Johnny Ace
John Marshall Alexander jr.
vocals, piano
born: June 9, 1929 in Memphis, Tennessee
died: December 24, 1954 in Houston, Texas (played Russian
Roulette)
buried: New Park Cemetery, Horn Lake, DeSoto County, Mississippi
R & B singer Johnny Ace actually started his musical career in 1949 by playing the piano in a band. Members of that band later on formed The Beale Streeters.
Some very big Blues and R & B artists have, at one time or another, been a part of The Beale Streeters. Apart from Johnny Ace there were: B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Big Mama Thornton, Junior Parker, Earl Forest and Rosco Gordon.
When he left The Beale Streeters, to sign a solo record deal with Duke Records, Johnny had instant success with his debut single: "My Song", scoring a number 1 hit on the R&B charts. Years later "My Song" was a hit again for Aretha Franklin (in 1968).
Johnny Ace was not a one-hit wonder, the records he released after his debut all became hits. And undoubtedly he would have scored many more if he had not committed suicide by playing Russsian Roulette backstage at a Christmas Eve concert in 1954.
After his death, Duke records released "Pledging My Love" and "Anymore", adding two more hits to his scoring list.
Hitsingles:
- My Song [Duke, 1952]
- Saving My Love [Duke, 1953]
- Cross My Heart [Duke, 1953]
- The Clock [Duke, 1953]
- Please Forgive Me [Duke, 1954]
- Never Let Me Go [Duke, 1954]
- Pledging My Love [Duke, 1955]
- Anymore [Duke, 1955]
Essential Johnny Ace album: Memorial Album
Albums:
- Johnny Ace Memorial Album [Duke LP-70, March 1955] with Johnny
Otis, Big Mama Thornton, George Washinton
- A Tribute Album to Johnny Ace [Duke 81, 1955] with Johnny Otis,
Big Mama Thornton, George Washinton
- Memorial Album [Duke 71, 1973] with Johnny
Otis, Big Mama Thornton, George Washinton
- Pledging My Love [MCA 20362, 1986]
- The Complete Duke Recordings [Hip-O
Select/Geffen 2744-02, November 2004] with Johnny Otis, Big Mama
Thornton, George Washinton
- The Chronological Johnny Ace: 1951-1954
[Classics R&B 5138, July 2005] with Johnny Otis, Big Mama
Thornton, George Washinton
He appears on the following albums:
B.B. King - King Of The Blues [MCA 10677, October 1992] 4
CD Box Set
Various Artists - Eve's Bayou Collection (Soundtrack) [MCA
11670, October 1997]
Various Artists - Blues That Gave America Soul [MCA 21078, July
1998]
Various Artists - I Will Always Be There for You [Original
Sound 9450, December 1998]
Various Artists - The Original Memphis Blues Brothers [Ace 265,
June 2000]
Bobby "Blue" Bland - The Anthology [MCA 112596, June 2001]
Various Artists - East Side Story, Vol. 1-12 [East Side 1000,
July 2002] 12 CD Box set
Various Artists - The Birth of Modern Blues [P-Vine Japan 5406,
October 2002]
B.B. King - 1949-1952
[Melodie Jazz Classics 5053, April 2003]
B.B. King - Martin Scorsese Presents the
Blues: B.B. King [Hip-O 48702,
September 2003]
Johnny Otis - Jukebox Hits 1946-1954 [Acrobat 4199, August
2005]
Various Artists - Memphis Blues [JSP 57777, September 2006] 4
CD box set
Johnny Otis - Rock Me Baby: The Mercury and Peacock Sides
1951-55 [Rev-Ola 9, January 2007]
U.K. visitors looking for Johnny Ace albums? - Canadian visitors looking for Johnny Ace albums?
Books:
- The Late Great Johnny Ace and the Transition from
R&B to Rock 'N' Roll - James M. Salem [March 2001]
Looking for Johnny Ace sheetmusic?
Copyright © 2007 Hotburrito