Ballard was working on the Ford assembly line when he joined the Royals, a local singing group – they became the Midnighters in 1954

Ballard wrote and recorded “The Twist” in 1958, but their record label issued it as a B side

Chubby Checker’s version of “The Twist” reached #1 twice - in 1960 and 1962

Recording career diminished in the wake of Motown and the British Invasion

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

Hank Ballard (11/18/36 - 3/2/03) • Inducted 1990The Midnighters • Inducted 2012

The Olympics – “(Baby) Hully Gully” (1960)

Chubby Checker – “Pony Time” (1961)

The Dovells – “Bristol Stomp” (1961)

Joey Dee and the Starliters – “Peppermint Twist” (1961)

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters – “The Continental Walk” (1961)

The Orlons – “The Wah-Watusi” (1962)

Dee Dee Sharp – “Mashed-Potato Time” (1962)

Bobby “Boris” Pickett – “Monster Mash” (1962)

Bobby Rydell – “The Cha-Cha-Cha” (1962)

Don Covay – “The Popeye Waddle” (1962)

Little Eva “The Loco-Motion” (1962)

The Dance Craze (1959-1962)

1959: #16 R&B 1960: #1 Pop, #2 R&B1962: #1 Pop, #4 R&B

Chubby CheckerHank Ballard and the Midnighters

“The Twist”

Independent and major record labels begin to release similar music

The Teen Idol becomes pervasive (Fabian, Bobby Darin, Rick Nelson) with songs supplied by songwriting teams

While rock and roll continues to be mostly white and male, African-American and women performers find new spaces

Mainstream rock and roll on television and radio happens side by side with changing regional sounds

Rock and roll continues to grow and create new sounds and new audiences

Rock and Roll: The Second Wave