Hank Ballard (born November 18, 1927, Detroit, Michigan, USA - died March 2, 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA) was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. He was the cousin of Florence Ballard and wrote and recorded The Twist which spread the popularity of the dance and was notably covered by Chubby Checker. He was inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 (Performer).