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Johnny Ace

The senseless death of young pianist Johnny Ace while indulging in a round of Russian roulette backstage ...
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Item added by garjen55. Added on 10/19/2005
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13 Reviews

XMess
12/26/2009

Johnny Ace 5

After touring for a year, Ace had been performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas on Christmas 1954. During a break between sets, he was playing with a .22 cal revolver. Members of his band said he did this often, sometimes shooting at roadside signs from their car.

It was widely reported that Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette. Big Mama Thornton's bass player Curtis Tillman, however, who witnessed the event, said, "I will tell you exactly what happened! Johnny Ace had been drinking and he had this little pistol he was waving around the table and someone said ‘Be careful with that thing…’ and he said ‘It’s okay! Gun’s not loaded…see?’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and ‘Bang!’ – sad, sad thing. Big Mama ran outta that dressing room yelling ‘Johnny Ace just killed hisself!"

Thornton said in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) that Ace had been playing with the gun, but not playing Russian roulette. According to Thornton, Ace pointed the gun at his girlfriend and another woman who were sitting nearby, but did not fire. He then pointed the gun toward himself. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head.

Ace's funeral was on January 2, 1955, at Memphis' Clayborn Temple AME church. It was attended by an estimated 5000 people.[7]

"Pledging My Love" became a posthumous R&B #1 hit for ten weeks beginning February 12, 1955. As Billboard bluntly put it, Ace's death "created one of the biggest demands for a record that has occurred since the death of Hank Williams just over two years ago." His single sides were compiled and released as The Johnny Ace Memorial Album.

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BangSessions
11/22/2009

Johnny Ace 3

The Late, Great Johnny Ace

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SueBurbia
11/11/2009

Johnny Ace 4

he blew his mind out in a car d game

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LateAgain
09/20/2009

Johnny Ace 4

late & great

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ShivahMiTimbas
08/15/2009

Johnny Ace 3

late, great

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Johnny Ace 4

He blew his mind out in a card game, he hadn't noticed that the light had changed

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DARINs2Pay
07/17/2009

Johnny Ace 4

#1 with a bullet

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BrianAdumbs
06/17/2009

Johnny Ace 5

the late, great Johnny Ace

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UnkleDevil
06/07/2008

Johnny Ace 5

the late, great Johnny Ace.

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MapleRock
05/26/2008

Johnny Ace 3

pledging my love

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STYXr4kidz
04/24/2008

Johnny Ace 5

the late great johnnie ace

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MadeInCanada
04/07/2008

Johnny Ace 5

the late great Johnny Ace

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marto
09/19/2006

Johnny Ace 1

no

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