "The Twist". A few months later, Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to number 1 on the pop charts. It would return to the top of the charts again in 1962–the only song in the rock'n'roll era to reach number 1 in two different years.
Ballard & the Midnighters had several other hit singles through 1961, including the Grammy-nominated "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" which hit number 7 and number 6, respectively, on the Billboard pop charts. They did not reach the charts again after 1962 and dissolved in 1965.
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, in a track ("Recitation By Hank Ballard") that features Ballard describing Brown and the album.
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 till 2002.
In 1990, Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the other Midnighters were inducted in 2012.
On March 2, 2003, he died at age 66 of throat cancer in his Los Angeles home. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ballard was the great uncle of NFL player Christian Ballard.
Kansas City
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kansas City, here I come
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
They got a crazy
Way of loving there
I′m gonna get me some
I'm gonna be
Standing on the corner
On the corner of
Twelfth Street and Vine
I'll be standing on the corner
On the corner of
Twelfth Street and Vine
With my Kansas City baby
The one I call Miss KC fine
Well, I might take a train
I might take a plane
But if I have to walk
I′m going there just the same
I′m going to Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
They got a crazy
Way of loving there
And I'm gonna get me some
I′m gonna pack my clothes
Leave at the break of dawn
I'm gonna pack my clothes
Leave at the break of dawn
Well, everybody in Cleveland
Nobody will know where I′ve gone
Cause if I stay in this town
I know I'm gonna die
Gotta find a pretty city
And that′s the reason why
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
They have a crazy
Way of loving there
I'm gonna get me some
The song "Kansas City" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters is about a man who is determined to go to Kansas City to experience their unique way of love. The lyrics indicate that there is something special about the way love is experienced in the city, and the singer is eager to partake in it. He plans to travel to Kansas City by whatever means necessary- whether by train, plane, or even walking- and is willing to leave his hometown of Cleveland behind to do so. The corner of Twelfth Street and Vine appears to be a significant location in Kansas City, as the singer mentions standing there with his "Miss KC fine" once he arrives.
The song speaks to the idea of adventure and the thrill of seeking out new experiences. It's possible that the way of loving that the singer is so excited about refers to the vibrant music scene that Kansas City was famous for at the time, which featured a mix of jazz, blues, and swing. The lyrics capture the excitement in the air when heading to a new place, where the possibilities seem endless and the promise of love is just around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to Kansas City
I am traveling to Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
I am excited to arrive in Kansas City
They got a crazy
Way of loving there
I′m gonna get me some
The people in Kansas City have an exciting and unconventional way of loving, and I am looking forward to experiencing it
I'll be standing on the corner
On the corner of
Twelfth Street and Vine
With my Kansas City baby
The one I call Miss KC fine
I will be waiting on the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine with my beautiful Kansas City girlfriend, who I affectionately call Miss KC
Well, I might take a train
I might take a plane
But if I have to walk
I′m going there just the same
I am willing to travel to Kansas City by any means necessary, whether it be by train, plane, or foot
I′m gonna pack my clothes
Leave at the break of dawn
I will pack my belongings and leave early in the morning
Well, everybody in Cleveland
Nobody will know where I′ve gone
No one in Cleveland will know my whereabouts once I leave for Kansas City
Cause if I stay in this town
I know I'm gonna die
Gotta find a pretty city
And that′s the reason why
I must leave Cleveland because I feel like I am stuck and not truly living. I need to find a beautiful city to experience life to the fullest
Writer(s): Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber
Contributed by Miles B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lee Groce
You gotta love this man, thanks for posting.. Peace
Sands of time
Back in the 50s' and 60's you only got what the radio and recording industries wanted you to buy. and nothing more .If they wanted to push Wilbert Harrison's (pretty great in it's own right) they did . Hank Ballard, forget about it, never happen. Very few of my peers would have known who he was.( New England radio)
A B
Music to Rumble to
Michael DeArmey
The photo above is Billy Ward and the Dominos w/Jackie Wilson, NOT Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. Mike
Robert Bracegirdle
Amazing Parlophone issued this.
Ruben Ybarra
That does not sound like Hank Ballard.
RayRey028
No disrespect to this artist or his fans but, the wilbert harrison version sounds better. just my humble opinion.